BVIEER: Advancing Sustainability and Innovation in Higher Education
The Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research (BVIEER) is driving transformative initiatives to embed sustainability and innovation in education.
UniSustain 2025 marks a shift from isolated green practices to a whole-university approach. Under Vice-Chancellor Dr Vivek Saoji’s leadership, the initiative aims to make campuses living laboratories of sustainability, preparing graduates to lead climate action. Experts such as Prof Dan Blumberg (Ben-Gurion University), Kirk Junker and Pamela Kilian (University of Cologne) shared strategies for integrated governance and emission reduction.
In September 2025, BVIEER hosted the Youth for Spatial Futures event as part of the ISPRSGIFTS Summit, with 185+ participants and global leaders including Dr Shimrit Maman (Israel Space Agency), Prof Salvatore (Italy), Prof Dan Blumberg (Israel), and Dr Shashi Kumar (ISRO). The summit highlighted spatial thinking and geospatial literacy as essential for innovation, governance, and sustainability.
July 2025 saw the launch of JIMES – Joint International Master in Environmental Sustainability, a collaboration between the University of Cologne (Germany) and Bharati Vidyapeeth University (India). BVIEER is among the first Indian institutions to offer such a global programme, combining transdisciplinary learning, international exposure, and experiential research to shape future green leaders
BVIEER remains committed to creating a sustainable, data-driven, globally connected future.
From left Dr. Vivek Saoji, Prof. Anjana Vyas, Dr. Salvatore, Dr. Shimrit Maman and Prof. Shamita Kumar inaugurating the event .
Prof Dan Blumberg delivering an insightful address at the ISPRS-GIFTS Summit, emphasising the transformative role of spatial thinking and geospatial technologies in shaping sustainable futures.
On 1 Sept 2025, BVIEER hosted the Youth for Spatial Futures event under the ISPRS-GIFTS Summit, featuring global leaders Dr Shimrit Maman (Israel Space Agency), Prof Salvatore (Italy), Prof Dan Blumberg (Israel), and Dr Shashi Kumar (ISRO). With 185+ participants, the event underscored spatial thinking and geospatial literacy as essential for innovation, governance, and sustainability, empowering youth to co-create datadriven solutions.
First batch of JIMES – Joint International Master in Environmental Sustainability! A proud collaboration between the University of Cologne (Germany) and Bharati Vidyapeeth University (India), one of the few Indian universities to launch such a global programme, shaping future green leaders through transdisciplinary learning and international exposure.
Dr. Amisha Jain, Regional Head – India & South Asia (Coordinator, South-East Asia) at the University of Cologne, conducted an Intercultural Workshop for students of the Joint International Master of Environmental Sustainability (JIMES) programme. The JIMES programme comprises students from India and multiple other countries, making intercultural competence a critical component of their academic and professional development. The session enabled students to appreciate cultural diversity, understand cross-cultural perspectives, and develop mutual respect and effective communication skills. This workshop holds particular relevance as international students are currently pursuing one semester in India, while Indian students will undertake their subsequent semester at the University of Cologne, Germany, thereby strengthening the programme’s global academic integration.
