"Impact Cup" Honors Outstanding Commitment to Sustainability
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The Sustainability Office at TU Dortmund University and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Office at FH Dortmund jointly launched the Impact Cup in 2024. “Winning the Impact Cup is far more than a symbolic honor,” says Dr. Henning Moldenhauer, head of the TU Sustainability Office. “It highlights the sustainable commitment of our university’s members and demonstrates that ideas and projects continue to emerge from within the university itself. At the same time, the award strengthens collaboration and camaraderie among our university community and creates opportunities for new partnerships.”
The award winners
Prof. Gerhard Schembecker, Vice-President for Finance, presented this year’s Impact Cup to Dr. Ute Engelkenmeier from the University Library and Nicole Rechmann from the IT & Media Center (ITMC). Both are actively involved in the “Seed Library”: Since 2022, TU members have been able to take seeds from an exchange box in the library and return the seeds they later harvest. Through this initiative, the project aims to help preserve crop diversity and make knowledge about local vegetable gardening accessible to a wide audience. According to the jury, Dr. Engelkenmeier advocated for the exchange box and a dedicated sustainability section in the library even before the concept was established and widely adopted. Rechmann has supported the project on a volunteer basis from the very beginning by sharing her knowledge and donating seeds, with the aim of ensuring an ecologically valuable and growing seed stock, particularly during the initial development phase.
On behalf of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Chancellor Svenja Stepper presented the Impact Cup to Marie Runge. As the sustainability officer for the university’s General Student Committee (AStA), the master’s student has championed a variety of projects: For example, she advocated for a “food-sharing cabinet” to prevent food waste, and for the Campus Life Working Group, which connects stakeholders from both universities. The jury explained that her commitment serves as a role model for students, showing them how they can actively shape their university.