The “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași (TUIASI) is proud to coordinate, through PhD candidate Raluca-Maria Țâbuleac, the project FutureProof: Youth Action for Sustainable Change – INGENIUM Student Partnerships. The initiative brings together students from across Europe to co-create innovative solutions for sustainability, with a strong emphasis on student partnership and international collaboration.
Preparatory meeting in Iași, 3–5 September 2025
The preparatory meeting took place at the Creative Nest Hub in the Tudor Vladimirescu Student Campus, in a hybrid format. It gathered nine students from eight INGENIUM partner universities, including TUIASI. On-site, TUIASI welcomed two students from the University of Skövde, Sweden, and one student from the University of Crete, Greece.
The meeting’s primary objective was to lay the groundwork for a Sustainable Escape Room, which will be further developed and implemented during the upcoming student-led workshop in Skövde, Sweden, this October. Students also worked on shaping the concept of an INGENIUM Student Sustainability Hub, and on drafting a Sustainability Roadmap and Toolkit that will guide future student-led initiatives across the alliance.
Project activities
Over the three days, the participants:
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discussed and planned the upcoming student-led workshop in Sweden;
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launched the design phase for the Sustainable Escape Room, developing storylines and puzzle themes with a focus on environmental awareness;
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collaborated on the strategic implementation of the Sustainability Hub;
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began drafting the Student Sustainability Roadmap & Toolkit to consolidate ideas into actionable steps.
Work sessions were combined with smaller breakout groups, fostering brainstorming and hybrid collaboration between students on-site and those participating online.
Institutional support and expertise
During their stay, the participants also had the opportunity to meet Assoc. Prof. Dr. habil. Eng. Brîndușa-Mihaela Slușer, Head of the Department of Environmental Engineering and Management at TUIASI. The discussions highlighted the crucial role of academic expertise, research, and innovation in advancing sustainability, while also reinforcing the importance of connecting institutional knowledge with student-led initiatives.
They also visited the TUIASI Library, widely recognized as one of the most beautiful technical libraries in the world, where they learned more about its history and heritage.
Cultural experiences in Iași
Beyond the academic and project-focused activities, students had the opportunity to experience the cultural richness of Iași. They visited the Palace of Culture, attended a performance at the Romanian National Opera, discovered the Butterfly Garden, and explored the historic city center.
The program also included a visit to the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection laboratories at TUIASI, where the participants learned more about the university’s research infrastructure and sustainability-oriented scientific projects.
Strengthening the INGENIUM alliance
By the end of the preparatory meeting, the students had defined the first directions for the Escape Room, outlined a roadmap framework, and agreed on the next steps towards their joint initiatives. The event in Iași proved to be an important step in strengthening both the INGENIUM Alliance and the idea of student partnership as a driver for sustainable change.
