UNIVERSITY OF HAIFA
Sustainability taking center stage
Professor Ofer Arazy, the University of Haifa’s director of innovation and sustainability, talks about the role positive-impact initiatives play on campus and beyond its walls
How has sustainability become such a central component of the university? Recently, the University of Haifa has articulated a new strategic vision, committing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as our core strategy. We’re the only Israeli university that took the SDGs as a strategic initiative and made an effort to integrate them into our activities, at all levels. Even though it’s a framing that was only
adopted in the last year, it fits in perfectly with the university’s pre-existing social and environmental orientation. We’re currently the only Israeli university ranked by the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking [the only performance tables assessing universities against the SDGs]. Now, we’re excited to further our commitment.
Why did the university decide to further its commitment to sustainability? When you think about the role of universities, usually what we advertise is research, education and training. The fourth goal — commitment, even — is often forgotten: to have a direct impact on the world around us. Students and researchers can leave their mark
on the world in many different ways: they can influence policy-making — we have faculty members sitting on different governmental and national committees; they can translate academic knowledge to the public through the media; and they can engage students with social activities as part of the curriculum. Universities still have a special role in society,
and we must not forget this. We are privileged as professors, as faculty members, and we have a commitment to make this world a better place.
12 Israeli Academia | 2022
What are some examples of the university’s positive-impact initiatives? We run eight legal clinics providing pro bono services to underprivileged communities, covering issues such as freedom of information and equal opportunities. Working on these social and environmental cases with professionals is part of our students’ practical education. Another example are the Haifa Innovation Labs,
which I head. Their focus is leveraging innovation and entrepreneurship to make a difference on social and environmental issues. Our capstone course is called The Innovation Nursery: students are faced with a challenge and, over the course of one year, work to develop a prototype solution. Last year, students developed sensors to read
the brainwaves of people with late-stage Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), allowing them to communicate. Technology, engineering, AI — all different kinds of disciplinary expertise came together. It was touching.
How do you hope this will inspire students? The young people I meet are aware of global and environmental challenges. Yet, often, once they go into the education system, they become very practical and forget why they’re there in the first place. We’d like to strengthen their ambition to make an impact on the world — we want them, when they go out of the university, to be ambassadors for change. After all, the future is really in the hands of the young generation.
Read the full interview online at
israelacademia.che.org.il
With a campus on the Mount Carmel Nature Reserve and labs across the Mediterranean, the University of Haifa is uniquely located to carry out activities related to the environment. Its city campus, meanwhile, works with underprivileged communities
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