Before
arriving at the Summer School, students
completed a pre-course assignment,
designed to give all participants the
same background information, making use
of Lund University’s virtual classroom,
LUVIT. Students as well as teachers were
able to log on LUVIT and it was used as
a communication channel and working
platform throughout the course. The
pre-course asked the students to reflect
upon their personal and their nation’s
policies, attitudes and impacts on
climate change through studying national
trends in health and development and
gave a good introduction to the topics
and concepts that studied in the Summer
School with presentations of the initial
assignments the starting point for group
discussions on the first day.
The
Summer School comprised two weeks of
study, lectures, group work and
discussions, providing both a broad
review of concepts and deeper knowledge
of research at the same time and
allowing those with a background in
sustainability studies to expand their
ideas further. Participants from
different educational and national
backgrounds created some excellent
forums for discussions and interaction
between students and staff alike.
While
the first week was mainly built around
lectures and some lively ensuing
discussions, project work was the focus
during the second week of the course.
The aim of the project work was to
identify and describe different
environmental and health problems
associated with the sectors emitting
green house gases and then to discuss
solutions and strategies on how to
address these problems at a global
level, all the while benefiting from
intercultural and trans-disciplinary
communication.
Working
with peers from different nations and
disciplines created a forum for
cross-cultural work and
interdisciplinary communication and
ideas, in which fruitful discussions and
an open atmosphere was established and
was a particular strength of the Summer
School. This was evident within both
student and tutor groups and was a
welcome opportunity for speaking and
listening whilst developing closer
relations.
The
tutors took on a number of roles during
the course of the Summer School. As
well as encouraging the students,
offering a professional perspective and
acting as a mentor or facilitator, they
also had the opportunity to learn from
and discuss matters with other experts.
They had the opportunity to engage in
discussions around educational issues
related to sustainable development,
aimed at collecting new ideas and
concrete examples of how to improve
teaching with a sustainability
perspective.
Seminars addressed systems analysis as a
learning tool, cognitive development,
and how to make a university
sustainable. Besides this special
programme, the tutors were involved in
the students’ project work and the
student presentations of their
assignments, acting as moderators in the
final discussions.
Alex
Hopkinson from the University of
Edinburgh, who subsequently graduated
with an honours degree in Psychology,
neatly summed up the Summer School
experience: “I had a great time in
Lund. The course was interesting, the
social activities were well organised
and it was fantastic to meet so many
students from all over the world who
were interested in sustainability… I
even think going to the summer school in
Lund might have helped me to get the job
I have now … so that’s an excellent
outcome for me!”
