In collaboration with international partners across finance, development, design and operations, Global Student Living has today announced the launch of two global Taskforces to address what CEO, Tim Daplyn, describes as “the biggest challenges facing the student accommodation sector today – the wellbeing of our people, and of our planet”.
The Net-Zero Taskforce will work to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices across all aspects of student accommodation, while the Wellbeing Taskforce aims to establish the student accommodation sector as a global pioneer in the understanding, innovation, and enhancement of student and workplace wellbeing.
These Taskforces are not about re-inventing the wheel. There is a huge amount of outstanding work being done across the sector internationally. But partners have told us that more collaboration and coordination is needed to ensure that learnings are not lost, and best-practice is captured and shared as widely as possible.
Chris Lange, Taskforce Coordinator, Global Student Living
Membership of each Taskforce is open to any individual or organisation who shares a commitment to its aims. An Industry Advisory Group (IAG) and Experts Group (EG) are being established within each Taskforce to identify priorities and scope specific projects.
Qualified industry representatives and subject matter experts are currently being recruited into a small number of remaining seats on the Advisory and Experts Groups, and further announcements on Taskforce leadership and activity will be made in the coming weeks.
Student accommodation has a unique opportunity not only to lead change in the built environment, but also act as a platform to influence generations of young people who live within our communities. This taskforce is an opportunity to join the dots – to collaborate, to share, to remove blockers and to rapidly accelerate transformational change
Both the Net-Zero and Wellbeing Taskforces will take a whole-sector approach to achieving their goals. For Wellbeing, this means addressing the issue of student wellbeing and workplace wellbeing together, with the aim of helping the student accommodation sector build on the outstanding work already being done, to become a global wellbeing pioneer.
Wellbeing is no longer a vague ambition but a scientific endeavour, and a strategic priority for any thriving community or organisation. The student accommodation sector has a unique opportunity to shape future lives, and be a blueprint for how employee and customer wellbeing should work together.
Individuals and organisations interested in participating in either Taskforce are invited to learn more and register here.
