By PRESS RELEASE
During the Rio+20 United Nations Conference in June 2012, world leaders identified the need to promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production. The 18th ASEF University (AU18), themed ‘Conscious Consumers for Environmental Sustainability’, is a response to this need.
Forty-two (42) students and young professionals from 33 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) countries are participating in AU18. The initiative will help them broaden their horizons and deepen their insight into sustainable consumption in a multi-cultural setting.
Professor Jaak Aaviksoo, Estonian Minister of Education and Research (Haridus- ja Teadus ministeerium ), officially opened AU18 at the premises of HM. “We must encourage the younger generations to take the environmental challenges seriously” said the Minister. On this occasion, he also announced the winner of an online photo competition, where images reflecting the participants’ views on sustainable consumption in their countries are exhibited.
AU18 is a project co-organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the University of Tartu (UT), and the Estonian Student Councils’ Union (ESCU) from 18 August to 1 September in 2012.
The programme will comprise one week of lectures and interactive workshops, and a second week of international volunteering awareness campaign on sustainable consumption, which will reach out to the communities of Tartu. Presentations will be given by highly regarded academics and experts from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI), Consumers International Office for Asia Pacific and the Middle East (CIAPME), Earth Hour Global, and Let’s Do It Foundation.
The participants will implement the campaign through a street action on Wednesday, 29 August 2012, on the Rüütli and Küüni at the city center of Tartu.
An Open Day public event will be held to share the outcomes of the awareness campaign with the public and the media. Examples of sustainable consumption from various ASEM countries will also be displayed during the event.
Interested members of the media and the public can contact Kotryna at [email protected] to attend the Open Day.
Open Day
Date: Friday, 31 August 2012
Time: 10:00am – 11:30am
Venue: UT (Jakobi 2-226)