News: Jun 14, 2023
Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg's joint organization Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development (GMV) will be merged into a new West Swedish arena, which will start operations in the beginning of next year.
Three universities: Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Gothenburg and University West are now expanding their collaboration by forming a West Swedish arena for sustainable development in collaboration with Region Västra Götaland. The arena is intended to promote the use of knowledge for transitioning to a sustainable society by facilitating collaboration and creating partnerships between academia and other societal actors.
On 14 June, the vice-chancellors of the three universities signed a consortium agreement on a West Swedish arena for sustainable development. The arena will create new collaboration between academia, private business, public sector and civil society, but will also be linked to already existing collaboration so that the universities' skills, strengths and experience in sustainable development are utilised. Furthermore, this collaboration should be based on knowledge that the actors need to develop, exchange, and utilise in order to strengthen their ability and capacity to transition to a sustainable society.
The work to develop the West Swedish arena is led by Pam Fredman, former vice-chancellor of the University of Gothenburg and acting director of the Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development.
– The Academy has a unique role in society to create, develop and knowledge through research and education. We also have a responsibility to, together with business, the public sector and civil society, contribute to sustainable social development locally, regionally and globally. We then need to both use and exchange existing knowledge, but also develop new knowledge together, says Pam Fredman.
The new arena's purpose and mission is to create, facilitate and contribute to trans-disciplinary meetings and dialogues that can lead to collaboration and partnership with the goal of contributing actively to sustainable societal development.
There is already an ongoing collaboration between six higher education institutions in West Sweden through the alliance "Lärosäten Väst" which, among other things, shall promote cooperation in sustainable development. Three of them: Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Gothenburg and the University West are now deepening their collaboration by forming a West Swedish arena for sustainable development that will also collaborate with the Region Västra Götaland. The other universities in the alliance: University of Borås, University of Skövde and Jönköping University will collaborate with the new organisation but are not part of the arena's consortium at this stage.
The arena's activities are aimed at researchers, teachers, and students as well as all societal actors who want to deepen their collaboration with academia in sustainable development.
– GMV is now entering a new phase with its operations and will be part of the West Swedish arena for sustainable development, says Pam Fredman. During the autumn, we will draw up an operational plan and establish the arena, taking advantage of knowledge, skills and experiences from the three decades that Chalmers and the University of Gothenburg have had a joint organisation for sustainable development.
Pam Fredman, change manager and acting director of Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development: pam@gu.se
