In September, students from various OST study programs gathered at the new block course «Knowledge and Technology Transfer for Sustainable Development in the Global South» at OST in Rapperswil. The module is part of the Interdisciplinary Contextual Studies program and will be offered annually going forward.
The students learned about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated challenges around the Global South. Working in groups and on project assignments, they developed solutions while considering inter- and transdisciplinary aspects. Several SDGs were addressed and presented by the students at the end of the week:
- SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 4 Quality Education
- SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
- SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 13 Climate Action
Participants included students from Renewable Energy and Environmental Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Social Work, Physiotherapy, and Nursing.
In addition to student presentations, various lectures were organized by OST faculty as well as external experts. The guest speakers were professionals with long-standing experience in the Global South context:
- Daniel Maselli from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
- Gilbert Fokou from the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS), Côte d'Ivoire
- Arne Panesar from GIZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation)
- Roland Schertenleib from EAWAG-Sandec (Department of Sanitation, Water, and Solid Waste for Developing Countries)
- Professor E. Tilly from ETH Zurich
- Water Ambassador Ernst Bromeis from the World Water Library in Reichenau
The course aims to introduce students to potential fields of activity for their future careers. It also demonstrates the tangible contributions they can make towards a fairer and more sustainable world, while specifically preparing them for assignments abroad involving complex challenges.
This year's «First Edition» featured highly reflective and engaged students from various departments and study programs—an enriching experience for teaching and research alike.
The engaging and educational week was organized by Dr. Dorothee Spuhler from UMTEC, the Institute for Environmental and Process Engineering, together with Andreas Reber from SPF, the Institute for Solar Technology.
Special thanks to OST professors and lecturers who also contributed:Simone Stürwald(IBU),Stefan Kammhuber (IKIK), Andrea Cejka (ILF), Markus Huber (ILF), Eleonore Baum (IWP), and Cornelia Moser (WERZ).