Environmental Efforts of Keio University Students
“Starting from a week to make a habit”
Students, faculty and staff work together during this particular week to think about the environment and to take action
At Keio University, “Ecology Week” is held every June, and during the one week event, students, faculty and staff work together to think about the environment and to take action. Here, we introduce the activities of ecology group “E.C.O.”, which is responsible for organizing the event, and the actual event held on Hiyoshi campus.
Wanting to start an event to create an opportunity to take action for improving the environment
Ecology Week was first held in June 2002 on Hiyoshi Campus of Keio University. At that time, faculty and staff who were especially aware of environmental problems were seeking to create an opportunity to raise awareness of the environment among students, faculty and staff, because the environment was starting to become an important social theme. They also felt that rather than forcing something from the university, students should be the main organizers.
At Keio University, ecology group “E.C.O.” had been seriously engaged in working on environmental issues since 1991, even before the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro. Discussions were held between faculty, staff and E.C.O., and they decided to hold Ecology Week to encourage students, faculty and staff to think about the environment and to take action. The catch phrase “Starting from a week to make a habit” was decided, in hope that Ecology Week will lead to changing lifestyles to be more environmentally friendly. This catch phrase hasn’t changed since.
The first event was held mainly on Hiyoshi Campus, but in the second event held in 2003, Mita Campus joined in, and the same event was also held on Shonan Fujisawa campus. From 2004, Ecology Week on Hiyoshi Campus is mainly hosted by H.A.P.P. (Hiyoshi Art and Performance Project) of the Keio Research Center for the Liberal Arts, and E.C.O. offers full cooperation and support.
