Prof. Dr. Dr. Vania Zuin Zeidler receives international award for green chemistry and sustainability
2025-08-08 The Professor of Sustainable Chemistry of Renewable Organic Resources at the Institute of Sustainable Chemistry at Leuphana University of Lüneburg has been awarded the prestigious Green Chemistry Education Challenge Award 2025. The award is presented jointly by Dow, a leading global chemical company, and the US educational initiative Beyond Benign.
©Leuphana / Ciara Charlotte Burgess
Vania Zuin Zeidler's project won the international competition and is considered groundbreaking for the integration of green and sustainable chemistry into university teaching. The aim of the project is to integrate green chemistry as a central component in the training of sustainability and environmental scientists – right from the very first lecture.
‘Sustainable development begins with education. That's why it's crucial that our students learn the principles of green and sustainable chemistry in their undergraduate studies – in a practical, digital and scientifically sound way,’ says the researcher.
The award-winning project develops innovative teaching modules that both convey new content and draw on and further develop existing scientific literature. There is a particular focus on digital teaching and practical laboratory exercises.
The non-profit organisation Beyond Benign was founded in 2007 by US scientists Dr John Warner and Dr Amy Cannon and is based at the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry in Wilmington, Massachusetts. Together with Dow, it aims to establish green chemistry as an integral part of the education of future scientists worldwide.