Student-Led Initiatives

Here we present student-led sustainability initiatives at UZH.

For the full overview, see the Sustainability Report 2019/2020 (in German)

The University of Zurich Student Association's Sustainability Commission works toward promoting sustainability both at the University and in the private lives of UZH students. The commission's wide-ranging activities include launching and organizing the University's annual Sustainability Week.
University of Zurich Student Association Comissions

Swiss student organizations that work towards sustainability are members in the umbrella organization VSN|FDD|FSS. The group's main goal is strengthening sustainable development in teaching, research, and university infrastructure, as well as in the daily life of a university's community.
VSN|FDD|FSS

Since 2013 the Sustainability Week takes place at five universities in Zurich, namely UZH, ETH Zurich, Zurich University of Teacher Education, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences and Zurich University of the Arts. Every year student volunteers organize numerous events on the topic of sustainability, which take place during one week in March. In 2017, the Sustainability Week achieved a new record with over 5‘000 attendants. Besides, the Sustainability Week is active in university policy to promote sustainability. 
Sustainability Week Zurich

RespecTomorrow is a student association at UZH that advocates for more sustainability in education. The association is dedicated to fostering a positive societal shift through instructive initiatives which spark curiosity and wonder about the natural world, reshaping the way we relate to our environment. The students from various disciplines, from natural sciences to humanities to engineering, offer their broad range of expertise and organisational assistance for the successful implementation of impactful initiatives or innovative educational programs.
RespecTomorrow (German)

This association, founded in 2006 at UZH, is open to all students and professionals (researchers or practitioners) involved in in the fields of psychology, social sciences, and environmental sciences. The association organizes conferences, talks, and informal gatherings, and carries out other activities. The group aims to raise awareness for environmental psychology and to provide tools to apply psychological knowledge in the areas of environmental protection and the promotion of sustainability.
Initiative Psychologie im Umweltschutz (IPU) Schweiz (German)

In the network Pluralism in Economics, economics, political and environmental science students organise a lecture at UZH AND ETH Zurich covering various economic theories. The lecture shall enable students to solve complex problems using insights from various theories.
Network Pluralism in Economics
Plurale Ökonomik an der UZH – Rückblick und Ausblick (German)

Arbor Mundi is an initiative launched by four students to contribute to regional biodiversity and climate protection. As of 2024, the association is supported by a team of twelve students from UZH and HSG. Arbor Mundi initiates, among other things, volunteer activities at UZH. For example, on March 14th 2024, together with a team from the UZH Gardening Department, they planted four native trees and 113 native wild shrubs to promote biodiversity on the UZH campus.
Arbor Mundi (German)

In the allotment garden "Strebergärtli" students can garden, build something, eat or spend time together by the fire. Everyone is welcome – with or without having a green thumb. The project "Strebergärtli" was initiated in the context of the "Make Irchel more Sustainable" contest.
Strebergärtli

The university group organizes activities such as presentations, film screenings, and info booths on human rights issues. The biweekly meetings provide the opportunity to discuss current human rights issues.
Amnesty International University Group Zurich (German)

The student association aims at raising awareness for the importance of blood stem cell donation and to further expand the international register of donors. To do so, Marrow Zurich organises conferences, informational meetings, fundraising events and events to recruit further blood stem donors. 
Marrow (German)

The association “Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières Zürich” offers students a forum for in-depth exchange on global health issues. This includes the organization of events and dialogue between students and staff of Médecins Sans Frontières.
Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières Zürich (German)

Giving What We Can is an international society dedicated to eliminating extreme poverty in the developing world. Its mission is to inspire donations to the world's most effective charities. Giving What We Can uses evidence to identify those organizations and shares its findings. Members pledge to give at least 10% of their income to the organizations which do the most good with their donations.
Giving What We Can

sneep is a network that offers students a forum for critical reflection on traditional forms of economy and promotes public discourse on economic and corporate ethics. The activities of the Zurich section generally take place during the semester and include the organization of podium discussions, symposiums, lunch-hour presentations, film evenings with discussions, and other activities.
sneep - student network for ethics in economics and practice (German)