The Green Mentors organization partnered with the City University of New York in April 2022 to launch the Indo-American Green University network. This initiative aims to help universities become more sustainable by bringing together Indian and American students. Through this network, universities can help build a more just world.
A green university is an educational institution that is able to meet its own needs without affecting future generations. This type of facility is able to provide its students with the necessary resources without making it harder for them to meet their own needs.
The event was attended by Dr. Michal Mlynr, the Ambassador of Slovakia to the UN. During the launch ceremony, the City University of New York and the Nalanda University in India signed an MOU.
During the event, a delegation from India, led by the Vice-Chairman of the National Association of Higher Education Officials, Dr. Virendra Rawat, met with career diplomats from various countries. They discussed the importance of responsible education in the country and how it can help nations meet their sustainable development goals.
Through the network, members of IAGUN share their experiences and knowledge about green practices in various areas such as curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy. They also review green initiatives that are being implemented at the national, regional, and global levels.
The goal of the network is to set the country’s sustainable education goals and provide a framework for the continuous improvement of higher education. Through its members, the Network will be able to address climate action in the education sector. At the launch ceremony, Meghan Fay Zahniser, the Executive Director of AASHE, discussed the importance of sustainability in higher education.
Due to the increasing number of climate change conflicts and pandemics, the need for responsible education has become more prevalent. This is why it is important that students are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to make a difference in the world, the attendees at the event affirmed.
“IAGUN will host its next roundtable meeting with a few Indian-American universities at the 6th NYC Green School Conference 2022 on September 24th, 2022 in New York City. The Green Universities will become the green engine of the new paradigm of the “green economy” and contribute to the overall sustainability of the planet” noted Virendra Rawat, founder of Green Mentors. Rawat founded Green Mentors, a global sustainable educational organisation based in Gujarat, India, along with Gopal Goswami, Ambrish Parajiya, and Bhavesh Shah. They believe that the shift towards a greener lifestyle starts with responsible education and includes essential ‘transversal’ competencies, such as critical thinking, creativity, empathy, collaborative problem-solving, and system thinking.