What does sustainability mean in the area of studying and teaching?

TU Ilmenau has set out to anchor the principles of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) more firmly in the courses it offers. ESD refers to an education that enables students to think and act in a sustainable way and enables them to understand the impact of their own actions on the world. The aim is to enable them to think critically and independently, to independently apply science and methods and to act as responsible persons in a transformative society based on ethical standards.

Stefan Riehmer

What are we working on?

Sustainability topics are already anchored in various courses at TU Ilmenau and are the focus of several degree programs. Examples of courses range from sustainable coating technologies to Renewable Energy Technology and Storage and Energy Use Optimization Life Cycle Assessment, Business Ethics Sustainability Management sowie sustainability-communication.

In addition students can deal with overarching sustainability issues in interdisciplinary lecture series of all subject areas. This offering is constantly being expanded to include sustainability-oriented degree programs and specializations as well as interdisciplinary academic programs on sustainable development or methods of sustainability assessment and supplemented by offerings such as a Certificate in Sustainability in order to achieve the goal of comprehensive education for sustainability (ESD).

Sustainability-related degree programs - examples

Projects to promote sustainability in teaching

ThüLeNa - Thuringia teaches and learns sustainably

In order to make engineering education in the Free State of Thuringia even more attractive and sustainable, the cross-university project "Thüringen Lehrt und Lernt Nachhaltig" (ThüLeNa) has set itself the goal of anchoring sustainability as a central element in engineering sciences degree programs and thus optimally preparing students for the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Together, digital modules on sustainability-related topics are to be developed and integrated into teaching at the universities. These modules are to be combined into a cross-university certificate program that offers students an additional qualification in the field of sustainability.

TU Ilmenau/ari

SUSEE: Promoting sustainability in engineering education

The Erasmus+ co-funded SUSEE project ("Smaller Universities for Sustainability in Engineering Education") aims to further integrate sustainability into engineering degree programs by developing new cross-institutional courses, virtual lectures and manuals for lecturers. The project goals are made possible by the joint efforts of four European partner universities. By participating in the SUSEE project, TU Ilmenau reaffirms its commitment to preparing students for the challenges of sustainable development in engineering.

What has been achieved?

Ringvorlesung zur Kreislaufwirtschaft

The lecture series examines the production and consumption model,which aims to minimize resource use, emissions and energy consumption through targeted 'reduce', 'reuse' and 'recycle', from various perspectives across disciplines.
 

Sustainability-Oriented Engineering lecture series

In cooperation with four European partner universities, TU Ilmenau is organizing a virtual English-language lecture series in the SUSEE (Smaller Universities for Sustainability in Engineering Education) project on various aspects of sustainability in real life.

Current Challenges in Electrical Engineering lecture series.

The lecture series is organized by the Institute of Electric Power and Control Technology and the VDE University Group at TU Ilmenau with the support of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology e.V.. Ilmenau.

Portraitbild einer Studentin im Grafikrahmen von "Die Frage"TU Ilmenau/Heiner Dintera

How important is sustainability in teaching?

During the Winter School ”Energy and Well-Being" as part of the Erasmus+ SUSEE project, students and teachers from the Alliance met at the Technical University of Ilmenau to exchange knowledge and develop interdisciplinary ideas on this topic.
In “Die Frage” (The Question), they talk about what they learned at the Winter School and why sustainability plays an important role in all degree programs.

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