Studying and researching Sustainability at Leuphana University of Lüneburg

1. Studying and researching Sustainability at Leuphana University of Lüneburg Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research ICSS 2012, February 22nd

2. Sustainability at Leuphana 3) Vision /final goal Enduringsustainable university Campus & facilities manage-ment/adminis-tration Research Colla-boration/outreach Education 2) Institutional arenas Foundation for operational & cultural changes (history, key principles, master planning, etc.) 1) Policy & planning

3. Foundation: Sustainability is one of the key principles for Leuphana University‘s development. Its core activities - research, teaching and transfer - are seen as basic academic action areas for the development of a sustainable society. Education through scholarship. Humanistic university Leuphana University of Lüneburg Transformation competence for sustainable development. Sustainable university Analysis, creativity and reflexivity with regard to practical problems. Action-oriented university

4. Anthropogenicsystem Natural environment Rational planning and decision making Material flows in the natural environment Learning,orientation,competence of action Mitigation Re- construction Re- construction Effects in and on the Ecosystem, spatial development Communication,participation,discourse Adaption Ecosystem services Management, EnvironmentalGovernance Direct repercussions Indirect repercussions Social & environmental change Core research topics Research: Realizing “true” inter- and transdisciplinarity Sustainability natural & technical sciences Sustainability human sciences Since Oct 2010 Faculty Sustainability Ecosystems & biodiversity Biology, ecology, ecosystems functioning, land ecology Societal players Communication, education, participation, new media Matters Environmental chemistry, material resources, environmental analysis Trans-disciplinarityin sustainability research: Methodsand projects International Sustainable Development Public players Sustainability economics, sustainability policy, sustainability governance Space Environmental planning, landscape development, traffic planning Legal players Sustainability law, environmental and energy law, international law Industrial design & infrastructure Industrial ecology, physics renewable energies, eco-design, sustainable infrastructure development Corporate players Sustainability management, supply chain management, social entrepreneurship Information Sustainable informatics, sust. ambient computing sustainability modeling IT Application Individual players/ gender Sustainability psychology, environmental psychology, sustainability ethics

5. Collaboration: Enabling mutual learning processes Researcher Sustainable community development Innovation network sustainable SME Societally relevant problem Picture: DerHexer Actors outside academia Students Educational institutions and sustainable consumption

6. Campus development

7. Education: Higher Education for Sustainable Developmenthas been integrated in the form of a general studies mandatory component for all Bachelor students and different degree programmes. General studiesfor all Bachelor students: • Leuphana Semester covers the first semester of all Bachelor study programmes and is mandatory for all first semester Bachelor students, independently from their major studies. Module “Science bears Responsibility“ accounts for 1/3 ofthe Leuphana Semester and covers sustainability issues and illustrates ethical behaviour. • Complementary studies accompany all Bachelor study programmes and cover several sustainability seminars. Specialisation options: • Bachelor studies: Major in Evironmental Sciences Minor in Sustainable Development • Master studies: Sustainability Sciences • MBA:Sustainability Management • PhD: Sustainability Sciences

8. Leuphana Bachelor

9. Leuphana Semester – Module „Science and its social responsibility“

10. Leuphana Bachelor: Major Environmental Sciences Thesis work Specialization Trans-disciplnary Project (and Ethics) Methods Fundamentals

11. Master of Arts and Sciences, Sustainability Science Methods and skills Thesis work Transdisciplnary Project 20 ECTS (of 120 in total) 25-30 Stundents (compulsory) 2-3 Lecturers (½ of the average teaching load of one Professor in total) Specialization Advanced disciplinary and interdisciplinary Fundamentals

12. Insights into one Td-project first semester Workshop Current state analysis „Case encounter“ „Collaboration“ Theory

13. Insights into one Td-project second semester Analysis of documents Organiz. analysis Theory Expert Intervies Actor analysis Indicators Pictures: Mieg und Näf 2005, p. 5 Grundwald & Kopfmüller 2003 OECD 2001, p. 134 Students

14. Global Classroom – Liberal Arts Education for the 21st century

15. Thank you very much for your attention! Contact: daniel.lang@leuphana .de

16. Course results „Products“ • Draft of a scientific paper • Discussion paper for the city administration • Research report „Process results“ • Raised awarenes in the city administration • Results will be presented to the city council  Implementation of concept? • Follow up project for the next semester • Inputs for ongoing research project

17. Not totally “satisfied” by results of first semester • Uncertain about scient. quality of final results Course evaluatoin Researcher/Lecturer • Different success in meeting learning targets • Students self evaluation of the learning success mixed • Evaluation with regards to capacity building difficult • Quite enthusiastic about the project • Interested in continuing collaboration Societally relevant problem Actors outside academia Students

18. Challenges and critical factors for course success Project Engagement/commitment of the external partners Relation of the project to ongoing research activities within the faculty Type of problem Students’ learning success Degree of structure defined by the instructors vs. freedom of the students Time and method for reflecting learning process (Lack of) complementary courses preparing for / facilitating PBL (e.g. method seminar etc.)

19. Institutional barriers and coping strategies • “Didactical competences” in PBL of faculty members • Seminars in PBL / Professional development • Ambitious goals to implement/restructure several PBL courses simultaneously • Understand and communicate course development as learning experience itself • Supervision time allocated to PBL courses (“Project oriented courses do not need the same intensity of supervision as other course types”) • Taking concept/vision of program seriously • Time schedule of courses during the semester (only two fixed time slots) • ? because of conflict with other goals such as student mobility

20. Principles for rethinking undergraduate curricula for the 21st century (http://curriculumreform.org/curriculum-reform-manifesto/) • As a central guideline teach disciplines rigorously in introductory courses together with a set of parallel seminars devoted to complex real life problems that transcend disciplinary boundaries. • Teach knowledge in its social, cultural and political contexts. Teach not just the factual subject matter, but highlight the challenges, open questions and uncertainties of each discipline. • Create awareness of the great problems humanity is facing (hunger, poverty, public health, sustainability, climate change, water resources, security, etc.) and show that no single discipline can adequately address any of them. • Use these challenges to demonstrate and rigorously practice interdisciplinarity, avoiding the dangers of interdisciplinary dilettantism. • Treat knowledge historically and examine critically how it is generated, acquired, and used. Emphasize that different cultures have their own traditions and different ways of knowing. Do not treat knowledge as static and embedded in a fixed canon.

21. Principles for rethinking undergraduate curricula for the 21st century (http://curriculumreform.org/curriculum-reform-manifesto/) • Provide all students with a fundamental understanding of the basics of the natural and the social sciences, as well as the humanities. Emphasize and illustrate the connections between these traditions of knowledge. • Engage with the world’s complexity and messiness. This applies to the sciences as much as to the social, political and cultural dimensions of the world. Such an engagement will contribute to the education of concerned citizens. • Emphasize a broad and inclusive evolutionary mode of thinking in all areas of the curriculum. • Familiarize students with non-linear phenomena in all areas of knowledge. • Fuse theory and analytic rigor with practice and the application of knowledge to real-world problems. • Rethink the implications of modern communication and information technologies for education and the architecture of the university.

22. Concluding remarks • Diversity of PBL/project oriented learning approaches crucial and relevant though we should learn from experiences of others • Reflection and Evaluation of learning success with regards to competence building is crucial but difficult • Two open questions (besides many others) • What is the role of the problem and its transformation in relation to the learning targets? (and how do we measure success in this respect?) • In how far does project oriented learning in sustainability science depend on a paradigm shift in the way we do research?

23. Learning goals

24. Initial comparison with regards to some crucial aspects

25. Einblicke • Td als Forschungspraxis • Eher Haltung und Herangehensweise • Ziele/Fragestellungen einer Td-Accademy • Strukturierung von problemrientierter Forschung • Reflexion normativer Grundannahmen (Gemeinwohl) • Generalisierbarkeit vs.? Fallstudienforschung • Wirkung von Td-Forschung (socially robust knowledge?) -> Kriterien • Organisation • Unabhängiger Beirat -> Definiert Themen • Offene Bewerbungen von Fellows

26. Further PBL opportunities (Undergraduate level)

27. Further PBL opportunities (Undergraduate level)

28. Minor Sustainable Development: Methodological Framework (guiding the learning process) System analysis and concretication using syndrome approach Scenario Analysis Concrete Project with Partners from Practice Synthesis of thematic threads Make it concrete using a case study Develop possible scenarios Formulating of specific projects Choose a society relevantProblem field Analyze the System by using the syndrome approach • Choose a society relevant Problem field • Syndrome Approach / Analyze the System • Defining Interactions and driving forces • Case Study as concrete Example • Evolve relevant, collaborative Knowledge • Development of Scenarios • Formulating of specific projects • Define and select concrete actions

29. Mi06 Mi05 Shaping the future: Transdisciplinary project work II Mi03 Mi04 Developing Sustainable Scenarios: Methods of Scenario Management Inter- and Transdiscipinary Cooperation Mi02 Working with complex problemsAnalysing Unsustainability with the Syndrom Approach Mi01 Minor Sustainable Development: Structure of modules Shaping the future: Transdisciplinary project work I Spezifische Zugänge zum Thema nachhaltige Entwicklung Introducing the fieldIssues of Sustainable Development

30. Learning objectives • Students should acquire basic knowledge in and abilities to: • identify and structure societal relevant problems • design, realize and evaluate transdisciplinary research in close collaboration with actors outside academia • Critically reflect transdisciplinary research projects • Targeted methodological competences • Problem structuring • Selection, adaptation and integration of theories and methods adequate for approaching the problem • Structuring, management and moderation of working processes (individually and in the group) • Identification and integration of relevant disciplines and stakeholders • Targeted (inter-) personal competences • Project and group management (including conflict management, division of labor etc.) • Presentation of results to different target groups • Collaboration with various actors • Reflexive research and project work

31. The comprehensive studies program offers students a global and multi-layered outlook on interdisciplinary subjects – several sustainability topics in different perspectives • Each perspective can be taken a max. of three times (15 CP); a course in the perspective „Language & Culture“ is required • A minimum of three out of the six perspectives have to be taken • 30 CP total in the Leuphana Bachelor • Gender and Diversity runs as a theme in all six perspectives “Projects & Praxis”(Project Perspective) “Understanding & Changing”(Humanities, Social and Cultural Sciences) “Technology & Culture”(Natural Science and Engineering) “Art & Aesthetics”(creative, reflexive, discursive) “Language & Culture”(Socio-Linguistics, Intercultural Studies) “Methods & Models”(interdisciplinary, focus on application) As of the second semester LEUPHANA BACHELOR LEUPHANA BACHELOR COMPREHENSIVE STUDIES

32. Structure: Transdisciplinary Research Process Common research object Scientific problems  uncertainty  lack of methods  disciplinary specialisation  generalisation Societal problems  everyday life relevant  actor specific Problem -identification, -definition and –framing 1st Semester team building Actor specific societal discourse  administration  institutions  NGO’s  corporations  politics  media Analysis / collaborative research 2nd Semester (ideally start already at the End of Semester 1) Scientific discourse  institutions of higher education  non-university research industrial research New transferable knowledge Transdisciplinaryintegration Results useful for societal praxis  strategies  concepts  measures  prototypes Results relevant for scientific praxis  methodical and theoretical innovations  new research questions Re-Integration of the results 2nd Semester (ongoing) actor oriented interdisciplinary Quelle: Keil, F. (2009). Reflexive Transdisciplinarity. Producing Knowledge for Sustainable Development. Presentation at the Conference “Towards a knowledge democracy”. Leiden 25-27. Aug. 2009

33. 2010/11 Project: Sustainable community developmentHow can city administrations contribute to sustainable community/city development? Relevance and potential design of an internal coordination office for sustainability