Turība University, in cooperation with the Lapland University of Applied Sciences in Finland and the Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Germany, has launched the Erasmus + Strategic Partnership project in the field of sustainable business to contribute to climate change mitigation.

Christina Tihanova, Project Manager of the Turība University, says that students, graduates and lecturers of all three universities have a lot to learn from each other: “Together we will study how to make entrepreneurship more sustainable, greener and more socially responsible. It is important for us to teach the new generation of entrepreneurs not only to think about the future, but to act now, because we only have one planet Earth.”

At the General Assembly, Member States approved 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals as early as 2015, but when asked what entrepreneurs are actually doing to achieve them, we are faced with uncertainty. As a result, the project will develop a range of materials and support tools for entrepreneurs and educators in the field of sustainable entrepreneurship, as well as materials such as a digital handbook, an informative video and a sustainable business platform.

This is a great opportunity to learn from the knowledge and experience of our neighbours, while at the same time offering our experience - the ability to restructure quickly, adapt and see opportunities where others see problems.

"The Finns are headquartered in many countries. Even in the deep winter, they are thinking about whether to use a snowmobile or bicycle as a means of transport to get to university, because the second option is more environmentally friendly. The Germans, on the other hand, stand out for their technological development, organization and accuracy, but just as we face the burden of bureaucracy,” says Tihanova.

She is convinced that if universities really want to learn from each other, it is a great benefit for students, teachers and entrepreneurs in general: "This is a completely different perspective that allows you to look at your work and the environment with a completely different eye."

One of the goals of the Development Strategy of the Turība University is to move forward and implement the principles of green thinking, to introduce sustainable solutions. Currently the study programs already include topics related to sustainability issues.
The cooperation agreement on the implementation of the ERASMUS + project “Sustainable Entrepreneurship for Climate Change Mitigation” was signed in March 2022 and will be implemented by January 2024. The project is co-financed by the European Union's ERASMUS + program.