Infrastructure
In order to sustain excellent academic and support activities a modern, efficient and stimulating working and learning infrastructure will be provided. Key elements of this infrastructure are sustainable operations, up-to-date and where possible forefront information technology and fitting accommodation.
Sustainable operations
Current Situation
The University wants to make a substantial contribution to the transition to a sustainable society. It is concentrating on sustainable business operations and incorporating concepts of sustainability in teaching and research. Its ambitions up to 2020 have been set out in a roadmap, and the first projects have already started.
Vision
As a socially responsible institution, the University of Groningen promotes sustainable development throughout the University. This involves applying sustainability concepts in not only its teaching and research but also its business and human resources operations.
Aim
To strive for an environment that is carbon-neutral and promotes sustainable behaviour of both staff and students in their work, study and life.
To achieve our aim we will:
- promote the durable employability and mobility of our staff
- provide a sustainable and healthy working and studying environment
Strategies
In order to promote the sustainable employability and mobility of our staff, we will continue and extend our staff programmes Talent Travel, which supports mobility, and Balans, which supports a healthy lifestyle.
Making our old and new buildings energy-efficient and ecologically managing our grounds will help us to provide a sustainable working environment at the University. We will further reduce our ecological footprint by striving for 100% sustainable purchasing, making maximum use of renewable resources, reducing waste and encouraging waste separation. Concurrently we will assure that striving for 100% sustainability does not affect the liveability of the buildings and its surroundings.
Information Technology
Current situation
The University has high quality IT services for its teaching and research. Staff and students can make use of well-equipped teaching and practical rooms with modern PCs, flat screens and up-to-date IT tools for education. High performance computing and virtual reality facilities enable researchers to work at the forefront of science. New IT developments are deployed, monitored and implemented wherever possible, while flexible support is offered to ensure users can make optimal use of all IT facilities.
Vision
IT innovation and support are essential to achieving the University’s aim for excellence in Research, Education, Societal Impact and Talent Development. IT plays the role of ‘enabler’ in these processes. The University takes a leading role in providing both its staff and students with state-of-the art knowledge and modern IT tools and support in an international and collaborative setting.
Aim
IT enables teaching, research and management.
In order to achieve our aim we will:
- actively deploy, monitor and implement state-of-the-art IT developments
- ensure an accessible and robust IT infrastructure
- support and instruct staff and students in the use of IT facilities and tools
Strategies
The new IT developments that will be implemented in the coming years will focus on student-centred learning, big data and information. In our teaching, we will continue to promote student-centred learning by using learning analytics and personalized systems and by improving the integration of educational systems.
Our research will benefit from the increased impact and accessibility of a high-quality infrastructure that offers high-performance computing, big data facilities and expert support from data scientists. In addition, we will develop an accessible infrastructure for generating and archiving scientific output and managing scientific data.
In order to ensure that students, staff and management receive the information they need, we will provide a limited number of accessible, reliable and robust information systems that have strong security and good privacy protection. We will also help our staff and students acquire the digital skills they need and increase their knowledge of information technology in their own field of interest.
Accommodation (1)
Current Situation
The University has influenced the urban development of its home city. With accommodation, the focus has shifted from growth and development to the quality of the buildings and surrounding areas. The requirements regarding work, research and study spaces and the surrounding area are changing, as is the nature of accommodation provision.
Vision
Our buildings are a means to an end: they create the conditions in which our international university community can thrive. Lecture halls, laboratories, offices, restaurants, study spaces and their surroundings are all essential to good teaching and research. They are a workplace for scholars.
Aim
To provide high-grade accommodation for students and staff in order to create optimal study and working conditions.
In order to achieve our aim we will:
- apply future-proof concepts to teaching and working spaces, so that they can accommodate changes in size and composition of the academic population
- use green technology, sustainable materials and interior designs that promote the wellbeing of the users
Strategies
In order to become future proof, we will adapt the designs of our buildings. Flexible and efficient use are the keywords in this process. Wherever possible, we will create flexible workstations. We will bring our teaching rooms, study and resource centres, project areas, conference rooms and restaurant facilities closer together and equip them with state-of the art facilities in order to create a community. All building and renovation work will be performed in a sustainable manner with the use of green technology and sustainable materials in order to reduce overall running costs and increase the wellbeing of our students and staff.
| Last modified: | 03 September 2021 2.13 p.m. |