Dear Students4Sustainability community,

as we look back on the year 2024, we see a mosaic of commitment, inspiration and forward-looking ideas that drive forward our common goal - to support students from the four Bernese higher education institutions in their commitment to sustainable development. A lot has happened in the last twelve months and we are pleased to provide a glimpse into the activities of Students4Sustainability over the past year:

Student projects for a sustainable future

Eight innovative student projects in the field of sustainability were supported by Students4Sustainability this year. Each initiative is unique and, in its own way, brings us closer to a more sustainable society. Below is an overview of the projects:

The workshop series Applied Consent: Navigating complex situations in a self-determined way designed, facilirated and evaluated practical methods to sustainably strengthen individual and collective decision-making processes in challenging contexts.

The eClimber is an innovative auto belay device that enables inclusive climbing through weight relief and thus makes an additional sport accessible for people with disabilities. At the same time, the device could also be used in amateur and elite sports.

The implementation of the 2030 SDGs Game highlighted the need to think beyond individual goals, and to understand global connections in a playful way. The immersive learning format combines cognitive systems knowledge with transformational knowledge, allowing participants to actively immerse themselves in shaping and transforming their environment.

boat2bag transforms old and damaged dinghies discarded along the River Aare into bags and accessories to keep the river clean and protect the environment. It promotes the reuse of materials and creates opportunities for a circular economy through local cooperation and innovative production methods.

The Trees in urban areas project uses information boards, leaflets and teaching materials to make children and adults aware of the importance of trees in urban areas and to provide information about their ecological and social role in our environment. This autumn, the project group's application to launch the project in schools in the Bern region was approved.

The two project groups Films4Sustainability and ciné liminal organised film evenings to raise awareness of sustainability at Bern's higher education institutions. The events served as a platform for in-depth discussions on the topics covered, facilitated the exchange of ideas and promoted networking between students from different universities and disciplines.

The I can consent! project is organising a week of films, workshops and talks on consent in June 2025.

We were also able to accompany the completion of three projects from the predecessor program of Students4Sustainability “Psst!”. These included the lecture series Reclaiming economics for a sustainable transformation, which was organized by students and aimed to show students how pluralist economics can contribute to a sustainable transformation. The UrbanNatureNetworks project team carried out two biodiversity activities with Bernese residents and at the same time tested the SDG Game in a first pilot implementation during the Sustainability Week.

Dear students, your ideas have inspired us!

Events that connect and inspire

2024 was a year of encounters. The Students4Sustainability events were an important first step towards building a community:

Film evening & networking event “Networks4Sustainability”: more than sixty participants discussed sustainable visions and made new contacts over a delicious, vegan aperitif. The film “The Invisible” gave viewera an impressive insight into the everyday life of thousands of harvest workers in southern Spain, which is characterized by exploitative working conditions, inhumane living conditions and inadequate medical care.  In the discussion that followed, the link was made to Bern as an educational centre and the role of higher education in the area of sustainable development

Food-Save Kitchen Battle: After a short presentation on food waste by our organising partner foodwaste.ch, the participants worked in teams to cook a creative, self-created leftover dinner using the food they had saved. At the end, everyone enjoyed the delicious menus and the winners of the evening were announced.

In addition to these events, various other events were made possible thanks to funding from Students4Sustainbility. The Consensus Group's workshop series, the StadtVernetztNatur action days, three film evenings by Films4Sustainability and ciné liminal, the climbing afternoon with the eClimber and the 2030 SDGs Game showed how Students4Sustainability facilitates new connections across higher education institutions.

In 2024 we were able to present the hub at various events at Bern's higher education institutions, such as starting days, lectures and seminars. The Students4Sustainability management team took part in the two national “Sustainable University Days” in Sion and Zurich, facilitating a workshop in each. Internationally, Students4Sustainability was represented at the Higher Education Summit in Padua, Italy, at the beginning of September. There were two networking events for the projects supported by the grants and Students4Susatainabilty organized a workshop for potential projects during Sustainability Week in March and an Open Door Event in October.

What remains

Thanks to your energy and creativity, Students4Sustainability is not just a hub for student engagement in the field of sustainability, but a young, vibrant network of change and cooperation.

Outlook 2025 - consolidating progress

And it goes on! In the coming year, we want to continue on our path: enlarging the community, facilitating new events and supporting even more student projects.

Our next Networks4Sustainability event will take place on Friday, March 14 at 6 pm. The aim of this networking event is to bring together student involvement in sustainable development at Bern's higher education institutions. We focus on the networking of student associations, student groups, student councils, interested students and all people who are involved in sustainable development at the higher education institutions.

The next call for project funding is at the end of April 2025. Do you have an exciting project idea and need funding or content-related support?
Get in touch with us! We will be happy to help you with your project application. You can find all the information about project funding here.

To stay informed about all our projects and events in the future, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or visit our website.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this special year. Together we are shaping a future we can be proud of.