The Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) hosted the sixth annual CSR conference on the occasion of Earth Day on April 24, 2025. At the same time, the winners of the Campus Sustainability Challenge 2025 student competition were announced. The main topic of the conference, organised by the Department of Development and Sustainability of CZU, was the issue of the circular economy.
"We would like to thank all the guests, participants and partners who accepted the invitation and shared their experiences, ideas and enthusiasm for sustainable development with us. We believe that the program prepared for you by the Department of Development and Sustainability of CZU was interesting and inspiring for all participants," says Vice-Rector Eva Vlková.
The afternoon part of the conference offered speeches by prominent guests, including Soňa Klepek Jonášová, founder of the Circular Economy Institute, Radka Hájková, ESG and CSR project manager of the Rock for People festival and co-owner of the Walden Press publishing house, and Miroslav Punčochář, CEO of Augiášův Chlév company.
There was also a demonstration of good practice. Circular principles can be successfully applied within the university environment. Proof of this is the Swimming Pool Water Recycling Project, which was presented by the Secretary of the Department of Physical Education, Petr Diviš.
Campus Sustainability Challenge 2025 Evaluation
The Campus Sustainability Challenge, a student competition that focuses on supporting new ideas in the field of sustainability, has traditionally attracted great attention. The competitors have shown that the vision of a sustainable campus is alive and full of innovation. This year, six projects competed in the finals. The awards were given to:
1st place: Nikola Malovcová (FES, 1st year) and Hana Klímová (FAFNR, 3rd year) for the project "KRUH – Campus Re-use Hub"
2nd place: Jakub Slávik (FEM, doctoral student, 3rd year) and Karel Jílek (FEM, doctoral student, 3rd year) for the project titled "Green Pony – Vertical Farm for Children and the Community"
3rd place: Vladimír Kořínek (FAFNR, 3rd year) and Vojtěch Malecha (FAFNR, 3rd year) for the project entitled "Smart Canteen"
Since 2018, the Campus Sustainability Challenge has supported implementing several projects that shape the CZU campus today, such as the CZU Freeshop, the solar pergola, and insect hotels. This year's CSR conference and student competition showed that sustainability is not just about individual projects but also how we think, learn, grow, and change the world around us.
