The world faces large and complex challenges that we need to solve through collaboration and partnerships. In 2015 the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (un.org). At OsloMet we are committed to do our share.
With our vocational education programs, practice-close research, innovation development and life-long learning courses, OsloMet is uniquely positioned to contribute to a more sustainable society regionally, nationally and globally.
All that we do, including campus operations, dissemination and communication in addition to student participation, shall support the work for a more sustainable development. In the near future, OsloMet will engage staff and student representatives in activities that will increase the visibility and development of our contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Below you will find examples of how OsloMet works with sustainability issues in research, education and campus operations.
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Research
For several years, scientists at OsloMet have researched challenges related to sustainable development. Here you will find an overview of new and relevant research that supports the global goals.
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Research Projects
DigiGen – The Impact of Technological Transformations on the Digital Generation
DigiGen will explore how digitization affects the lives of children and young people. The project is funded by EU Horizon 2020 and is coordinated by OsloMet.
EUROSHIP – Closing gaps in social citizenship. New tools to foster social resilience in Europe
Euroship will investigate how effective the political welfare measures are in reducing poverty and social exclusion in Europe. The project is funded by the Horizon 2020-program and coordinated by OsloMet.
LASTING – Sustainable prosperity through product durability
Through studying clothing and textiles, furniture and home appliances, LASTING will investigate how to keep the value of products, materials and resources high for as long as possible through a holistic approach including policies and regulations, production and design, and consumer practices.
Artificial intelligence - a novel tool in assisted reproduction technology
The project will develop methods in artificial intelligence to analyze videos of embryo development and of movements and appearance of sperm cells. The results will be developed into a tool for fertility clinics to make improved clinical decisions. The project is funded by Research Council Norway and coordinated by OsloMet.
ALMPUB - The ALM-Field, Digitalization, and the Public Sphere
ALMPUB researches archives, libraries, museums and the media’s situation under new technological and financial conditions. The goal is to strengthen our knowledge about how society can facilitate an open and informed public dialogue under changing technical conditions. It is funded by the Research Council of Norway and coordinated by OsloMet.
- ALMPUB project website (in Norwegian)
EGREEN + = European Green Mastery
European Green Mastery is a collaboration project about skills across sectors. It aims to compare and develop skills, knowledge and competencies within floristry, gardening and landscaping.
GreenGov: Governing the green shift in Oslo, Gothenburg, Copenhagen and Cape Town through leadership of co-creation
The project goal is to answer the following question: which leadership strategies and mechanisms can effectively support co-creation, learning and innovation for the green shift in Oslo, Copenhagen, Gothenburg and Cape Town?
Sustainable European welfare societies
The project seeks answers to how policy-makers and researchers can tackle issues of sustainable welfare, climate and environment in a coordinated manner, across policy and research fields that normally are separate. The project has been concluded, was led by OsloMet and funded by the Research Council Norway.
Welfare state life courses: Social inequalities in the co-evolution of employment, health and critical life events (WELLIFE)
This project will analyze the relation between social conditions, health, participation in the labour force and society. This is a Nordic project funded by NordForsk and led by OsloMet.
- WELLIFE project website (in Norwegian)
Addressing Local Barriers to Inclusive Education for Children with a Disability in the Sahel
This research project focuses on solutions for sustainable educational systems for children with disabilities in vulnerable states in the Sahel. FAFO leads the project with the Department of social work at OsloMet as partner. The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway’s NORGLOBAL2-program.
Making Transparency Possible - Interdisciplinary dialogues
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Research Groups
- Childhood in Sustainable Futures; Aesthetics, Digitalization and Materiality
- Children and migration
- Design, Culture and Sustainability
- Development, Power and Inequality
- Disease and Environmental Exposures
- International Studies and Migration
- Media, Environment and Society
- Public Health Nutrition
- Social Work and Public Health
- Society, Welfare and Social Policy
- Sustainable built environments (SustainaBUILT)
- Technology and Sustainability
- Universal Design of ICT
- Vocational Knowledge in a diversity perspective (in Norwegian)
- Welfare Access Through Technology
- Work Inclusion
- Work Inclusion in North and South: Comparative Urban Contexts
- Work, Management and Mastery
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Education
Study programs
OsloMet offers a range of studies and courses in which students learn about the Sustainable Development Goals and are given the opportunity to integrate them in their projects and theses. Some of the programmes are presented in Norwegian.
Bachelor's degree programmes
- Energi og miljø i bygg (Energy and environment in construction)
- Product Design (Produktdesign)
- Utviklingsstudium (Development studies)
Master's degree programmes
- International Social Welfare and Health Policy
- Grunnskolelærarutdanning for trinn 1-7 med steinerpedagogikk (Primary school teacher education for grades 1-7 with Steiner pedagogy)
- Internasjonal utdanning og utvikling (International Education and Development)
- Product Design - Design in Complexity (Produktdesign - design for kompleksitet)
PhD programmes
Courses
The following courses cannot be taken individually since they are part of different degree programs, but they have a sustainable development perspective integrated in them.
- Environmental Economics (student.oslomet.no) (Master’s degree in Business Administration)
- European Project Semester (europeanprojectsemester.eu)
- Food, Globalisation and Governance (student.oslomet.no) (Master's degree in Public Health Nutrition)
- Interdisciplinary Innovation: using diversity to solve complex problems (student.oslomet.no) (Master’s degree in Applied Computer and Information Technology)
- International Public Health (student.oslomet.no) (Master’s degree in Public Management)
- Journalist i en globalisert verden (student.oslomet.no) (Bachelor's degree in Journalism)
- Natural Resource Economics (student.oslomet.no) (Master’s degree in Business Administration)
- Sustainable Design Approaches (student.oslomet.no) (Master’s degree in Product Design – design for complexity)
- Technology and Society I (student.oslomet.no)
- Technology and Society II (student.oslomet.no) (Bachelor's degree in Bio-engineering / Master’s degree in Product Design)
- Urban Governance (student.oslomet.no) (Master’s degree in Public Management)
Continuing education
OsloMet aims to provide opportunities for life-long learning to all, also with a focus on sustainable development. More courses will be added.
- Bærekraftig ledelse (Sustainability leadership)
- Design og bærekraft i skolen (Design and sustainability in school)
- Fagfornyelsen i kunst og håndverk og designprosesser (Subject renewal in arts and crafts and design processes)
- Fagfornyelsen i kunst og håndverk og kunstprosesser (Subject renewal in arts and crafts and creative processes)
- Teknologiforståelse (Technological understanding)
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Green OsloMet
OsloMet wants its staff to be climate conscious, and its students to obtain the competencies necessary to meet both current and future climate challenges with innovative actions and sustainable solutions. Therefore we have established the project Green OsloMet.
In our Strategy 2024 one of our goals is to prioritize infrastructure solutions that reduce our carbon footprint. Contact us at grontoslomet@oslomet.no if you have any questions.
Some of our initiatives
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Greenhouse gas emissions assessment
OsloMet has initiated work with a greenhouse gas emissions assessment. Proposed completion is first half of 2020. This assessment will be the basis for a climate strategy.
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Electrical measures
OsloMet works systematically to phase in to LED and needs-based-lighting, and is planning to improve the management of electrical heating.
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Travels
We have mapped the total emissions from air travel at OsloMet, and from January-September 2019 this accumulated to 445 626 kilos CO2.
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Waste management and recycling
OsloMet actively promotes recycling and aims to increase the rate for recyclable waste, i.e. to what degree the waste has been sorted correctly. In 2018, the rate for recycling was 45%, and so far in 2019 we have over 50%. In other words, we are well on our way to reach the 60% target. An environmental measure at Oslo Metropolitan University is the sorting guide (ansatt.oslomet.no), an aid for you who are wondering where you can throw your waste.
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Eco-friendly transport
OsloMet has replaced all fossil-fuel cars with electric and hybrid cars. We have six charging stations for electric cars at our campus at Kjeller. We are looking into the possibility of increasing the number of charging stations and are continuously assessing the number of parking spaces.
OsloMet facilitates the use of bicycles for students and staff. We have outdoor bicycle parking and indoor bicycle storage facilities for staff and students. You will also find city bicycle racks in the vicinity of the university. There is an indoor washing station for bicycles at Pilestredet. An airpump and repair stand for bicycles are located on campus at both Pilestredet and Kjeller.
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Recycling/reuse
OsloMet reuses furniture (sometimes given away), books and IT-equipment. The recycling storage room for Oslo Metropolitan University is located in Room L 041 under building P44/52.
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Barrels for recycling used plastic bottles
OsloMet collaborates with Infinitum (infinitum.no), a company that places yellow barrels around our campuses. These contribute to reducing the amount of plastic that can pollute the environment. The money gained from depositing plastic bottles is designated climate measures for students and staff.
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Disposable cutlery
OsloMet has challenged SiO food and drink, and our supplier through our framework agreement, to replace disposable cutlery in plastic with cutlery in biodegradable material. This has now been accomplished.
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Renewable heating
Campus Kjeller and nearly all of campus Pilestredet are 100 % heated by district heating.
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Ecolabelling of buildings
The property owner is responsible for the technical condition of the buildings, and OsloMet is a driving force. Our buildings have received their ecolabelling, clearly visible in the entrance halls.
Read more about Green OsloMet on our staff pages (ansatt.oslomet.no).
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