Sustainable Introduction Period

The Sustainable Introduction Period (Duurzame Introductie Tijd, DIT) is a competition between introduction week committees from various cities. Introduction weeks compete for the ‘Most Sustainable Introduction Week’ award. In addition to this prize, there is also a general ‘best practices’ prize, for which all kinds of student organisations can submit an entry.

The aim of the DIT is to raise awareness of sustainability among prospective students. The DIT takes place during the introduction weeks in August. This is when thousands of students get their first taste of student life. These weeks are packed with activities and parties, in which sustainability can and should easily be incorporated. That is why we are challenging all introduction weeks to take part in the DIT!

The DIT was launched in 2012 by the campaign agency EEN. Together with our partners UMEF and GDO, we have been organising the ultimate sustainability battle between freshers’ weeks since 2014. Until 2020, the DIT went by a different name: the Sustainable Introductory Stunt (Duurzame Introductiestunt, DIS). The concept is very simple: orientation weeks and committees are assessed on their overall sustainability via a questionnaire, which is completed by a DIT staff member during a visit to the event. Evidence must be provided for all items on the questionnaire. A jury decides which freshers’ week wins, based on a number of criteria. Since 2021, prizes have also been awarded to the freshers’ weeks that finish in second and third place. This is to encourage all the weeks to put their best foot forward in order to win a prize. The winners will be announced at the DIT awards ceremony, which takes place in early October.