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Sustainability Staff Week 2026

ENLIGHT Sustainability Staff Week 2026

Strengthening European Collaboration for Sustainability

From 17–19 June 2026, University of Galway welcomed colleagues from across the ENLIGHT European University Alliance for the ENLIGHT Sustainability Staff Week.

The three-day programme brought together academic and professional staff from ENLIGHT partner universities to share good practice, strengthen collaboration and explore how universities can accelerate sustainability through education, research, campus operations and community engagement.

Hosted by the University of Galway Sustainability Office, in conjunction with the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), the Staff Week provided an opportunity to showcase our whole-institution approach to sustainability, while learning from colleagues across Europe.

See programme here: ENLIGHT Sustainability Staff Week Programme.pdf

About ENLIGHT

ENLIGHT is a European University Alliance of ten research-intensive universities working together to address major societal challenges through education, research and innovation.

Sustainability is one of ENLIGHT's core priorities, with partner universities collaborating to embed sustainable development across teaching, research, operations and civic engagement.

A Showcase of Sustainability at University of Galway

The opening day focused on sustainability in action across University of Galway.

Delegates attended the launch of the University of Galway Sustainability Strategy 2026–2030, before exploring how the University's Learn – Live – Lead framework is delivering sustainability across research, teaching, campus operations, governance and student engagement.

Presentations highlighted:

Sustainability Strategy 2026–2030
CUSP and the Learn–Live–Lead framework
Research and Learning
Nature and Ecosystems
Sustainable Living and Wellbeing
Governance and Leadership
Energy, Transport and Carbon Reduction
Green Labs
Student Leadership
Community Engagement

Participants also joined a guided Sustainability Campus Tour, visiting a range of sustainability initiatives across campus including biodiversity projects, Green Labs, sustainable buildings, the Herb Garden and the Library.

Learning from Place – The Burren

Led by Dr Gesche Kindermann and Dr Caitriona Carlin, the second day took delegates beyond campus into the unique landscape of The Burren, Co. Clare.

Through field visits and discussions led by University of Galway researchers, participants explored biodiversity, sustainable land management and the value of place-based learning.

The delegation also had the great pleasure of visiting and exploring the Burren College of Art and hearing about the work of the Burren Beo Trust.

The visit demonstrated how living landscapes can become powerful learning environments, connecting research, education and community partnerships, while highlighting the importance of protecting natural ecosystems.

Workshop ENLIGHT

Building Collaboration across Europe

The final day focused on collaboration across the ENLIGHT Alliance.

Parallel workshops explored:

Strategic collaboration within the ENLIGHT Green Network
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
Embedding sustainability across curricula
Sharing good practice from partner universities

Each ENLIGHT university presented examples of sustainability initiatives taking place on their campuses, creating opportunities for discussion, knowledge exchange and future collaboration. The workshop on Education for Sustainable Development was led by Dr Elizabeth Hurley and Dr Alma Clavin from CELT.

Outcomes

The ENLIGHT Sustainability Staff Week strengthened relationships across the Alliance and reinforced the shared commitment of European universities to addressing global sustainability challenges.

The programme enabled participants to: