What are the key elements of a sustainable university?

Nowadays, the principles of sustainable development are becoming increasingly important and universities are acting as agents in promoting these principles within society. In the future, universities will inevitably play crucial role in propagating these principles. This paper highlights important documents and discusses definitions of the term education for sustainable development. Elements, based on continuous feedback loop (Deming spiral) are discussed, in order to incorporate sustainability principles into university activities. The University of Maribor has been used as a case study to test the effectiveness of the proposed integration of sustainable development principles.     

Is construction procurement a key to sustainable development?

Has specialization of professional roles obstructed the holistic approach and sustainable development? A preliminary survey in Botswana involving construction professionals found that existing procurement systems have not integrated the efforts of the different project participants and also fail to fulfil the expectations of the users. A holistic approach involving the re-integration of construction disciplines by applying new procurement methods is proposed. An integrated, holistic way of working could provide a number of synergies through the consideration of the building project as an entire system. The implications include better decision making upstream, more efficient use of resources and the mitigation of negative environmental effects downstream.

La specialisation professionnelle est-elle un obstacle a l'approche globale et au developpement durable? Une etude preliminaire menee au Botswana et portant sur les metiers de la construction a revele que les systemes d'approvisionnement actuels n'integrent pas les efforts des differents participants a un projet et ne repondent pas aux attentes des utilisateurs. Cet article propose une approche globale dont le succes repose sur la reintegration de ces metiers et sur de nouvelles methodes d'approvisionnement. Une methode de travail integree et holistique, ou un projet de construction serait considere comme un systeme complet, pourrait faire naitre un certain nombre de synergies. Cette hypothese exige un meilleur processus decisionnel en amont une utilisation plus efficace des ressources et l'attenuation des effets negatifs sur l'environnement en aval.     

山西水资源可持续利用的对策与措施

本文从切实认清山西水资源的现状入手指出，建立水务一体化运作机制，是山西水资源可持续利用的现实需求，发挥水利职教功能，提高行业职工素质，是其技术支撑，建立健全水利建设机制，是其重要保证。     

万家寨引黄工程太原供水区地下水超采及保护对策

从可持续发展的观点出发，根据引黄太原供水区地下水的开发利用现状，揭示地下水超采状况，分析供水区由于地下水超采引起的一系列环境水文地质问题，并遵循可持续发展的思想。提出地下水资源可持续利用的保护对策。     

重大节事与城市的可持续发展

该文由2008北京奥运会主办中存在的一些现象谈起，通过对1984年奥尔良世博会、1976年加拿大蒙特利尔奥运会、1972年德国慕尼黑奥运会和1996年亚特兰大奥运会的比较剖析，揭示了重大节事在承办过程中和承办之后对城市产生的巨大影响，并通过对1987年承办第六届全国运动会的广州天河体育中心十几年来发展状况的反思，阐明若能从城市可持续发展的角度制定相关的经营策略和发展模式，就能使重大节事成为城市发展历史中重要而紧扣的一环，重大节事为城市带来的硬件和软件两方面的积累若能产生良好互动和结合，将对城市产生深远的影响。     

城市排水系统集成模拟研究进展

在回顾城市排水系统集成模拟研究发展和现状的基础上,结合可持续性城市排水系统理论,分析了现阶段城市排水系统集成模拟研究的局限和面临的问题。为了适应城市排水系统结构和功能的演变,实现系统的可持续性,今后城市排水系统集成模拟的研究应当完善对系统结构的描述,在集成模拟的过程中考虑不确定性因素对系统的影响,并构建高效能计算平台,解决城市排水系统大规模计算问题。     

A study on the critical success factors for corporations embarking on knowledge community-based e-learning

Corporations have felt the pressure for fast-paced innovations and knowledge transfer as major driving forces in raising their sustainable competitive advantage and organizational total productivity. Thus, the development of the knowledge community through e-learning is an important strategy in implementing knowledge management policy. This paper illustrates an empirical study with which to conduct qualitative research of learning organization. From the case company’s real progress and practical experience, some core principles were extracted from four managerial aspects, such as: strategy, technology, process, and personnel. These aspects were analyzed in order to understand the value chain framework and the major concerns of knowledge community development. Further, the main benefits are addressed and certain critical factors are proposed and shown in this paper to ensure the success of corporations embarking on knowledge community-based e-learning.     

Water management in the Flemish steel industry: the Arcelor Gent case

Steel production is an energy- and water-intensive process: large quantities of water are used for cooling, process and environmental-technical applications. In the mid-1990s, Arcelor Gent, a large integrated carbon steel producing company in Flanders (Belgium), started a number of water-related projects: the existing water infrastructure was adapted: the water from the coke plant was biologically treated; canal water was demineralised using reverse osmosis; waste water from the blast furnaces was neutralised with alkaline water from the steel plant. As a result of these projects, the quantity of discharged waste water was reduced by a factor of 2 (water recycling doubled from a factor of 10 to a factor of 20), and the discharge of pollutants decreased. Also resource consumption decreased: lime used in the steel plant, could be recovered to precipitate Zn in the waste water of the blast furnaces. Arcelor Gent obtained for these projects several Environmental Awards.