Scaling Climate Action & Sustainability in Higher Education Program

Scaling Climate Action & Sustainability in Higher Education

The Scaling Climate Action & Sustainability in Higher Education Program, hosted by the MIT Office of Sustainability, offers a unique opportunity for higher education practitioners and scholars to engage deeply with MIT’s sustainability team. The program aims to enhance global sustainability efforts by fostering in-person dialogue and collaboration on strategic planning and climate action. This initiative is designed to facilitate the replication of successful projects, accelerate solutions, and build partnerships through direct interaction. 

Meet the Scholars

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Behice Pehlivan, Gender Equality Coordinator, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey
PhD in Sociology from Northeastern University
Joined the office for one week to learn how the office functions so that she can start an Office of Sustainability at Koc University. Read about Behice's experience with the program. 
 

 

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Vytaute Dlugoborskyte, Senior Research Fellow, Hamburg University of Technology, Germany
PhD in Management from Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania
Using MIT as a case study in her research to find out how sustainability measures practiced by organizations translates into the daily behavior of its employees and students and the development of their sustainability mindset.

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Ceren Sezer, Research Group Leader, RWTH Aachen University
PhD in Spatial Planning and Strategy from Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
Developing the Lab on Community Collaboration for Sustainable Campus Development, which focuses on hybrid methodologies that integrate digital and conventional tools to enhance participatory planning in sustainable campus development. 
 

How the program works

The Scaling Climate Action & Sustainability in Higher Education Program is designed to provide an opportunity for practitioners and scholars to join the MIT Office of Sustainability team, to foster deeper connections on sustainability strategic planning and climate action on campuses around the world.

The MIT Office of Sustainability will host professionals for 1- 2 week sessions, as well as accommodate shorter stays. We will accept applicants to join us on a rolling basis and will host one visitor at a time, with a maximum of four each semester. We have found that 1:1 interaction and in-person dialogue provides the richest and most transparent exchange of information to catalyze learning and potentially scale our efforts globally. Our intent is to build a platform for project replication, solution acceleration, and partnership building. Keep in mind, like you, we are busy doing our jobs everyday, but we strongly believe that slowing down - even in a time of urgency - leads to new, transformative ways of thinking and doing when in a collaborative working environment.

More information and how to apply

Visitor must provide: (please respond to each of these this in your letter of intent)
1. ALL of their own funding, computer, housing, food etc.
2. The visitor is responsible for setting up connections and meetings outside of MIT.
3. Visitor will be asked to provide a formal presentation to the staff of the Office of Sustainability on
their work and university’s initiatives.
 

The Office of Sustainability will provide:
1. A curated set of meetings with internal staff based upon specified interests and desired
outcomes
2. Allocated 1:1 meeting time with the Director, Julie Newman
3. Access to meetings relevant to the topic of focus.
4. Access to a desk for your designated time with us.
 

Additional guidelines
1. Open to higher education professionals only, no students accepted at this time
2. Visitors will not receive MIT affiliation
3. Visitors can apply for business visa, the office will not support other visa applications
4. Visitors will have public access to MIT only.

Application Process
Interested applicants can submit a letter of intent and a CV to Dr. Julie Newman, Director of Sustainability at j_newman@mit.edu. The letter of intent must include your professional background [CV] and current work, objectives for the exchange with the Office of Sustainability, why your time spent with this Office might be particularly impactful, specific areas of interest, a commitment to what you will be providing as outlined above , funding source, a proposed scheduleof your time, and any additional relevant information. The Office of Sustainability staff work in a hybrid format, thus are on campus 2-3 days per week on a set schedule, so keep that in mind when you consider your schedule.