Q+A with Climate Action & Sustainability in Higher Education Program Visitor Vytaute Dlugoborskyte, PhD
Dr. Vytaute Dlugoborskyte, PhD, researcher from ISM University of Management and Economics and Hamburg University of Technology, took part in the Scaling Climate Action & Sustainability in Higher Education Program to collaborate on the opportunities around using data to inform sustainability education and behavior programs.
How did you learn about the Climate Action & Sustainability in Higher Education Program?
I participated at the Transatlantic Symposium on Sustainable Development in Higher Education at MIT in 2023 and first got introduced to MIT Director of Sustainability Julie Newman. She kindly invited the participants to visit her at MITOS after the Symposium—an opportunity I could not miss. We kept in touch and during my visit at Harvard Business School this past summer we found time to meet and talk about sustainability and my work back in Europe. She shared about this great program she was developing to invite scholars to visit and learn from each other, which I found very exciting.
What have been some of your biggest lessons learned or what's been most interesting that you've learned?
Overall observing firsthand how sustainability and climate change action on campus are managed and orchestrated at different levels, much like a city, has been particularly interesting to me. My professional experience has primarily been with the companies, and the activities that they do—even in large corporations—are usually at a smaller scale and often differ from the comprehensive approach at MIT. Having been familiar with many activities led by MITOS, at this point I was particularly curious about the handling of a complexity related to sustainability commitments in such large organization. I was interested to learn how such complexities are addressed within one of the world’s leading higher education institutions. I was impressed by the systems view adopted by the Office of Sustainability, high community engagement, and the devotion to the change management perspective. It was both insightful and inspiring to work alongside the individuals driving these activities, to experience how ideas are developed and put into action in a fast pace, and to see how they align with overarching strategies, commitments, and goals.
My purpose was not only to learn but also to contribute in return, particularly by sharing insights related to the systems perspective and its implementation through data-driven solutions. This exchange was particularly meaningful for me as I aimed to employ my experience related to the sustainability research I do back in Europe and to bridge it with the initiatives and activities here at MIT. The overarching goal was to establish a meaningful connection and to offer valuable insights and contributions to the Office of Sustainability. I am glad that in such a short time during my visit we were able to develop and launch a pilot study aimed at exploring the link between sustainability measures at MIT and pro-environmental behaviors of its employees both at work and at home settings. I see this as an excellent foundation for continued collaboration in the future.
What about MIT’s approach to climate and sustainability will you take with you back home?
What stood out to me was a remarkable level of student engagement in various initiatives and also in solving practical, real world problems—a hallmark of MIT’s culture. This level of involvement is highly distinct and difficult to find in most other organizations. Students here are empowered to tackle impactful research and address complex real-life challenges, which serves as an inspiring model. It motivated me to explore ways to engage my students in Europe in similarly practical, problem-driven initiatives related to sustainability to create a meaningful impact.
For a few weeks I had the chance to be a part of the MITOS team and it was truly impressive. Their dedication and drive are also a reflection of a great leadership that enables each individual and keeps everyone motivated and engaged. What really stood out to me was a strong systems view—everything MITOS does is interconnected, aligned and support each other, including the formation of a well-organized internal and external partner network and a number of activities across various areas covering climate change action. The office takes a very hands-on approach and get things done incredibly quickly. This also has to do with the team that is open and collaborative, with each person bringing their own exceptional expertise across diverse fields while complementing one another’s skills and thus covering the main pillars of a sustainable development in organizations. I am sure it was only a glimpse into all the activities and initiatives here at MIT, but it was enough to serve as a fantastic example of organizational sustainable development to learn from.