Rector Paulo Cesar Montagner said this Monday (2), when launching the new Executive Directorate of Sustainability (DExS), that this theme is at the center of Unicamp's future project. Montagner explained, during the ceremony in the auditorium of the Social Benefits Management Group (GGBS), that the new structure will centralize the planning and execution of the institutional sustainability policy at the University, with the goal of making Unicamp a reference in this area in Latin America.
“Our goal is to transform Unicamp into a model of a sustainable university in Latin America. A model that combines scientific excellence with responsible governance and social commitment,” stated the rector. “A model capable of producing relevant knowledge to guide public policies and inspire other institutions,” he added.
For Montagner, the creation of the sustainability department is a highly significant institutional step. “This moment symbolizes much more than the inauguration of an administrative structure. It expresses a strategic and ethical decision: to place sustainability at the center of the University's future project,” he stated.
Roberto Donato, faculty advisor to the Rector's Office designated as executive director of sustainability, explained that the new body will be responsible for articulating, planning, and executing the University's sustainability policy.
Furthermore, he added, it should integrate areas of teaching, research, outreach, governance, management, and institutional relations. It will also act as a cross-cutting structure for addressing the climate emergency and work to strengthen the actions of the International Hub for Sustainable Development (HIDS), which is under development at the University.
According to him, the body will be "a connecting bridge." As he defined it, it will have an "integrative and not monopolizing" function.
The general coordinator of Unicamp, Professor Fernando Coelho, said he was happy about the establishment of a sustainability directorate. "This is the culmination of a process that began many years ago and involved a large number of people," he recalled, citing as an example the creation, in 2003, of the Waste Management Group.
Governance
Architect Thalita Dalbelo, advisor to the Rector who headed the Sustainability Coordination (CSUS), says that the new board "will ensure the continuity of policies, improve the monitoring of indicators and consolidate long-term sustainability governance, aligned with the University's strategic planning."
She noted that CSUS already conducts structuring projects that integrate territorial planning, environmental management, and institutional governance. "With the creation of DExS, these responsibilities will be maintained and strengthened, ensuring greater institutional stability, executive capacity, and cross-functional integration," she believes.
HIDS
Professor Bruna Moraes will take over HIDS with the mission of leading the project's implementation. "This is an innovative, disruptive project that could make the idea of sustainability tangible," she assesses. "HIDS' mission is to materialize the concept of sustainability so that society sees it in a broader context, and by 'society' we mean the entire community – academia, businesses, governments, and the general public," she observes. "We want to show that HIDS can transform science into impact."
Competition
DExS has decided to launch a contest to choose the best logo for the new board. According to Roberto Donato, the winner will receive an 11-inch Galaxy Tab A9+ tablet. Information about the contest can be found at [website address - not provided in the text]. DExS website ou na Instagram account.
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The new Sustainability Directorate will be launched on Monday, the 2nd.
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