Events

_27.04

Visit to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)

On April 18th 2023, the EC had the pleasure to be hosted at the IUCN headquarter in Gland for an insightful presentation on the workings of the organisation. The group had the opportunity to address all their questions and curiosities to professionals.

The students were introduced to the fundamental topics by 3 different experts. Firstly, they presented to us what nature-based solutions and its potentials are, namely the actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems. 

Secondly, the professionals highlighted the importance of the IUCN Red List, which is widely used to inform and influence biodiversity conservation, besides including information on threat categories, ecological requirements and conservation action. Similarly, the IUCN Green List has been mentioned as being the global campaign for successful nature conservation. Thanks to them, understanding the complexity behind such listing has been incredibly enlightening, especially considering that those same concepts are the ones we often come across during our studies, but whose sophistication cannot be evinced from academic texts.

After a dynamic discussion between the students and the experts, the group headed back from Gland to the Institute with a lot of food for thought, new concepts and ideas to think about.
_18.04

Flea Market

On March 7th, the EC organised a flea market that allowed students to collect used clothes that had been previously donated to us. From pants to jackets to everything in between, students were able to look for clothes that deserved a second chance! Donating and collecting previously used clothes is an important part of bringing about a successful circle economy.
_07.03

Waste Management Facility Visit – Group Serbeco

The trip to le centre de tri Serbeco organised by the Environmental Committee was an excellent way to learn more about the situation regarding the treatment of waste in Geneva. It put an end to a lot of questions I had about how recycling works here, and gave me a better understanding of what would happen to my waste once it was disposed of. Above all, it highlighted the complexity of recycling, and the many shortcomings that still exist in this area, even in a city as well developed as Geneva. It is very clear that the situation is not yet optimal: for example, we learned that only 1 type of plastic is recyclable here (PET), the rest is burnt. Thank you to the environmental committee for allowing us to learn more about the subject, this outing was very well organised. For me, it is essential to know the functioning of the place where we live, especially when we are foreigners. And it was also an opportunity to wear a wonderful protective cap XD .
_22.03

Special Event: The Intersection of Arts and Ecology

As part of the Sustainability Week Switzerland 2021 the Environmental Committee organised an art’s exhibition. All works can be viewed online.