The 5th National Workshop on UI GreenMetric World University Rankings for Russian Universities: Youth Eco-Initiatives and Maxing Out Sustainability in Urban Moscow Region

The 5th National Workshop on UI GreenMetric World University Rankings for Russian Universities was held on Thursday, 23 September 2021 local Moscow time through virtual meeting via Zoom. Held by RUDN University, Moscow, Russia, the event was opened by Prof. Vladimir Filippov (President of RUDN University), Prof. Elena Savenkova (Director of the Institute of Environmental Engineering of RUDN University), and Prof. Dr. Ir. Riri Fitri Sari, M.Sc., M.M. (Chairperson of UI GreenMetric World University Rankings). Both parties hoped that UI GreenMetric would be able to achieve a world that will adhere to environmental, economic and social issues better for the younger generation. The event was joined by 42 participants from 16 universities (RUDN University, RSAU - Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazeva, Tomsk State University, Bashkir State Agrarian University, State University of Land Use Planning, Tyumen Industrial University, Tyumen State University, Siberian State University of Geosystems and Technologies, Volgograd State University, North Ossetian State University, Far Eastern Federal University, Sankt-Petersburg State University, Belarus State University of Technologies, Abai State Kazakh Pedagogical University, International Sakharov Environmental Institute of Belarusian State University, and “Nerush”, Environmental and local study public association) Russia and featured 14 key speakers consisting of presidents, directors, and students from participating universities. Dr. Margarita Redina (Russian National Coordinator of UIGWURN and Professor of the Department of Environmental Safety and Product Quality Management of RUDN University). The webinar was divided into three sessions. In the first session, Dr. Ruki Harwahyu, M.T., M.Sc. (Expert Member of Data, System, and IT of UI GreenMetric) introduced UI GreenMetric, the indicators of UI GreenMetric and the data submission process. With this introduction, it is hoped that more universities across Russia will be interested in joining UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. The UIGWURN introduction was followed by Dr. Margarita Redina (Russian National Coordinator of UIGWURN)’s update on the information of UI GreenMetric Russian National Network. It was continued with a group photo session and the signing of the declaration of membership of UI GreenMetric Network for Abai Kazakh Pedagogical University, Russian State Agrarian University, and Industrial University of Tyumen. Session 2 discussed Managing Setting and Infrastructure, Energy and Climate Change, Waste in Russian Universities. The first speaker, Dr. Ivan I. Vasanev (Head of Department of Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy) showed how the campus of the RSAU - Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazeva as the model of sustainable development of urban ecosystems in the Moscow metropolis. This presentation was then continued by Dr. Nadya Strigelskaya (Head of Ecological Education of the International Sakharov Environmental Institute of Belarusan State University, Belarus), showing the experience International Sakharov Environmental Institute of Belarusian State University obtained when entering UI GreenMetric World University Ranking in 2020. The third speaker, Dr. Valentina Chekantseva (Head of the Environmental and Radiation Control Sector of the Cleaning and Landscaping Department of the Far Eastern Federal University) explained the environmental policies done by the Far Eastern Federal University to achieve environmental sustainability. The third session discussed Managing Water, Transportation, and Education in Russian Universities with three presentations. The first presentation about youth eco-initiatives at higher education institutions in the case of Volgograd State University was presented by Assistant Professors Anna Matveeva, Elizaveta Slaykovskaya, Anastasia Murtazina, Lyubov Meshcheryakova of Volgograd State University. This presentation was then continued with a presentation from Prof. Dr. ped. Dmitry Ermakov, Sci. and PhD student Lyudmila Sokolova (Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of RUDN University), which discussed the brief report on preliminary results of the Education for Sustainable Development in Action project. The third session was then closed with the presentation from Yulia D. Yurova (Assistant Professor of State University of Land Use Planning) about the experience of the State University of Land Use Planning upon participating in the UI GreenMetric rating for the development of a system of indicators for monitoring environmentally sustainable development in the Moscow region. The event, which lasted for about three and a half hours, was then closed by the remarks of Prof. Dr. Ir. Riri Fitri Sari, M.Sc., M.M. as the Chairman of UI GreenMetric World University Rankings and Dr. Margarita Redina, as the Russian National Coordinator of UIGWURN, thanking the participants for joining the virtual meeting and wishing success upon this year’s UI GreenMetric World University Rankings.