KSN co-founded a new working group on personal approaches to education for sustainable development

On 12.12.18 Oliver Parodi and Kaidi Tamm participated in a workshop on personal approaches to education for sustainable development in Leuphana university in Lüneburg. As the result of day-long discussions, a new research group was founded to share experiences, explore personal approaches toward education for sustainable development and find suitable methods for raising the profile of inner transformation issues in sustainable development education and research. The research group sees itself as a platform joining a number of likeminded international researchers. The agenda and joint webiste will be developed further during the Leverage Points conference on 6.-8. February in Lüneburg.

UNESCO Names KIT as a “Place of Learning for Sustainable Development”

The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Commission for UNESCO (DUK) have honored Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) for its outstanding educational initiatives for sustainable development. The award ceremony took place in November 2018 in Bonn. Bicycle campus, real-life lab, climate and environmental research, and spring days of sustainability: there’s no lack of sustainable concepts, activities and ideas at KIT. Amongst others the KSN initiated the Supplementary Studies on Sustainable Development: Transformation Knowledge for Everyone presenting the 3rd Project days on sustainability in science, work and private life in 2019. The application for the award was initiated by ZAK | Center for Cultural and General Studies at KIT in conjunction with the Karlsruhe School of Sustainability and the ZUKUNFTSCAMPUS office.

Publication of "Personal Sustainability" Book

The book “Personal Sustainability – Exploring the Far Side of Sustainable Development”, edited by ITAS and KSN scientists Oliver Parodi and Kaidi Tamm, aims to open up the cosmos of understanding sustainable development that has so far been largely unexplored by focusing on the qualitative, cultural, individual, intra- and inter-personal and micro level aspects of sustainable development. In preparation for this book the editors supervised three transdisciplinary research seminars at the Karlsruhe School of Sustainability from 2015-2017. Some of the authors in the book also presented their perspectives in these seminars, including Marcel Hunecke, Dirk Schmidt, Reiner Manstetten, Ingvar Villido and Sabin Wendhack. In July 2018 co-editor Kaidi Tamm and one of the co-authors Stella Veciana presented the book in two “Personal sustainability” workshops during the Global Ecovillage Network´s 2018 conference “Wisdom of Conscious Communities” in Estonia. This book will be of great interest to researchers and students in the field of sustainability and sustainable development, as well as researchers from philosophy, anthropology, psychology, sociology, cultural studies, ethnology, educational research, didactics, aesthetics, economics, business and public administration.

Climathon Karlsruhe and Sustainability City Tour

First Climathon Karlsruhe on the 27^th of October 2017 in Zukunftsraum of Quartier Zukunft. Climathon is a global 24-hour climate change hackathon which takes place simultaneously in major cities around the world. In cooperation between partners from science and local authorities, the participants are invited to develop ideas on climate change mitigation and adaptation. As part of the program for Climathon Karlsruhe, KSS is presenting its Sustainability tour through the Oststadt. The walk on Sustainability was developed within a practical seminar and provides the ideal setting for inspiration on sustainable urban development. The Application Deadline for Climathon Karlsruhe is the 25th October.

Presentation in the City Hall: Sustainablility City Tour Karlsruhe

On July 12th, a group of students presented their result from our project course „Sustainablility
City Tour Karlsruhe“ in the city hall. During summer term 2017, they have developed a route and collected information on 15 stations, supported also by practice partners from the city, an NGO offering alternative city tours, and from the project „District Future / Urban lab“. The stations are tangible examples of sustainable city develoment and represent various global sustainability issues. The plan is to establish this sustainability walk both as a guided tour and as a n opportunity to discover the city individually.

Photo exhibition „Faces of Sustainability“ at ITAS

This years contributionfrom KSN to the national and regional Sustainability days is a photo exhibition “Gesichter der Nachhaltigkeit” (Faces of Sustainability), on display at the ITAS Foyer (Karlstraße 11, 76131 Karlsruhe, June 6th – July 7th, 10 a.m. – 4p.m.). It offers atmospheric photographic insights into the various concepts and practices of sustainability, presenting a selection of photographic impressions from hundreds of conversations held over the last two years on the topic of sustainability – with experts, practitioners and other citizens. The exhibition shows the pluratilty of the sustainability discourse with a wide range of perspectives, languages, ideas, and forms of expression.

KSN hosts GCSO CapaCity Workshop from 9^th to 10^th of June

Since February 2017, KSN is taking part in the project „Building Sustainability Implementation Capacity in the City Staff and Leadership” within the framework of Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes (GCSO). In the context of a project-based seminar, KSN, in cooperation with the city council of Karlsruhe and students, develops a walk through Karlsruhe that links different places of Sustainability. From 8^th to 10^th of June our international cooperation partners will be our guests in Karlsruhe. Different projects will be presented and discussed in a workshop from 9^th to 10^th of June as well as the general model character and the transfer potential of the comprehensive project.

Fireside Chat „Sustainable Mobility“ at the Hector School

Hector School and Karlsruhe School of Sustainability host a Fireside Chat on „Sustainable Mobility: Theory, Forgotten Aspects and Local Actions“ on May 16 at 6 pm at the Hector Auditorium. As a representative of the project Quartier Zukunft, Sarah Meyer-Soylu will talk about sustainable mobility in the urban context, followed by a joint discussion.

Sustainability research as part of „Studium Generale“

With a unique model of  “Studium Generale”, Leibnitz-Kolleg in Tübingen offers students the opportunity of a one year programme that provides insights into various disciplines and interdisciplinary topics. We are therefore all the more delighted that the student administrated colloquium invited Richard Beecroft from KSS for a talk on “sustainability and sustainability research” – Many thanks for the intensive and rich discussion!

Summer Semester 2017

Again this Summer Semester, the KSS contributes to a range of active and reflective courses in Sustainable Development: In the context of the transdisciplinary project seminar “Nachhaltigkeitsspaziergang Karlsruhe” students develop a route along local examples that help to understand different subjects of Sustainability; in the research and self-perception seminar “Personale Nachhaltigkeit”, we explore the subjective side of Sustainable Development through theoretical discussion and self-experience. The introductory contribution within the lecture series “Ringvorlesung Nachhaltige Entwicklung” and the accompanying seminars constitute the starting point. All of these courses are part of the “Supplementary Studies on Sustainable Development” located at ZAK, details can be found in the course catalogue.

Two new projects within the framework of Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes

In February, KSS in cooperation with Quartier Zukunft started two new Sustainability projects as part of the Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes (GCSO): „Building Sustainability Implementation Capacity in the City Staff and Leadership” is going to develop a sustainability walk through Karlsruhe in cooperation between the City of Karlsruhe and students. „Urban, Rural, and On-Campus Solutions“ supports an international comparative project on resource-preserving development of campus universities.

The first spring days of sustainability

For the first time at the KIT, the “spring days for sustainability” will take place from 8^th to 10^th of march. “Sustainable Development” will be discussed using different everyday-examples without loosing the scientific backround out of sight. Four workshops will show in turn different aspects of sustainability, such as water use, life cycle thinking, personal sustainability and scientific policy advice. This programme is framed by guest lectures, discussions and a market of possibilities to find your own way to engage. Details can be found here. The “spring days for sustainability” are ideal for students in their first or second year, from KIT and the other Karlsruhe universities, offering an opportunity to learn about sustainability and its numerous connections to humanities, science and technology – this might shed a new light on your own discipline. Unfortunately, this first time it is all in German… (to the registration website)

Zero-waste sharing society forum in Tartu

This year the Rohevik Forum is titled “A zero-waste sharing society” and takes place in Tartu​, Estand on 15 September in the University of Life Sciences. The Forum seeks inspiration on circular thinking by looking into the potential of building a thriving zero-waste society. Kaidi Tamm from KSN is invited to speak about “Achieving sustainability in interplay of civil society and policy-making”.

7th IST-Conference in Wuppertal

The KSN participates at the 7th International Sustainability Transitions (IST) Conference. It will take place in Wuppertal from 6-9 September 2016. The theme for this year’s IST conference is “Exploring Transition Research as Transformative Science”. The conference is the annual opportunity to share theoretical, empirical and practical advances in the field of sustainability transitions. It is part of the activities of the Sustainability Transitions Research Network (STRN).

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