11 Sustainable cities and communities

One of the objectives of the eleventh SDG is to ensure adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services for all, as well as to make improvements to slums, by 2030. NHL Stenden is committed to achieving this goal in various ways. 

Environmentally-conscious facilitation 

We try to facilitate our students as much as possible, preferably in an environmentally conscious fashion. As a sustainable university of applied sciences, we contribute to building a sustainable community each and every day. For example, in addition accommodation for our students, we also offer free coffee and have distributed Dopper water filling stations around several locations of the university to encourage people to refill their reusable bottles. Our Strategic Accommodation Plan sets out our plan to future-proof our student housing, which will entail sustainable energy consumption. Meanwhile, the students at the NHL Stenden Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz (MIWB), who live on campus for the first two years, are able to get a hot meal at the restaurant every day for which they consciously sign up in advance using an app. This means the meals are both appreciated – and any food waste is prevented.  

‘This helps us raise our environmental awareness, implement sustainability policy and create a positive impact.’ 
- Victoria Snouck Hurgronje, sustainability driver within NHL Stenden

Teaching & Research

We offer various minors to our students in which they are able to engage with sustainable communities and in building sustainable environments. The Social Quality professorship focuses on enabling people to utilise their potential, to develop their skills and, in this way, contribute to their environment, such as their own social network, their neighbourhood, their town – and to society. Please find more information below.