{"id":152174,"date":"2023-03-22T11:31:48","date_gmt":"2023-03-22T10:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=152174"},"modified":"2026-01-16T16:37:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T15:37:34","slug":"how-star-and-efr-handle-sponsorship-by-fossil-fuel-companies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/03\/22\/how-star-and-efr-handle-sponsorship-by-fossil-fuel-companies\/","title":{"rendered":"How STAR and EFR handle sponsorship by fossil fuel companies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Should Shell and Total still give workshops for students during a climate crisis? Study associations STAR and EFR explain why they feel that the fossil fuel industry is still welcome at events.<\/p>\n

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While the university declared a climate crisis and OccupyEUR occupied the entrance to the auditorium in February, the logos of Shell, BP and Total were displayed around the corner on a banner in the Theil building. These companies were participating in the Erasmus Recruitment Days, an event organised by study associations STAR (for Business Administration students) and EFR (for Economics students). Should they still accept sponsorship from fossil fuel industries now that the university has declared a climate emergency? Four questions about how the two largest study associations at Woudestein approach companies from the fossil fuel industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Which policies do the associations have with regard to fossil fuel companies?<\/strong><\/p>\n

For both STAR and EFR, there is nothing black-and-white about the participation of fossil fuel companies at events or sponsorship from these companies. According to Sophie van der Zandt, sustainability manager of STAR, there is a list of companies that the association contacts every year. \u201cSome categories of companies are excluded because they are on a blacklist\u201d, explains Van der Zandt. These include companies from the arms or tobacco industry, for example. The EFR does not have such a list.<\/p>\n

So what does it do in practice, then?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As far as the arms and tobacco industry are concerned, it\u2019s simple. According to Van Oostrom, they never participate in activities in which the EFR is involved. \u201cI think this just happens unconsciously. So far, I\u2019ve never met a student who wanted to work for those kinds of companies, and that also plays a role here. We don\u2019t exclude companies ourselves, unless they are not permitted by law or the Executive Board asks us to.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Van der Zandt, the interest of STAR members is always the starting point when selecting companies. This interest is measured every year by means of surveys. Companies get to hear these preferences when they organise a workshop at an event, for example. \u201cAnd we notice that the interest of our members is increasingly shifting towards sustainability\u201d, says Van der Zandt.<\/p>\n

So there is still room for companies such as Shell and Total at STAR, as long as this remains in line with the interests of their students. \u201cWe want to enter into a dialogue with them about sustainability and the energy transition, and for students and companies to inspire each other.\u201d According to the sustainability manager, the companies also understand this. All the case studies they bring to the Recruitment Days, for example, are therefore on sustainable topics. \u201cFor example, last time Shell did a case study on green energy, how we could tackle this better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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