The annual conference of the ‘Sustainability at Brandenburg’s Universities’ working group took place on 24 June 2026 at the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE). From 10 am to 4 pm, members of the working group and the Governance and Operations working groups met to discuss current developments relating to sustainability at Brandenburg’s universities, explore common topics in greater depth and further strengthen cooperation within the network.

The conference was opened by the working group’s academic director, Prof. Dr Heike Molitor. In the subsequent welcoming addresses by HNEE President Prof. Dr Matthias Barth and Deputy Student Vice-President Kim Kastir, it became clear just how important sustainability is for higher education institutions – not only as a topic in teaching and research, but also as a strategic task that must be embedded in structures, decisions and the day-to-day running of higher education institutions. 

The annual conference also provided an opportunity to reflect on what has already been achieved: developments over recent years show that much has been set in motion at Brandenburg’s higher education institutions – a reason to recognise the progress made so far.

The work of the working groups demonstrated that this is not merely a matter of meeting the requirements set out in the current Brandenburg Higher Education Agreements for the years 2024–2028. In the Governance working group, the focus was, amongst other things, on how universities can further develop their sustainability strategies. This involved exploring suitable sources of inspiration, sharing experiences from individual institutions and learning from one another. In the Operations Working Group, too, practical approaches and varying stages of development became apparent: some universities are preparing for their EMAS certification or are currently undergoing the certification process, whilst others are already certified and are working on renewal. 

The annual conference demonstrated that sustainability at universities thrives on collaborative learning, on sharing good practices – and on the willingness to take the next steps together.