Corvinus Green: IT devices no longer in use will gain new meaning at community partners 

With the involvement of Science Shop, Corvinus has donated 61 desktop computers and 21 monitors to three non-government organisations that are in contact with the University. In autumn last year, University staff could hand in IT devices no longer in use, of which items in good condition and no longer used at the University have been sent to our partners. 

The project was aimed at rationalising the University’s portfolio of computer devices and giving new meaning to superfluous devices that were still in good condition. Therefore, our donation of these devices will also serve the purposes of sustainability and social responsibility. As part of this donation programme, monitors and desk-top computers were transported to three non-government organisations, NoBadKid, Dr. Ámbédkar School, and Oltalom Charity Society. 

NoBadKid has since 2003 been providing teaching, assistance, and care services to children and young people labelled as ‘problematic’ due to their behaviour, while paying special attention to cooperating with families, educators, and teachers. Dr. Ámbédkar School, having its registered seat in Miskolc, serves communities in North-Hungary where the proportion of those having a general certificate from secondary education is below 1% currently; pupils are assisted through personality-centred reform pedagogical techniques and are offered IT, English language and modern scientific knowledge programmes. The Oltalom Charity Society was established in 1989 as a community of people who consider it a matter of conscience to provide compassionate and helpful support to social groups or individuals who are spiritually and socially abandoned, vulnerable, or at risk in their life situations (disadvantaged children, homeless people, disaster victims, poor, sick, or lonely persons). 

The Corvinus Science Shop, which has helped the University select our partners, is engaged in channelling the issues of non-government organisations, social enterprises, non-profit organisations, informal communities and active citizens into the University’s courses and research. It acts as a bridge between the non-government sector, which represents community interests and values, and University actors, supporting their cooperation and their joint efforts to formulate tasks and expectations in the hope that, during these processes, participants can develop, while getting familiar with each other’s perspectives. 

Actually, staff at Information Technology are ready to take over devices no longer in use, such as laptops, monitors, printers, docks, keyboards, computer mice, headphones, cables, or webcams, all throughout the year. They assign some of the devices that are in good condition to new users in our organisation in order to minimise the need for purchasing new devices, thereby reducing our costs and environmental impact. Devices remaining after all demand is satisfied may be purchased by University staff at dates announced in each term. Even after that, many devices, which are in good condition, remain in the warehouse, as usually experienced, and this time we donated such items to our community partners. 

Corvinus University of Budapest is committed to supporting community activities aimed at sustainability and to ensuring even more sustainable operations, as joint action is necessary to achieve a significant change.