Leading green building summer university returns to Vienna in 2022

COP26 saw many world leaders put sustainability at the top of their priority lists going forward, further cemented with deadlines being set to ensure there were actions and not just discussions.

Housing, construction and urban planning all fell under this sustainability pledge and it’s now becoming essential for the next generation of workers in the built environment sector to have the correct knowledge of green building and sustainability. For architecture, building services and construction-related graduates, the shift towards green solutions is an opportunity to be changemakers and further their career development.

To meet this need, the renowned, international summer university programme Green.Building.Solutions. (GBS) enables built-environment students and professionals to acquire in-depth expertise in sustainable planning and construction techniques, within an intensive 3-week format. Having been held online for the last two years due to the global pandemic, the programme - run by OeADstudent housing in Vienna – is returning to the city in person from July 16 to August 7, 2022.

Bookings are now being taken for the summer university, which is delivered in English throughout the programme.

Günther Jedliczka, CEO of OeAD student housing, said: “GBS gives participants the opportunity to differentiate themselves with a unique professional development pathway - learning new and innovative solutions towards sustainability. “Last year’s digital format allowed 46 students from 30 nations and 10 time zones, to forge valuable professional relationships and develop excellent new skills. “The ability to collaborate in-person this year will only amplify the skills learnt and will enable the participants to collaborate with like-minded individuals from a variety of backgrounds and countries, all bringing a fresh outlook on sustainability.”

Now in its 12th 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 are able to broaden their knowledge in fields such as passive house technology and energy efficiency, as they learn from academic experts in climate change and passive housing.

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. Registration is open until June 30, 2022. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is April 4th, 2022.

More details can be found at https://www.oeadstudenthousing.at/en/summer-universities/gbs/

GBS will be also attending Futurebuild (formerly Ecobuild) under the Advantage Austria banner at stand H20, showcasing its pioneering energy efficient and green passive house buildings it operates for students across Austria.

For the past 16 years, Futurebuild has focused on sustainability and is now pioneering the drive to net-zero. The event takes place on 01-03 March 2022, at the ExCel in London. Visitors to the OeAD stand at Futurebuild can also find out more about GBS. 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 person in Vienna from July 18 to August 5, 2022. More at https://www.oeadstudenthousing.at/en/summer-universities/aems/

ENDS

About Green.Building.Solutions. (GBS)

GBS summer university takes place annually in Vienna, Austria.

In 2019, a total of 51 participants from 29 nations took part. Due to Covid-19, in 2021 GBS switched to a digital platform and attracted 46 students from 30 nations.

Press release issued by Jane Shepherd, Shepherd PR Limited, 01538 308685. Mobile 07985 129315