The CIRRUS approach

1. The CIRRUS approach • Sustainable Development • introduction in engineering education • by complete integration • throughout the study as a whole

2. sustainability as key competence • a sustainable future only • if it is an essential part of economic and societal activities • and therefore • used as a set of criteria for present and future development in all fields • part of the ‘mindset’ for all professionals • it must become a part of education for all not just a specialist subject for a small group

3. essentials for sustainable competence • attention for • planet, people and (broader) profit(eco-efficiency, equity and actual needs to be fulfilled) • system approach(total production chain, coherence of technical - cultural - organisational factors, needs are fulfilled by links of activities) • view on trends and a future to be attained (consequences of growth, depletion, cultural changes and possible paths to deal with those: backcasting) • role of technological development (understanding the past and projecting to the future)

4. requirements for education • students have to acquire • the capabilities to be an able professional • the essentials of sustainable development • which requires • the competence for a multidisciplinary view regarding problems and solutions • willingness and capabilities for cooperation • an attitude aimed at “sustainable thinking and doing”

5. attitude and vision for sustainable solutions exercisingreadiness and abilities interdisciplinary and system approach broadening and integration integration within tasks, applications and projects concepts and integration of issues specific issues per subject and curriculum activity in-depthknowledge, tools and insight introduction and setting the framework for sustainability the CIRRUS “T-model”

6. learning goals • a list of specific themes, issues and subjects is drawn up to be able to • evaluate existing curricula and determine supplementary issues an subjects • assess the quality of the total study • judge progress of the students

7. learning goals • themes and some issues discussed • background oriented(environment, resource, policy development, scenarios, history of technology and its impacts) • system oriented(evaluation and design tools, business management aspects, enabling technologies) • human and society oriented(relation and role of the various actors, cultural aspects, consumer behaviour, rebound effects, assessment methods)

8. adapting the curricula • stepwise • inventory and plans for adapting the study year by year • integration in the various subjects and modules • ‘only’ separate course and projects for • introduction • ‘linking’ the different issues treated elsewhere • to train for multidisciplinary approaches • PGO and projects with strong sustainability component • ~ 5% time ‘explicitly’ for sustainability

9. outsider experts energy specialists all lecturers compagnies core designers basic training team in sustainable broad advisor chemists development and issues in-depth & expertise literature etc. background information for their subjects external courses practical steps for introduction

10. development of teaching materials • aimed at • introduction • background information / “Toolboxes” • for lecturers introduction in own subjects and courses • for students as support in PGO introduction specific subjects • no separate ‘Sustainability course’ materialsthere is enough already focus on “how to use them” !

11. conclusions and recommendations • total integration is possible, rewarding and in our view essential • involve lecturers as much as possible, from the start • a clear set of ‘learning goals’ is essential • a minimum amount of time has to be set to be spent on sustainabale issues • inspire the staff, supply supportive materialsworks more effective than giving directives