Global Engagement Module 2022

The first Global Engagement Module successfully took place from March to May 2022 in collaboration with the Intercultural LearningLab (ICL). In the Göttingen Track, students addressed the challenges of local climate adaptation. The aim was to use Challenge Based Learning (CBL) to identify specific local challenges of the climate crisis at a particular location and to seek solutions for them. The result was a mixture of critically reflected discussion and practical implementation.

Short Report

Adaptation to present and projected consequences of anthropogenic climate change is one of the most urgent issues in today’s world. Science, politics and sections of the public agree that more efforts for climate change adaptation are needed. However, there are still gaps in knowledge and implementation about adaptation measures. As part of the Global Engagement Module 2022, this unit is concerned with local challenges around climate change adaptation and is based on Challenge Based Learning (CBL). Students approached the topic in a multidisciplinary team of five students from all nine ENLIGHT universities. Basic research on climate change adaptation in a location of the students choice was conducted. The applied methodology was up to them. The challenge related to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially Goal 13 “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.” Approaching adaptation needs in international and multidisciplinary teams contributes to raising the students’ awareness of dealing with core issues in connection with climate change and, thus, provide basic prerequisites for sustainable actions.

The On-Site-Week

At the end of April 2022, all participating students, coaches and experts met for a week in Göttingen to work together on solutions for the defined challenges. The students received expert input in Göttingen through lectures and exchanges with Prof. Dr. Elfriede Hermann. In conversation with the students, Karina Schell, Climate Adaptation Officer in the Department of Sustainable Urban Development, and Bianca Burger from the Göttingen Waste Management Services provided insights into the challenges of climate change as well as the planned adaptation measures and limits of adaptation in the city of Göttingen. Tanja Wehr from Sketchnotelovers, an expert in knowledge transfer, worked with the students on the topic of visualization and communication of complex issues. The acquisition of competencies in the Global Engagement Module was also supported and encouraged during the attendance week through reflection and feedback sessions by the GEM Coaches Team of the University of Göttingen, Alexandra Schreiber, Alexandra Vogel and Leon-Fabian Caspari. "A great way to challenge yourself and gain new global perspectives" was how one student summed up her experience towards the end of the week.

Results

The results of the collaboration were later presented to an audience of experts, students and employees of the University of Göttingen as well as a team of teachers from the ENLIGHT partner university Groningen in the Alte Mensa of the University of Göttingen and accompanied by an interactive Q&A session.