Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) is committed to ensuring the sustainability of its teaching, research and day-to-day operations. It provides its staff and students with an environment that fosters the development of visions and solutions for enduring ecological, social and economic transformation. ZHdK endorses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the Swiss Confederation and aligns its culture of sustainability with these goals. Sustainability is firmly anchored as a strategic goal in the University’s 2019–2023 Strategy.

The arts and design are based on an inherent understanding of creativity and innovation. Critically questioning the status quo, unearthing unexpected approaches and proposing unconventional answers: the arts, design and education have the competence to engage with issues and phenomena with independent methods in order to create impact and open up new perspectives. As such, they make a valuable contribution to achieving sustainable change in society and the environment.

ZHdK’s Sustainability Dossier contributes to shaping sustainable education and development at the University by focusing on the integration, transfer and testing of new and existing knowledge and applied practices.

Anchoring artistic and design contributions in the sustainability discourse as well as in practice is an important concern of ZHdK. The Sustainability Dossier promotes exchange within the University and with the wider public by making existing ZHdK sustainability initiatives visible and tangible. To this end, the Dossier hosts special events, either on its own or in cooperation with institutions and organisations.

Responsibility and sustainable action are highly important for creative professionals as well as for organisations and institutions with regards to the public. As part of its funding programme, the Sustainability Dossier supports student and staff who contribute to advancing thinking and action in the area of sustainability. The Dossier also implements outreach projects or provides organisations with expert advice from the arts and design. It also transfers creative methods and approaches to help address concrete challenges.

Sustainable development requires interdisciplinary perspectives and disciplinary competencies, systemic knowledge and a fundamental understanding of the challenges involved in order to take targeted and transformative action. ZHdK provides sustainable education. Its programme curricula ensure that students are able to position themselves and develop in their future fields of activity, sustainably and long-term. ZHdK equips students with the knowledge and competencies needed to understand what sustainable transformation requires and prepares them to actively shape change.

The Sustainability Dossier supports teaching at ZHdK with expertise and develops courses and offerings in the field of sustainability, either independently or in cooperation with ZHdK departments or other universities through a broad network of specialists.

Researching sustainability at the interface with the arts and design is gaining increasing recognition. The Sustainability Dossier aims to identify and promote new fields of action for research on sustainability in the arts, design and outreach. It also supports project implementation, helps to establish and build a robust partner network, and provides funding advice.

The «Growing Sustainability in the Arts» web platform gathers and publicises arts and design projects and activities exploring sustainability at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). The platform supports knowledge exchange, networking and the promotion of sustainable practices in the arts and design.

Link to the web platform «Growing Sustainability in the Arts»

ZHdK is committed to sustainability. By operating an ecologically and socially responsible campus, the University strives to implement the 17 SDGs. Sustainability should be lived in everyday campus life and be a fundamental decision criterion. ZHdK places special emphasis on climate protection and has been recording and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions since 2018. Since 2021, emissions have also been fully offset.