By Office of Sustainable Campus (OSC)
28 August 2024: The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) successfully hosted an interactive event titled “Connect & Conserve 2024: Sustainability Awareness Fair” on 28 August. The fair, organized by the Office of Sustainable Campus (OSC) under the leadership of Ms. Sireesha Bantu, Director of OSC, took place at the AIT Conference Center, RBB Auditorium. The event attracted more than 90 participants, including students and staff, and facilitated a community dedicated to sustainability through knowledge sharing and networking.
During her opening remarks, Ms. Sireesha discussed the importance of sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She talked about AIT’s greenhouse gas emissions and outlined the plan to decarbonize the campus, aiming to achieve a Botanical Garden Net Zero Campus by 2030. Ms. Sireesha emphasized the crucial role of every member of the AIT community in achieving this vision.
The fair also featured prominent speakers. Dr. Guilberto Borongan, Director of RRCAP, delivered key remarks, and Prof. Joyashree Roy, Distinguished Professor and Director of the SMARTs Center at AIT, shared valuable insights into sustainable development. Their participation underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in advancing sustainability on campus.
Dr. Borongan’s session focused on RRCAP’s role in sustainability, especially in waste management and the circular economy. He shared his experiences and discussed the development of AIT’s sustainability practices. Dr. Borongan encouraged students and organizers to actively participate in sustainable initiatives and highlighted the objectives and statistics related to RRCAP’s work in waste management. He also urged the OSC to organize more events like this to further promote a culture of sustainability on campus.
Professor Roy led the audience on a thought-provoking journey, challenging them to see everyday actions—such as sustainable commuting, using energy-efficient equipment, maintaining a vegetarian diet, and reducing waste generation—as opportunities to contribute to sustainability. She emphasized that every small, conscious choice contributes to a sustainable future. The session concluded with an engaging quiz that tested the audience’s behavioral patterns and encouraged them to embrace sustainable lifestyles. It inspired them to adopt sustainable practices in their daily lives.
The event aimed to demonstrate how emerging technologies can contribute to sustainability. It featured expert talks from specialists in the field, who discussed various ways that technology can promote sustainable living. Mr. Luis Enrique Medina Jaimes, an environmental engineer specializing in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (RSGIS), shared insights into his work on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Climate Action. He explained the importance of forests in fighting climate change and how satellite imagery is used to track deforestation and forest regeneration. His company has utilized Landsat imagery to analyze changes in land cover from 1990 to 2023, emphasizing the crucial role of forests in addressing climate change.
Following Mr. Luis’s presentation, Mr. Ranjit Singh, a scientist at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and a PhD scholar at AIT, introduced innovative food technologies aimed at achieving SDG-2: Zero Hunger. He discussed global challenges such as hunger affecting over 800 million people and severe malnutrition in 45 million children under five. Mr. Singh explained how food technology, including precision agriculture, automation, and data analytics, addresses these issues. He also highlighted the development of nutrient-rich, affordable foods, smart supply chain management, and food preservation technologies like freeze-drying and 3D food printing. Additionally, he discussed the role of AI in detecting contaminants, ensuring quality control, and preventing spoilage.
At the fair, interactive booths provided hands-on experiences focused on specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as waste management (SDG 12), energy conservation (SDG 7), food sustainability (SDGs 1 and 2), health and wellness (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), and climate change (SDG 13). These activities educated participants and gave them the chance to win prizes, making learning about sustainability enjoyable and impactful. OSC student volunteers played a crucial role in organizing the booths, and logistics, and managing the fair, ensuring its smooth execution and success.
The event aimed to inspire participants to adopt more sustainable practices and make informed decisions that contribute to a greener campus and community. By promoting an action-oriented approach, “Connect & Conserve 2024” encouraged attendees to make small lifestyle changes—such as reducing plastic use, conserving energy, and engaging in a sustainable lifestyle—that collectively support AIT’s and the global sustainability goals.
The energy and engagement at the event showcased the growing commitment of the AIT community to sustainability. The event underscored the significance of collective action and knowledge-sharing in fostering real change toward a sustainable future, establishing AIT as a leader in sustainability.
