In partnership with and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme, the UK-based Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) has been holding the Green Gown Awards since 2004. The organization, with more than 200 members, aims to promote sustainability in higher education.

This year's awards will be presented in an online ceremony on 7 July, with one of the potential winners being Széchenyi István University, whose project was selected together with the other 12 finalists in the category “Benefitting Society”, including two from Brazil, two from Malaysia and one each from universities in the United States, Britain, France, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, Mexico and Colombia. Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs, said that the University operates in the knowledge pentagon model, in this way also serving the region. The essence of this is the close relationship of the institution with the industrial, governmental and civil, ecclesiastical and media stakeholders, emphasizing the aspects of harmonious coexistence with the natural environment and sustainable development.

“The success of these efforts is demonstrated by the fact that for the second time this year, our University has been included in the Times Higher Education world rankings list of Higher Education Institutions formulated on the basis of the seventeen United Nations SDGs, being ranked for example among the top two hundred in the world in the category of “sustainable cities and communities”. Reaching the finals of the Green Gown Awards is another confirmation that our University fulfils these goals with its activities, and that in the field of agricultural and food sciences we also meet the modern educational needs of the 21st century,” said Dr Lukács.

Dr Pál Szakál, Professor at the Department of Water and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Mosonmagyaróvár (photo: József Csaba Májer)

Széchenyi University applied for the award with an EU project that aims to create healthier, more nutritious foods. Dr Pál Szakál, professor at the Department of Water and Environmental Sciences in the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Mosonmagyaróvár, said that they have long been concerned with using high-purity agricultural and industrial waste to develop new compounds and fertilization methods and pesticides. The aim is to improve the quality of the food produced. In this project, the focus is mainly on flour products made from wheat.

“According to the needs of circular farming, we try to map all the waste that can be used for agriculture. They can be used to produce nutrient-rich grains and reduced-additive baked goods. An additional benefit is that it saves energy and reduces the problems of disposing of waste. In our research so far, we have been able to prove that certain elements can be used to improve the antioxidant content of products,” the professor explained.

The aim of the project is to improve the quality of the food produced