Programmes and Projects

In 2005 Higher Education Funding Council for England made the statement that ‘the greatest contribution a University can make to sustainable development is through the education of their graduates’. 

We have met this challenge head on with a clear ambition to embed Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the learning of all our students irrespective of discipline. 

We have been using the UNESCO framework to define our approach to ESD and used this to build academic engagement and ownership across our diverse subject communities and disciplines.

The University has adopted formal requirements for ESD to be articulated in the Course Approval and Review Process (CARP).

During 2009-10 all our academic schools declared school wide commitments to ESD and created ESD implementation strategies.

At the University of Bradford there are 9 Research and Knowledge Transfer Centres.

Each centre has an impressive track record of research council funding, research studentships, and working with industry and business. 

The Centre for Sustainable Environments (external link) involves a dedicated team of specialists from across the University who are developing the knowledge and capabilities that will enable more sustainable environments to be created.

Based within the Schools of Engineering, Design and Technology, Social and International Studies and Life Sciences, the Centre's internationally renowned scientists collaborate to meet contemporary environmental challenges.

The Sustainability and Enterprise Centre (SEC) will showcase sustainable development and construction.

It has the world's highest ever pre-construction BREEAM (external link) rating of 94.95% at award and seeks to be the focal point for embedding sustainable living and learning within all University activities.

The SEC will be used for research and knowledge transfer activities and will provide facilities for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) events and learning opportunities through the building's function and the sustainable construction that are integral to the design.

Over the past 4 years we have worked hard to develop projects on campus involving staff and students and to promote and provide learning experiences for students and visitors.

Our Green Campus Trail is one way of bringing our campus sustainability actions to the attention of staff, students and visitors.

The Green Campus Trail Map highlights significant sustainability features on campus such as the Biomass Boiler and the Rocket, each stop on the map has a plaque which provides brief details about each project.  

The University of Bradford achieved Fairtrade University status in December 2006 - making more ethically-sound food and drink choices available for its staff and students. 

A Fairtrade University is one which has achieved five goals around using products with the Fairtrade Mark and raising awanreness of unfair trade issues facing producers in the global south. 

• We have a Fairtrade Policy which is reviewed annually
• We make Fairtrade products available for sale in all campus shops and cafes
• Fairtrade products are served at all meetings and events hosted by the University and the Student Union
• We promote Fairtrade to students and staff through events and activities
• We incorporate Fairtrade theories and case studies into teaching and have created a Steering Group to oversee our Fairtrade initiatives.

The University hopes that by achieving Fairtrade status our students and staff will become more aware of the inequalities of trade, and the implications of their buying decisions.

Fairtrade empowers people to challenge the ways that trade works: every member of a university can make socially responsible choices.