From 5 to 9 October 2026, the Faculty of Mining and Geology at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava hosted a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) entitled “Sustainability as an Integral Part of International Experience.”
The event was organised within the Baltic University Programme (BUP) network and brought together 18 participants from 11 European universities.
The BIP started with an introduction to the foundations of sustainability – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and a discussion about how Czechia and other countries are progressing towards achieving these goals.
On Tuesday, we continued with carbon footprints and Green Erasmus, which are important topics for universities, especially for departments responsible for international mobility and international students.
Wednesday included a visit to the University of Ostrava, where we learned about their OU Aid programme, which gives students the opportunity to volunteer in developing countries.
We also introduced participants to Ostrava's industrial background and heritage, including a visit to the Dolní Vítkovice industrial complex, as well as Nilmore, a local textile startup focused on sustainability.
An important part of a BIP is not only the professional programme, including workshops and lectures, but also networking and bringing people together. For this reason, we organised several informal activities, including a pub quiz and a farewell dinner.
The programme gave participants the opportunity to exchange experiences, share ideas and establish new contacts with colleagues from across Europe.
A big thank you to all participants, speakers and partners who contributed to the programme. We hope to meet again at future BUP events!
Participating Universities:
Catholic University in Ružomberok (Slovakia)
University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava (Slovakia)
West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin (Poland)
Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania)
Tallinn University (Estonia)
Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences (Germany)
Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania)
University of Latvia (Latvia)
Riga Technical University (Latvia)
Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine)
Mendel University in Brno (Czech Republic)