Novo Nordisk Foundation Supports Project collaboration between byStudents and Station to Strengthen Students’ Interdisciplinary Engagement in the Green Transition
Copenhagen’s largest community for university students, byStudents, is launching the Green Step project together with the student-driven innovation house, Station, aimed at enhancing students’ opportunities to engage in the green transition across disciplines. Novo Nordisk Foundation supports the project with DKK 4 million over 2.2 years.
Press release: Frederiksberg, 15. September 2024.
“Universities can become an even more important platform for the green transition if students are not only taught theories but also given opportunities to work on their own ideas alongside their studies. We hope to support the development of change agents, whether they become entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs after their education” says Jacob Ørum, Director of byStudents.
“We believe in the importance of equipping students across educational fields with the tools to contribute effectively to the green transition. At Station, we have unique facilities and partners that allow us, together with byStudents, to develop and test methods to build the capacity of student-driven organizations with the necessary tools and competencies. This enables them to engage even more students in working towards a sustainable future. These facilities can now be fully activated thanks to our collaboration with the Novo Nordisk Foundation” says Jørgen Thorsø Pedersen, Head of Secretariat at Station.
Green Step is a pilot project developed in response to growing demand from students across educational institutions who wish to engage in the green transition now or later in their careers.
“In the Novo Nordisk Foundation, we believe that there should be increased focus on the value of interdisciplinary collaboration when investigating solutions for the green transition in our higher educations. The goal is that tomorrow’s graduates can play a key role in shaping a sustainable future,” says Berith Bjørnholm, Senior Vice President for Education & Outreach, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and adds:
“That is why we are happy to support Green Step, which provides a platform for students to engage with each other and collaborate across disciplines, developing solutions to sustainability challenges. In this way, the project will improve their competencies as well as deepen their engagement in relation to the green transition.”
To ensure the project’s relevance and incentivize student engagement, Station and byStudents will develop a partnership model with universities, companies, innovation hubs, and NGOs. This model will focus on developing, marketing, testing, and evaluating activity formats, content, and accreditation options.
The Green Step project focuses on the following areas:
- Sustainable Mindset: Developing a mindset among students that emphasizes the green transition and how they can contribute.
- Increased Mobilization: Enhancing student engagement and skills to work on the green transition through interdisciplinary activities.
- Action Tools: Equipping students with practical tools and methods to address local and societal sustainability challenges.
- Partnership Model: Developing models for partnerships and collaboration, particularly with universities, to bridge connections with educational institutions.
- Scaling: Identifying which initiatives and partnerships have the potential for scaling.
Contact
- Jacob Ørum, Director of byStudents, jor@studenterhuset.com, +45 31 35 42 99.
- Jørgen Thorsø Pedersen, Head of Station, jtp@station.dk, +45 42 90 95 57.
- Stefania Xella, Senior Scientific Manager at The Novo Nordisk Foundation, Education & Outreach, stx@novo.dk, +45 20 74 81 73.
Facts
About byStudents
Since 1984, byStudents has operated Studenterhuset on Købmagergade, the largest gathering place in the capital for Danish and international students. ByStudents’ vision is to make students a part of the solution in areas such as sustainability, well-being, and urban development. The sustainability laboratory, Actory, is byStudents’ flagship, supporting students’ co-curricular sustainability work in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen.
Learn more at www.bystudents.dk
About Station
Since 2022, Station Foundation has operated Station, a gathering and innovation house for students and recent graduates, located in a refurbished police station in Frederiksberg. With its 3,700 square meters, Station offers unique facilities for events, workshops, meetings, and co-working, providing a platform for student-driven initiatives. The foundation’s vision is to act as a catalyst for students’ personal and professional development by supporting interdisciplinary communities and projects that contribute to positive societal change. Station collaborates widely with educational institutions, foundations, and businesses to strengthen the transition from student life to working life and create new opportunities for young people.
Learn more at www.station.dk
About the Novo Nordisk Foundation
Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation’s mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society.