UM Green Office
Welcome to the UM Green Office! Setting the blueprint as the first of its kind in the world, the Green Office is your one-stop destination for student sustainability initiatives at Maastricht University, as well as the bridge between the student body and the university. Join us in fostering a culture of sustainability on campus and beyond. Let's make a positive impact together. Explore our initiatives and get involved today!
Committed to creating a greener UM and future, we work with the Sustainable UM 2030 team to raise awareness and drive sustainable change. The most recent project realised by the Green Office is the creation of the UM Green Network. Now, each faculty within UM has its own Green Team, a group of ambitious and motivated students committed to raising awareness on sustainability! Moreover, the UM Green Office works on three distinct pillars – climate, circularity and community – and they achieve said pillars by collaborating with various sustainable initiatives and organisations in the university.
The UM Green Office structure
The Green Office currently comprises 5 highly motivated student members each in charge of one of the following portfolios: Green Network Chair, Sustainability Hub Manager, Events & Community Projects Manager, Marketing & Communications Lead, and SUM2030 Liaison.
Meet the team:
Green Network Chair
Hi, I’m Alina Timoșenco, from Moldova, and I’m doing a Master in Sustainability, a topic I am deeply passionate about. I love engaging with the community and build capacity for initiatives that create a better and greener environment for students and beyond. As the Chair of the Green Office, I coordinate the Green Network, a collaboration of student-led groups across all six UM faculties, and I support SUM2030. I’m excited to contribute towards the sustainability goals at UM and I look forward to seeing the achievements we will accomplish together.
Events & Community Projects Manager
Hi! I’m Senalda, an Indian-Portuguese Global Studies student born and raised in Dubai. I’m passionate about bringing people together to create a more sustainable and inclusive community. At the Green Office, I manage events like Sustainability Days and oversee projects like the Swap Room and the Community Garden. I love working to turn creative ideas into impactful actions. If you see me around, don’t hesitate to say hi! I am always happy to chat about sustainability or hear your thoughts on how we can make campus life greener!
Sustainability Hub Manager
Hey there! I'm Jodi Orban, a third-year B.Sc Biomedical Science student from Namibia. Nature has always been part of my life, hence my passion for sustainability. I currently work as the Sustainability Hub Manager for the Green Office. I've always been enthusiastic about making an impact and therefore really excited about this role!
Marketing & Communications Lead
Hey! I am Katie Kirkpatrick, a Master’s student in the Scientific Illustration dual program at Maastricht University and Zuyd University. I manage different tiers of Communications for the Green Office, SUM2030, and the Green Network, liaising with student and staff correspondence. I strive to expand the online and offline visibility of the Green Office objectives. While I administer our social media pages and design original graphic content, I also collaborate with passionate students to increase awareness of sustainability opportunities on campus. I am excited to represent students’ voices in UM’s sustainability policy.
SUM2030 Liaison
Hi! My name is Regina, and I’m currently doing my master's in Work and Organisational Psychology and I came to Maastricht all the way from Hungary. I like solving problems, organizing information, managing data and emails, and most importantly, collaborating with others. I started as a SUM2030 student assistant, helping with communication tasks such as newsletters, the sustainability blog, and the Sustainable Challenge. I now work in liaison with the Green Office. I am constantly amazed by the great community at UM that is doing so much for sustainability, and I’m truly happy to be part of this amazing team!
Sustainability Days/Week
Sustainability Days or Week brings together each of the 6 faculties and contains events about the topic of sustainable development. The strengths, specialties, and perspectives from the communities at each faculty will come together to power UM towards our sustainability goals.
The UM Green Teams
Each of the six faculties has a Green Team that works on integrating sustainability within the faculty and connecting sustainability initiatives UM-wide. Their mission is to drive a culture of sustainability and awareness, actively promoting positive environmental change, fostering collaboration, and empowering the university community to engage in sustainability-focused initiatives, thereby contributing to the University's sustainability roadmap.
Sustainability Hub
With the Sustainability Hub, UM creates a dedicated space for collaboration and knowledge exchange amongst the different initiatives and students active in sustainability. The aim of the Hub is to support students who want to take an active role in sustainability, be it as a volunteer or as a part of a project or organisation.
The Hub/the Sus. Hub, as its members often call it, is a working space that has managed to bring together a diverse community of students whose aim is to promote sustainability in all its shapes and forms. Lectures, movie nights, workshops, repair evenings, and the occasional jam sessions can all be found here.