Leading sustainability summer university for the built environment launched for 2021

Following the success of its 2020 online programme, Green.Building.Solutions. (GBS) – the renowned summer university on sustainable architecture and construction – will be offered again this year digitally to students around the world.

Now in its 11^th year, GBS deals with the ecological, economic, technical and social aspects of sustainable planning and construction, transferring Austria’s first-hand ecological knowledge and engineering expertise to an international audience.

Participants broaden their knowledge in the fields of passive house technology and energy efficiency and also get to work together with experts in practical workshops.

The three-week programme – which is delivered entirely in English – takes place from July 17 to Aug 8, 2021.

OeAD student housing, the organisers of GBS, is running the online version, after the successful 2020 digital format was well-received by students around the world.

GBS is a UNESCO-awarded summer course, geared towards students of architecture and engineering sciences, primarily at graduate level. However, anyone with a background in a built environment-related field is welcome – both students as well as professionals.

Günther Jedliczka, CEO of OeAD student housing, said: “We were delighted with the response to GBS online and felt it was worthwhile running the programme again digitally in 2021.

“We were positively impressed and even surprised by how successful GBS was in 2020. Our motivated participants from all around the world proved without a doubt that working together across remote time zones, and from entirely different environments, is not only possible, but also leads to results of the highest quality.

“GBS not only adds on to the participants’ qualifications and education in a unique way, it also raises awareness about resources and climate issues in connection with building and construction.

“Participants become the ‘next generation’ of green building specialists – and also act as ambassadors in their home country, applying and promoting the knowledge they have gained locally.”

OeAD student housing – part of Austria’s national agency for international mobility and cooperation in education, science and research – operates GBS under a not-for-profit arrangement.

As well as GBS, OeAD student housing also runs the Alternative Economic and Monetary Systems (AEMS) summer university which, like GBS, will take place in 2021 digitally from July 19 to August 6.