http://nv.nltu.edu.ua https://doi.org/10.36930/40291004 Article received 22.10.2019 р. W.-G. Vahrson Article accepted 26.12.2019 р. [email protected] УДК 008(091) Wilhelm-Günther Vahrson, Peter Spathelf Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany EBERSWALDE UNIVERSITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: WITH DEEP ROOTS IN FORESTRY TOWARDS A "WHOLE INSTITUTION APPROACH" IN SUSTAINABILITY Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) is a University of Applied Sciences in Brandenburg and one of Germany's greenest universities with 4 faculties and a unique profile. The basic principle of HNEE is sustainability, anchored in the mission statement, 'Mit der Natur für den Menschen' (With nature for mankind), and research is focused in the three areas: Sustainab- le rural development; Sustainable production and use of natural products, and Sustainable management of limited resources. HNEE provides several innovative study programs, such as Forestry, Organic Farming, Wood Technology, International Forest Ecosystem Management on Bachelor level. On Master level the study programs are Regional Management, Global Change Management, Susta- inable Entrepreneurship and Forest Information Technology, a double-degree program together with Warsaw University of Life Sci- ences. Furthermore, HNEE's portfolio is complemented with further education Master programs such as Strategic Sustainability Ma- nagement. The Higher Education Institution at Eberswalde has a long history going back to the early 19th century when it was a Fa- culty of the Berlin University. During the Cold War the Faculty was closed due to political reasons. After German reunification, among others a University of Applied Sciences was founded, with focus on practical application. The current situation of HNEE is described emphasizing the so-called 'Whole Institution Approach', i.e. sustainability is seen as an integrative concept for human life and economic development. The Whole Institution Approach encompasses a sound environmental management program aiming at zero emissions. Last but not least, some features of the Faculty of Forest and Environment are outlined. Especially worth to be menti- oned is the international focus of the faculty, with four international study programs and many research topics of international rele- vance. Moreover, the Centre for Economics and Ecosystem Management is attached to the faculty. Keywords: higher education institution; sustainability; whole-institution-approach. IntroduCtion. The Eberswalde University for Susta- Our deep roots in forestry inable Development (Hochschule für Nachhaltige 1. The year 1992. In 1992, the "Rio summit" took place Entwicklung Eberswalde − HNEE) is a University of in Rio de Janeiro or, more precisely, the United Nations Applied Sciences in Brandenburg, near to Berlin. HNEE is Conference on Environment and Development. It was the Germany's greenest university with a unique profile focu- great visionary conference, which finally led with sing on sustainable development. Teaching, research and Rio+20 to the demand for a "great transformation" into a transfer at the HNEE are firmly connected with the princip- climate-friendly society without the use of fossil fuels and les of sustainability and based on the cooperation with regi- to the important climate agreements of Paris and Marra- onal and international partners in research and transfer and kesh. teaching. Priorities of the research are focused in the three 2. The "green thread" developed from forestry tra- areas: Sustainable rural development; Sustainable producti- dition. At the same time, but only at the same time and by on and use of natural products, and Sustainable manage- no means due to Río, the Eberswalde University of Applied ment of limited resources. Sciences in Brandenburg started its business with 45 fo- restry students after the political change in Germany, The basic principle of HNEE is sustainability, anchored st in the mission statement: "Mit der Natur für den Menschen" exactly on April 1 , 1992. Even then it started with a clear (With nature for mankind). Whilst the mission statement of profile. By decision of the founding senate a "green thread" the Ukrainian National Forestry University (UNFU) is: "Ad had to connect all faculties, all teaching programmes and all naturam vivere discimus" (We learn to live with nature). the fields of research. This "green thread" took up a long Thus, both universities have many thing in common: star- and essentially forest-based tradition. ting with deep roots in forestry, many similar careers and – The forestry scientist Georg Ludwig Hartig (1764-1837) most important – an ecologically based understanding of had already formulated the first implementation of the prin- sustainability. ciple of sustainability into forestry practice in 1804. In the Are they maybe congenial partners? Let's have look at second edition of his "Anweisung zur Taxation der Forsten" the HNEE, and then you may decide by yourself. it says: _____________________________________ Інформація про авторів: Vahrson Wilhelm-Günther , Prof. Dr. Buero president. Email: [email protected] Spathelf Peter , Prof. Dr. dean of the faculty of forest and environment. Email: [email protected] Цитування за ДСТУ: Фарзон В.-Ґ., Шпательф П. eberswalde University for sustainable development: with deep roots in forestry towards a "whole institution approach" in sustainability. Науковий вісник НЛТУ України. 2019, т. 29, № 10. С. 25–29. Citation APA: Vahrson, W.-G., & Spathelf, P. (2019). eberswalde University for sustainable development: with deep roots in forestry towards a "whole institution approach" in sustainability. Scientific Bulletin of UNFU, 29 (10), 22–29. https://doi.org/10.36930/40291004 Науковий вісник НЛТУ України, 2019, т. 29, № 10 Scientific Bulletin of UNFU, 2019, vol. 29, no 10 25 "…es läßt sich keine dauerhafte Forstwirtschaft denken 4. The Current situation. Currently, the HNEE has two und erwarten, wenn die Holzabgabe aus den Wäldern nicht campuses with four faculties and a botanical garden, it of- auf Nachhaltigkeit berechnet ist. Jede weise Forstdirektion fers ten bachelor programs and ten master programs (Tab- muss daher die Waldungen des Staates ohne Zeitverlust ta- le). In 2017 more than 2.200 students were enrolled in the xieren lassen und sie zwar so hoch als möglich, doch so zu different programs and the HNEE generated 438 graduates benutzen suchen, daß die Nachkommenschaft wenigstens (Figure 1). ebensoviel Vorteil daraus ziehen kann, als sich die jetzt le- Table. FaCulties and study programmes at HNEE bende Generation zueignet" ( "…no sustainable forestry can FaCulty 1/ FaCulty 2/ landsCape Manage- be thought of and expected if the wood delivery from the Forest and Environment ment and Nature Conservation forests is not calculated on the basis of sustainability. Every BaChelor-Programmes BaChelor-Programmes wise forestry directorate must therefore have the state's fo- – International Forest – Landscape Management and Na- rests assessed without loss of time and try to use them as Ecosystem Management ture Conservation highly as possible, but in such a way that the descendants – Forestry – Organic Farming and Marketing can at least derive as much advantage as the now living ge- Master-Programmes Master-Programmes neration; Hartig 1804, p. 1). – Forest Information Techno- – Regional Development and Na- In 1821, through the initiative of Georg Ludwig Hartig, logy ture Conservation the "Royal Forestry Academy" was established at the Uni- – Global Change Manage- – Management in Organic Agri- versity of Berlin (now the Humboldt University of Berlin), ment culture – Forestry System Transfor- – Strategic Sustainability Manage- headed by Wilhelm Pfeil, Oberforstrat (senior forestry offi- mation ment cer). Pfeil, on the other hand, soon thought to relocate the FaCulty 3/ FaCulty 4/ Sustainable Business forestry training and founded the "Höhere Forstlehranstalt" Wood Enginieering in Neustadt-Eberswalde in 1830 – and thus close to the fo- BaChelor-Programmes BaChelor-Programmes rests and clearly practice-oriented. Even then, sustainability – Business Management – Wood Science and Techno- – Finance Management was a very important topic in forestry science: Pfeil dealt logy B. Eng. – Regional Management with it and ruthlessly tore apart, among other things, anyone – Wood Science and Techno- Master-Programmes he suspected of deviating from the path of sustainability in logy B. Eng. [dual] – Sustainable Tourism Manage- his then feared "Kritische Blätter für Forst- und Jagdwis- – Mechatronic Wood Scien ce ment senschaft" (Pfeil 1822-1859). [dual] – Sustainable Business Manage- Master-Programmes Moreover, Eberswalde has a long tradition in applied ment – Wood Science and Techno- forestry research based on long-term observation plots, star- – Municipal Economy ting in 1871. A preliminary landmark here was the founda- logy tion of IUFRO, the leading international network of forest research organisations 1892 in Eberswalde. 3. From the FaCulty of the Berlin University to the University of Applied SCienCes Eberswalde. Since then, forestry teaching and research have belonged to Eberswal- de, until 1963, when for political reasons the university in Eberswalde (which belonged by then as faculty of forestry to the Berlin University) was closed by the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). While research was continued at the Institute for Forest Sciences Eberswal- de (IFE), founded in 1954, with