Valentin Happe is completing a Voluntary Environmental Year at the University of Graz

Valentin Happe's tasks range from organisational activities to website maintenance. Photo: Uni Graz/Pichler

Actively supporting sustainable development at the University of Graz while gaining valuable experience for his personal future – that is what Valentin Happe is currently doing. He has been completing a Voluntary Environmental Year in the Directorate for Resources and Planning since the beginning of September 2024. What he particularly likes about it is that "my work is very varied and I get to know many different areas of the university."

Producing a video to present the EMAS Environmental Management System at the University of Graz – that's something Valentin Happe is already looking forward to. He will soon start this media project as part of his Voluntary Environmental Year. Since last September, he has been providing important support in the areas of sustainability, environmental protection and biodiversity on campus at the university's Directorate for Resources and Planning.

In this respect, the University of Graz is a model institution. In order to continuously improve its operational sustainability, it implemented the EMAS Environmental Management System in 2016. For certification, an environmental audit must be carried out in every department of the university over a period of three years. Happe's help was needed to prepare for these internal audits, which are about to begin.

He gains a lot of new experiences in his work. Sometimes these fall within the scope of his hobbies. These include photography and filming, which he can use in the upcoming media project. "I also look after the university's web and intranet pages on sustainability, the path towards climate neutrality and biodiversity. This includes editing images and graphics. I particularly enjoy doing that," says Happe.

The 19-year-old from Graz also appreciates another thing: "It's cool that I can see and get to know so much at the university and take a look behind the scenes. For example, I was encouraged to contribute ideas on how the former canteen building could be repurposed."

In April, preparations will begin for the next Sustainability Day at the University of Graz in October. The organizing team can count on Happe's support, even though he will no longer be able to experience the event himself during his Voluntary Environmental Year.

He will probably be studying in Vienna by the autumn. "I love Graz, but I also want to get away from home for a while," he admits. However, he has yet to choose a degree programme. "Tourism, marketing and economics are areas that interest me," he reveals. He has already attended a few lectures at the University of Graz to get a taste of university life.

Gudrun Pichler

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