The past couple of years have proven the perfect test bed for hybrid education, demonstrating that learning split between campus and the home can work, and also creating the opportunity to reap huge sustainability benefits. Some education providers, such as the University of Cambridge, had already begun their sustainability journey, and the pandemic simply served as an accelerator for change.

Now, in 2022, the education sector is keenly aware of the important role technology can play in helping to minimise their impact on the planet. A thoughtful balancing act is required between delivering a positive learning and teaching experience for all, while building a more sustainable IT model for the future of education.

At Citrix, I am deeply involved in championing the issue of sustainability and I recently spoke at the Economist Sustainability Week about how merging technology with education can deliver the sustainable future we need. I was joined by Ian Leslie from the University of Cambridge, senior adviser to the vice-chancellor, with special responsibility for environmental sustainability. Here are some highlights from our discussion.

How has technology contributed to sustainability in education?

Fundamentally, there are two key areas in which technology can make a difference.

The starting point is working with the institution to reduce its overall energy consumption. The introduction of low-energy devices, for students and staff, combined with a virtual desktop solution, is an easy way to support sustainability targets. We can make devices more efficient and last for longer, and Citrix Workspace allows us to shift resources away from the endpoint device and into the datacentre. Additionally, migrating to the cloud can deliver even more efficient energy usage if the university selects a carbon-thoughtful provider. Currently, public clouds provided by the hyperscale players such as Microsoft Azure, AWS and Google are the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way of hosting and managing IT infrastructure.

Secondly, we can help enable universities to work in a way that eliminates unnecessary commuting. Pre-pandemic, travel produced 27 percent of the UK’s total emissions, and IT is responsible for approximately 3.7 percent of global greenhouse emissions, according to estimates. If we can allow students and staff to work in a more hybrid way, we can reduce the time and energy people spend travelling to the university unnecessarily.

How have we worked with the University of Cambridge to deliver hybrid work?

The University of Cambridge has a strong, campus-based heritage, and this had created a heavy reliance on paper and physical data. Ian Leslie shared that “academics needed files on computers under their desk, and this was really highlighted during the pandemic when campus access was limited. We had staff asking to be escorted in to gain access to their desktop machines in buildings to be able to work from home.”

Working with Citrix has helped to bring greater flexibility to the University, enabling the adoption of more energy efficient IT models, contributing to the University’s commitment to becoming carbon-neutral by 2030. One fundamental change was to shift from 15,000 450W desktop PCs on site (not including students’ own laptops) to low-powered Raspberry Pi devices, running between 5W and 15W. The move has brought about substantial energy savings, as well as an excellent desktop experience for under £100.

Flexible work has brought with it increased opportunities to engage with people in other locations. Nowadays, a day in the office really has to earn the miles in terms of added value, whether that’s social engagement, collaboration, or meeting new people. As well as energy savings, we are also seeing changes in attitude, habits, and ways of working, which is leading to advances in other ESG areas; for example, improved employee well-being and helping minority groups.

What has been the impact of technology on education and teaching?

Leslie highlighted that “digital technology gives us the resilience for the future”. Over the past two years, education has faced one of the biggest overhauls in its history and the requirement to offer an exceptional, friction-free hybrid learning experience will ensure future success and resilience.

However, in the case of the University of Cambridge, this has necessitated a rethink of its long-standing traditions and culture, centred on the campus, but early indications are positive. Historically, the University delivered a high volume of in person 1:1 teaching. Leslie shared, “We will undoubtedly continue to do so, but people are more open-minded. Our Language Centre recently undertook the majority of its tutorials remotely and were surprised to find from their feedback survey that the students enjoyed them more than in-person teaching.”

Asking every academic to engage hundreds of students in a hybrid scenario is a challenge, Leslie admits, and not something everyone is suited to. “It’s a real skill, that can be a hybrid meeting too far.” However, by offering proper training in both the technology and the skills, universities will be better able to prepare the next generation of talent for a hybrid world of work, as well as creating a more sustainable model of learning.

What are the most common barriers?

University life is very often characterised by a strong sense of place. For years, location has been a huge factor with university selection, with students having to factor the cost of travel or relocation into their decision making. However, in 2022, this is changing, and the rise of hybrid learning means the pressure to move to another town or city to attend a chosen university, is reducing. This has many repercussions (positive and negative), balanced with the opportunity to decarbonise.

Cambridge, more so than many other universities, has a powerful sense of place, built on an historic and prestigious campus which has always been part of the university experience. “In the past decade, we found people were resistant to technologies which they felt would attack this sense of place that was held quite sacred,” Leslie said. “However, most are seeing the extra flexibility that technology provides. Personally, even though we are now able to return to our offices, I’ve still hardly been to my office and instead, I’m meeting up in other places, on and off site, to reconnect with colleagues, all enabled by flexible technology.”

The future: how can we work together to advance sustainable learning?

Universities must stand firm in their resolution for change, to help build a more sustainable model of education. Vendors, like Citrix, have an important role to play in supporting and instigating these conversations with education customers, and particularly those who are not thinking sustainability first.

Changes in regulation are starting to make sustainability a higher priority, and this will continue to be the case. However, seeking senior-level buy in is also critical, and at Citrix we have a responsibility to ensure that IT and sustainability leaders are talking to each other, and supporting each other’s agendas. Sustainability needs to sit at the heart of all university decisions moving forward, not least energy-demanding resources like IT.

Watch the session from the Economist Sustainability Week.