Pannon EGTC submitted an application under the Visegrad+ call for proposals under the title "Accelerating and Enhancing Green Transition: collaboration of universities in climate adaptation". The International Visegrad Fund (https://www.visegradfund.org/) approved funding of EUR 45,985.00 for the project.

Duration of the project:      20.09.2024 - 20.02.2026.

Total eligible costs:             EUR 45,985.00

Project partners:

1. Pannon EGTC – lead partner https://www.pannonegtc.eu
2. University of Pécs - Pécs, Hungary http://international.pte.hu
3. Masaryk University – Brno, Czech Republic http://www.muni.cz/en
4. János Selye University - Komárom, Slovakia https://www.ujs.sk/en/
5. Jagiellonian University - Krakow, Poland https://en.uj.edu.pl/en
6. University of Sarajevo - Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina http://www.unsa.ba
7. University of Montenegro - Podgorica, Montenegro https://www.ucg.ac.me/

The main goal of the planned project is to explore cooperation opportunities related to the theme of the green transition through the undergraduate, postgraduate training, research and third mission activities of the universities in the field of regional development and economic development, to develop joint programs based on best practices and the knowledge and practical experience of the partners. The overall goal of future cooperation arising from the results of the project is to improve competitiveness in the field of green transition and digitalization, thereby contributing to economic development and promoting sustainable development in the Visegrad Region, the Western Balkans and beyond.

The universities of the Visegrad Region have already taken several steps towards the transition, but most of them have not yet conducted a systematic review of what they have already done and what still needs to be done in order to become role models in the green transition. Based on the collected information, a situation analysis and a repository of best practices will be developed according to the different levels of the green transition, such as the institutional, strategic, operational level, as well as the activity level of the fund and the third mission. The repository will serve as a cadastre of ideas that can be implemented not only by the partners, but also by any other university in the wider region. By the end of the project implementation, the partners will develop a comprehensive action plan for the green transition. This action plan not only contains customized solutions for the partners involved in the project, but also serves as a guideline for the steps required to achieve the desired level of green transition and become a catalyst for change. We will formulate the recommendations of the action plan in such a way that they apply not only to universities, but also to other institutions that wish to act in the direction of climate neutrality.

During the implementation of the project, all universities will have the opportunity to implement "green actions", which can be very small things, we want to show that little can have a big impact. For example: putting stickers on light switches that warned people to turn off the light when leaving the lecture hall/seminar, or putting screensavers on all office computers that included simple actions to save energy, fight climate change: use curtains in summer, when the sun is shining, use led table lamps, printing is recommended only in very justified cases. But universities can organize more expensive actions such as Bike to work, tree/flower/herb planting, used cooking oil collection program, place selective bins and drinking water balloons, organize a PET-free university, smoke-free November, packaging-free day.

The project implementation period is 18 months: 20 September 2024 - 20 February 2026.

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