{"id":151,"date":"2025-10-20T11:05:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T08:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.uwasa.fi\/silenskyte\/?p=151"},"modified":"2025-11-11T23:47:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T21:47:00","slug":"bee-hives-implementing-sustainability-strategy-through-community-work-and-insights-on-digital-leadership-reflections-from-a-visit-to-vse-prague","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.uwasa.fi\/silenskyte\/2025\/10\/20\/bee-hives-implementing-sustainability-strategy-through-community-work-and-insights-on-digital-leadership-reflections-from-a-visit-to-vse-prague\/","title":{"rendered":"Bee Hives, Implementing Sustainability Strategy through Community Work, and Insights on Digital Leadership: Reflections from my Visit to V\u0160E Prague"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bee hives and community work for sustainability \u2014 sounds like something from a peaceful rural retreat? Not quite. It is, in fact, the vibrant and bustling campus of the Prague University of Economics and Business (Vysok\u00e1 \u0161kola ekonomick\u00e1 v Praze \u2013 V\u0160E)<\/strong>, located right in the heart of Prague<\/strong>, one of Europe\u2019s most beautiful and dynamic capitals. And this was just one of many positive surprises!<\/p>\n

During my week-long visit to this long-standing double-degree partner of the University of Vaasa, I was reminded how innovation, sustainability, and community engagement can come together to form a truly inspiring academic environment. The week was full of learning, discussions about research and teaching on advanced technologies in business, as well as further strengthening of our institutional collaboration<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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A Living Example of Community-Driven Sustainability<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a scholar who explores strategy implementation<\/strong>, I was delighted to learn about V\u0160E\u2019s Eco Team<\/strong> \u2014 a community of over 100 members that includes faculty, students, and administrative staff. Rather than being a symbolic committee, this team is a living, active network<\/em> for implementing University\u2019s sustainability strategy. Eco team is a voluntary engagement that is divided into smaller groups, each responsible for a specific aspect of the university\u2019s sustainability strategy.<\/p>\n

For instance, the Transport Team<\/strong> calculates the university\u2019s carbon footprint and promotes more sustainable ways of commuting, such as public transport or cycling. Another group in the Eco Team focuses on well-being<\/strong>, discussing topics like healthy meals on campus and access to sports and recreational activities. These shared daily practices that are practiced and promoted widely among the University\u2019s community makes sustainability strategy at V\u0160E live and meaningful for everyone on campus, not just a document known for sustainability manager.<\/p>\n

And then there are the bee hives<\/strong>, located right on campus! We know that urbanization and sustainability do not go hand in hand, and practical steps taken by the university, such as having roof-gardens and green grass areas, bee hives to contribute to pollination, maintaining inner parks and outside caffes with green environments, refreshing water reservoirs and decorative water installations ensure that the balance between the urban development and nature is maintained.<\/p>\n