The Sustainable Development Goals

Achieving SDG 1 is intended to reduce human poverty. A family-conscious design of study and working conditions reduces the likelihood of falling into or remaining in poverty. With its family service for students and employees, TH Wildau supports the compatibility of study/work and family and has been awarded as a family-friendly university.

One goal of SDG 2 is the sustainable production of food to enable all people to have a healthy and balanced diet. Eating meatless saves resources. The canteen operated by the Studentenwerk Potsdam at the location of the TH Wildau offers vegetarian and vegan dishes every day. On Wednesdays even exclusively.

SDG 3 has, among other things, the goal of reducing health risks. In its project Hochschule in Hochform (university in top form), the TH Wildau implements both student and company health management in cooperation with the Techniker Krankenkasse. These include offers for prevention, stress reduction, nutrition as well as addiction counseling.

In addition to our university sports program, we offer our students and employees moving breaks in everyday life to promote movement in the university's daily routine, which is often characterized by sitting.

SDG 4 aims to achieve, among other things, equal access to quality education that provides skills to promote sustainable development. As a university, we are responsibility to create sustainable education. For this reason, we are committed to education for sustainable development and are a member of the Sustainability Working Group at Brandenburg universities.
With our offers in the children's university and the senior seminars, we support lifelong learning.

To strengthen the exchange between students, companies and the local population, we have literally created space for new collaborations. Our presence centers in Finsterwalde, Fürstenwalde and Luckenwalde enable collaborations beyond the boundaries of the university and facilitate the transfer of knowledge.

SDG 5 aims to achieve equality for girls and women worldwide so that they can participate equally in political, economic and public life. Gender equality is implemented in all areas at TH Wildau. We are supported in this by our Equal Opportunities Council and our Equal Opportunities commissioner.

One goal of SDG 6 is to improve water quality worldwide to enable safe reuse. For this reason, we developed a nitrate sensor for monitoring water quality in a research project in 2018-2020.

One sub-goal of SDG 7 is to increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. TH Wildau has installed photovoltaic systems on some of its buildings in order to be able to use solar energy for the electricity it needs. The additional electricity we use is green electricity.

In house 16, we use a geothermal system to generate heat

In our bachelor's program Physical Technologies/Energy Systems and the advanced master's program Automated Energy Systems, students gain knowledge about different energy systems, which enables them to work as development engineers or energy consultants in their later professional life.

SDG 8 aims to increase economic productivity and achieve decent work and full employment for all.

With our Startup Center, we support founders in turning their ideas into reality.

SDG 9 aims, among other things, to build high-quality and resilient infrastructure, improve research, and support innovation.

As a university, we conduct research in all our disciplines to generate new knowledge. Research and Transfer Report

At the same time, we also see it as our task to transfer this knowledge into practice. For this reason, we have, for example, established various field points in the region, which serve as consulting, information and coordination points and offer a direct access to the university in rural areas.

SDG 10 has, among other things, the goal of ensuring equal opportunities for all people regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, religion, origin or social and economic status.

At TH Wildau, our Equal Opportunity Commissioner and the Equal Opportunity Council support us in this task.

Our Welcome Center supports refugees who are interested in studying and prepares them professionally and linguistically for studying in Germany.

The International Office supports international students in their studies on site in Wildau and is equally committed to students who are planning a stay abroad or would like to acquire foreign language skills.

SDG 11 aims, among other things, to strengthen inclusive and sustainable urban planning and to ensure access to safe, affordable and sustainable transport systems for all. The environmental impacts of cities shall be reduced, with a particular focus on air quality.

In our degree programs in Transportation Systems Engineering (B.Sc.) and Cycling (M.Sc.), we train specialists who are able to design transportation systems in a sustainable way.

A sub-goal of SDG 12 is the efficient use of natural resources, the procurement of sustainable products, and the avoidance or recycling of waste.

Of course, we separate our waste at TH Wildau for better recycling.

We are currently working on guidelines for sustainable procurement. We are already implementing some of them. For example, we use recycled cardboard sheets instead of hollow-core sheets for advertising on street posters. Our giveaways such as gummy bears or candies are vegan and packaged in compostable materials. We make erasers out of sustainable rubber. Our printed materials, such as study guides, are printed in a climate-neutral way and, if possible, on recycled, or at least FSC-certified paper. We do not use any additional varnish here, which is only used for optical purposes.

The Studentenwerk Potsdam canteen at the Wildau site also makes a practical contribution to avoiding waste. Take-away meals can be taken out in reusable containers that can be used free of charge, or students can bring their own containers. Disposable packaging is no longer used.

The goal of SDG 13 is to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius and to achieve global greenhouse gas neutrality by mid-century. The following are some measures that are implemented at TH Wildau:

-Partial use of self-produced solar power.
-Partial use of geothermal energy
-Automatic switching off of electrical outlets outside working hours

-Climate-neutral printing of advertising materials and brochures

-Currently: Establishment of an environmental management system

The goal of SDG 14 is to protect life below water by, among other things, reducing marine pollution, e.g. from plastic waste, and increasing scientific knowledge about the oceans and the organisms that live in them.

In recent years, research has taken place in the field of molecular biotechnology and functional genomics on various topics such as the capabilities of tardigrades (tardigrades), as well as the use of cyanobacteria.

The Studentenwerk Potsdam canteen at Wildau site also makes a practical contribution to prevent plastic waste from polluting the oceans. Take-away meals can be taken out in value-added containers that can be used free of charge, or students can bring their own containers. Disposable packaging is no longer used.

SDG 15 aims, among other things, to achieve intact terrestrial ecosystems that contribute to the preservation of natural biodiversity. In the ViNN:Lab Greenspace, the roof garden of the TH Wildau, endangered wild plants of the region are specifically protected through cultivation.

SDG 16 stands for peace, justice and strong institutions. SDG 16 aims to ensure that decision-making at all levels is demand-driven, inclusive, participatory and representative. Through their participation in committees, students and employees at TH Wildau have the opportunity to participate in democratic processes and actively contribute their opinions.

The student parliament and the student council are bodies for students of all disciplines.

The staff councils for academic employees, for non-academic employees, and the general staff council represent the interests of all employees at the TH Wildau.