NMBU
Background
GreenSmart focuses on developing and coordinating projects across all faculties at NMBU to promote sustainable urban development. We collaborate with external actors and internal faculties to create interdisciplinary programs, new projects, and innovation in research, education, and development towards tomorrow's cities. GreenSmart is also supported by Pådriv, NMBU Learning Center, and Vitenparken.
At GreenSmart, you will find a diverse range of expertise and resources focused on sustainable urban development. Our areas of focus include land and resource management, energy utilization, ecological systems, circular economy, social justice, urban agriculture, and entrepreneurship. We also collaborate with external organizations in Norway and abroad through various partnerships and projects.
The platform works to establish effective meeting places and seminar series that connect people with projects and knowledge to action. Therefore, we are always looking for passionate and interested individuals and organizations who want to contribute to more sustainable, green, and smart cities.
Objectives
The arena focuses on development and implementation through communication and concrete projects. An example is the creation and establishment of the NMBU School Garden, a collaboration between the Institute for Teacher Education (ILU) and Vitenparken. Further efforts include the development of a guide for municipalities on how to use planning and building regulations to facilitate urban agriculture in urban planning, as desired by the government in the National Strategy for Urban Agriculture. At the same time, GreenSmart also works on projects related to circular economy, waste, entrepreneurship, and social inequality in urban development. Within the range of projects, we will also explore the topic of sustainable construction, using renewable and recycled materials on construction sites.
The platform is developing a "digital twin" for the platform and its activities. This follows the goal of providing an open platform - both nationally and globally - but also to minimize the platform's footprint by reducing the need for travel to meet. Feel free to contact us for access.
The Learning Center at NMBU will actively contribute to the platform's interdisciplinary knowledge production and dissemination internally and externally. The platform's activities and projects will be based on a broad sustainability approach with a focus on social, environmental, and economic sustainability. This includes a particular focus on people, both individually and from a societal perspective. In addition, GreenSmart will be extensively integrated into circular economy and urban agriculture by utilizing biology, technology, planning, economics, social sciences, and more as a basis for research and development related to the themes of green and smart cities.
Through the new master's course in urban agriculture, student-active learning is developed through interdisciplinary collaboration groups, and this will be transferred to other disciplines, courses, master's programs, and university education. GreenSmart will also actively use the case study at the SiEUGreen Campus, involving the recycling of household waste, black and graywater, along with innovative greenhouse technology, as a center for student activities and demonstrations for professionals and the public.
NMBU, the Sustainability University, has a unique academic synthesis of environmental and life sciences, bioproduction, veterinary medicine, technology, spatial planning, and economics that enables us to contribute to solving complex challenges. This enables a sustainable future towards the achievement of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets.
More information
GreenSmart has its origins in the National Center for Urban Agriculture (NCUA) and is well embedded in NMBU's current strategy. Therefore, GreenSmart will contribute to realizing NMBU's overall commitment: 'Collaborative efforts for a sustainable future.' NMBU has four areas that will support the overall commitment: (1) interdisciplinary research, education, and innovation, (2) the digital society, (3) lifelong learning, and (4) human resources.
Under the auspices of NCUA, the DIKU project TRANSTIKK has developed and established an interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary master's program in urban agriculture (UA), with the first students enrolled since August 2021. Key elements include close collaboration with external actors and coordination of academic resources from all seven faculties at NMBU. NCUA has also been a great platform for project funding; NCUA is now a co-applicant or supporter for several projects in the field of circular economy. NCUA has been further developed and expanded through GreenSmart and will continue to prioritize ecological cycles and sustainability as key elements, drawing inspiration from the EU Horizon2020 project SiEUGreen.
GreenSmart has ambitious plans to emphasize innovation. This requires good initiatives and connections both on and off campus. Eik Ideverksted and Ard Innovasjon have roles related to student innovation and startups. Therefore, GreenSmart also aims to establish structured collaborations with them over time to contribute to new green business ventures within sustainable frameworks. Dialogue with various incubators outside the campus will also be part of the platform's activities.
We also involve our international partners in the EU, UK, Minnesota, California, China, and Australia to contribute to digital education platforms within our fields, in an international education market based on NMBU's uniqueness. GreenSmart is also expanding its collaboration with Vitenparken, the Learning Center, and several initiatives at NMBU. Additionally, we establish links with SFI earthresQue and their focus on cycles for soil and water resources.
GreenSmart Master Stipend
GreenSmart gives out a yearly scholarship to students doing their master thesis at NMBU. The requirement is that the thesis is rooted in at least two faculties.
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