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5 things to know about the inaugural NUS Sustainability CONNECT 2023

25 August 2023

Starting from 25 August 2023, the University’s first large-scale sustainability festival, NUS Sustainability CONNECT, unfolds a host of diverse events and activities spanning five exciting weeks till 29 September 2023. Showcasing the breadth and depth of NUS’ thought leadership and expertise in sustainability, the festival seeks to create opportunities for conversations, ideations, and collaborations with the wider community of industry partners, government agencies and the public.

Here are five things to know about NUS Sustainability CONNECT.

1. There is something for everyone!

There are over 20 activities ranging from symposiums and workshops to nature walks, talks and behind-the-scenes tours at NUS Sustainability CONNECT. Covering topics such as public perception of risk in climate change, green finance, energy transition, urban living, maritime operations, policy design capacity building and solar energy research to food, water, and environment sustainability – there are many ways to get involved in building a greener future!   

Here are some interesting activities that seek to ignite discourse on various aspects of sustainability:

Kopi Chat x Boba Talk session on Food Sustainability – 4 September 2023
Led by NUS Enterprise, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and DBS Foundation, the session will feature a diverse panel of entrepreneurs known for their creative ways in tackling food waste. They will share their take on the environmental and social sustainability of the food system, discuss the business opportunities, as well as the challenges faced.

Getting to Net Zero workshop – 13 September 2023
Organised by the Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk at NUS, participants will learn about actionable steps that they can take to reduce their personal carbon emissions as well as gain insights into Singapore’s carbon initiatives and services through group discussions, a dialogue, and a panellist presentation.

Life of a PET Bottle – 16 September 2023
Organised by NUS’ very own Zero Waste Taskforce, the panel discussion will feature a student representative from the taskforce, as well as industry leaders from the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, the Singapore Environment Council as well as the waste recycling and manufacturing industries.

2. Ground-up activities by NUS students in support of sustainability causes

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After organising a successful guided walk in Pulau Ubin in June 2023, NUS SAVE is holding another walk to the island for the participants of NUS Sustainability CONNECT.
 

NUS students passionate about climate action are also taking centrestage at NUS Sustainability CONNECT. The University’s leading environmental student group on campus, NUS SAVE (Students’ Association for Visions of the Earth) and fellow like-minded students have separately organised three activities among others, to inspire the community to adopt more sustainable behaviours.

GreeNUSummit 2023 – 25, 26 and 28 August 2023
Featuring panel discussions on the Singapore Green Plan, this three-day symposium is organised by a group of NUS students who had represented the University at the inaugural 2022 Green Summit, a global symposium on sustainability for young people.

NUS SAVE Biodiversity Ubin Walk – 26 August 2023
Participants will get to discover the rich natural heritage and biodiversity of Pulau Ubin and encounter the interesting wildlife residing on the island in this guided walk led by NUS SAVE.  

Keeping up with Climate Policy Workshop – 27 August, 10 and 24 September 2023
Organised by NUS SAVE and SG Youth for Climate Action, the three-part series will break down Singapore’s climate policies, review the present climate advocacy scene and dive deep into the making of climate policies in Parliament.

3. Exclusive tour of national research labs

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Dr Mauro Pravettoni, Director of Photovoltaic (PV) Modules for Urban Solar Cluster at SERIS, checking the performance of a PV module with an advanced measurement equipment at SERIS’ laboratory at CleanTech Park.
 

Did you know that Singapore has a research facility dedicated to solar energy research? The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at NUS is the national institute for applied solar energy research and one of the leading solar laboratories in the world!

As part of NUS Sustainability CONNECT, participants can look forward to exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of SERIS’ laboratories as well as CleanTech One to better understand research in the areas of solar cells, photovoltaic modules and systems.

4. Getting out and about with hands-on activities

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A habitat enhancement session by NUS Toddycats, a group of volunteers with the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and the NUS Department of Biological Sciences.
 

For those who prefer to let their hands do the work, there are plenty of opportunities to participate in hands-on activities and do their part for the environment!

As part of GreeNUSummit, there will be a dedicated activity day offering a choice of two activities:

  • “Ground-Up Initiative Farm our Heart” ─ Participants can have a go at everyday activities like building planter beds, preparing soil mix, and composting, which are pre-requisites in maintaining a farm. 
  • Tree planting on the NUS campus as part of the University’s “Planting 10,000 Trees” initiative.

NUS Toddycats will also be organising multiple habitat enhancement sessions across three Saturdays. Participants can join the tree planting or sapling protection sessions, which will be held at Kranji Coastal Nature Park and Rail Corridor South (Buona Vista).

5. Hear from an impressive slate of speakers from academia, research, government and industry

Last but not least, NUS Sustainability CONNECT provides a platform for industry partners, government and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to come together and learn from industry thought leaders across different disciplines in sustainability.  

NUS Cities Symposium: The Science of Cities – 31 August and 1 September 2023
Organised by NUS Cities, the inaugural two-day symposium features an impressive lineup of 40 distinguished speakers from academia, research, government and industry. They will be speaking in panel discussions on topics ranging from biodiversity, conservation, community resilience and circular economy to decarbonisation and social inclusivity, reflecting NUS Cities’ interdisciplinary approach towards urban sustainability.  

Singapore’s Journey towards Resilient and Sustainable Energy Transition Workshop – 20 September 2023
Organised by the Energy Studies Institute, the half-day workshop brings together academic researchers from NUS and key industry experts to discuss important areas in the future of Singapore’s energy story.

SFA-NUS Science Day 2023 – 25 September 2023
Co-organised by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and NUS Faculty of Science, the event aims to foster knowledge exchange and research collaborations between IHLs, SFA, Public Utilities Board and NEA.

Sustainable Maritime Operations Symposium: Enhancing Efficiency and Environmental Performance – 25 September 2023
Organised by the Centre for Maritime Studies, the half-day symposium will feature NUS researchers, industry partners and regulators who will discuss research and technology solutions to address challenges for sustainable maritime operations.

This article first appeared on NUS News.

Click here to find out more about IPUR’s “Getting to Net Zero” workshop and register. For more information about NUS Sustainability Connect, click here.