Cooperation for Global Sustainable Development at OST

Interdisciplinary Platform for Global South Cooperation at OST (GSC@OST)

With the interdisciplinary platform for Cooperation for Global Sustainable Development contribute (GS@OST) we contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the global South through partnership projects covering various themes and competences . The aim is to develop capacities and solutions to enhance resilience and economic development to improve lives of those living in regions with limited resources. We do this through partnerships, interdisciplinary collaboration, joint know how development and knowledge transfer.

Thematically we develop approaches and technologies in the areas of water, renewable energies, recycling, construction, health and spatial planning. The aim is to develop robust solutions for the global south, where resources are often scarce and the framework conditions are complex and difficult. This makes the solutions attractive in Switzerland too.

Methodologically we rely on fundamental tools of engineering and combine them with disciplines from health care and social sciences to develop solutions that are technically, socially and financially adapted.

In all our projects we build on equal partnership, co-creation, action research and involvement of academic and non-academic stakeholders also from the communities directly. Further more we apply open science principles to ensure that our work is replicable and can be taken up by practice and policy.

The platform is hosted by the Institutes UMTEC and SPF of the Department of Technology. However, projects are implemented together with partner institutes from other departments at our university.

The next block week Know-how and technologies for sustainable development in the Global South will take place in the week of September 9th to September 14th, 2025. The module is open to all OST students. Registration takes place between March 18th and April 1st, 2025 and will be announced separately.

Our commitment focuses on solutions that improve the living conditions of those who live in regions with limited access to basic services. The projects can be divided into three areas:

Our Competencies

Our projects can be divided into three thematic areas. The first one considers appropriate technologies. But as technology is only the hardware part of development, we are also engaged in capacity development and planning support to contribute to a long term systemic sustainable development.

Appropriate technologies and solutions
Capacity development and education
Decision support and strategic planning

Interested in collaborating?

For external partners

Our engagement in development and cooperation strongly depends on our partners. We work with the public and private actors to complement their efforts with our specific compentences. Please contact us if you are interested in working with us.

For students

The next block week Know-how and technologies for sustainable development in the global south will take place in the week of September 9th to September 14th, 2025. The module is open to all OST students. Registration takes place between March 18th and April 1st, 2025 and will be announced separately.

We organise seasonal schools and integrate topics in the curricula of OST and other universities. Furthermore, we offer and supervise student projects such as semester projects and bachelor and master theses. The projects are carried out as part of our engagement in the global South, partly in Switzerland partly abroad and thereby provide students with an opportunity for practical exposure with direct impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the life of those living in and the life of the most vulnerable populations in low- and middle income countries.

Our one-week interdisciplinary course «Development and Cooperation global South», provides an excellent introduction.

If you want to contribute, contact us!

Current partnerships

UMU United Methodist University of Liberia
Bowier Trust Foundation Switzerland
Swiss Water Partnership
Aguasan Switzerland
HEKS Hilfswerk der Evangelisch-reformierten Kirche Schweiz
Blue Community Schweiz
SuSanA Sustainable Sanitation Alliance
VSA Verband Schweizer Abwasser- und Gewässerschutzfachleute
Eawag Aquatic Resarch ETH

Appropriate technologies and solutions

To sustainably provide basic services such as water supply or sanitation in developing and emerging countries requires technologies that are socially and economically appropriate to the local context.

Solar Powered Water Treatment

The water kiosk combines solar energy and innovative water treatment technologies to ensure a safe, off-grid drinking water supply.

About the Project

Open-design NoMix toilets

Together with EOOS NEXT, we are developing front-end and back-end solutions for off-grid circular sanitation systems, focusing on urine recovery to produce fertilizers.

About the Project

SOPHIA

Sustainable off-grid container solutions that provide electricity, heat, cooling, and clean water for pharmacies and hospitals in rural areas of Africa.

About the Project

Happy Home Thailand

«my HAPPY HOME» enables people around the world to have a safe and affordable home. This is made possible through digitalization, particularly the use of the BIM (Building Information Modeling) method. The goal is a self-construction kit.

Capacity development and education

Through capacity development we strengthen people and institutions in partner countries to improve their living conditions on their own.

NEWAL Network for Water and Life

NEWAL is a network of educational and research partners in West Africa and ten university partners in Switzerland. The exchange is promoted through seasonal schools, workshops, and webinars.

About the Project

RESD

Providing competencies for renewable energy: The SPF supports the training of qualified professionals to promote the expansion of renewable energy in Indonesia.

About the Project

CHub@UMU

The goal of this partnership with the United Methodist University of Liberia (UMU) is to sustainably strengthen training capacities in the fields of water, energy, health, and construction.

About the Project

International Summer School on Sustainability

[Translate to English:] Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer der Summer School für Nachhaltigkeit in Rumänien.

Every year, OST, in collaboration with HKA Karlsruhe University and Transilvania University of Braşov in Romania, organizes a summer school on sustainability for around 40 students.

About the Project

Decision support and strategic planning

While appropriate technologies are available, their sustainability depends strongly on non-technical aspects such as local ownership and transparent decision making.

SaniChoice

A decision support tool and training instrument for selecting locally suitable sanitation options and quantifying the potential for resource recovery.

About the Project

Water Flow Diagram

For the management of urban water, it is essential to understand the water flows and the associated issues. Together with our partners, we have developed an easy-to-understand diagram.

About the Project

Interdisciplinary Platform for Global South Cooperation at OST (GSC@OST)

Our Competencies

Interested in collaborating?

For external partners

For students

Current partnerships

Appropriate technologies and solutions

Solar Powered Water Treatment

Open-design NoMix toilets

SOPHIA

Happy Home Thailand

Capacity development and education

NEWAL Network for Water and Life

RESD

CHub@UMU

International Summer School on Sustainability

Decision support and strategic planning

SaniChoice

Water Flow Diagram

Participating institutes of OST

Contact

Quicklinks

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