Systemic sustainability and global transformation
A cross-sectional task of our political education
Sustainable development can only succeed if people realize that contributing to this process is part of their role in society. This requires a participation culture as well as an expansion of democratic competences.
Many of our seminars on political education pursue the goal of making sustainability concrete:
- by making the complex interrelationships visible (systemic approach),
- by promoting self-reflection, a change of perspective as well as recognition and respect for others and the environment,
- by developing possible courses of action for the individual and for society,
- by discussing, implementing, and furthering our concept of democracy as a social system (promotion of democratic competence).
Transformative education is therefore a central educational goal of our work.
Specifically, we offer seminars on the following topics, among others:
- Growth issues (shaping a post-growth society, sustainable lifestyles...)
- Distribution issues (socio-ecological justice)
- Conflict over resources
- Climate change and migration
... and many more! Take a look at our calendar of events!
Our seminars on sustainability for companies, NGOs and local authorities
In the area of systemic sustainability, we also offer our own seminars and workshops for companies, NGOs and local authorities. We cover topics such as sustainable transformation, sustainable business and the social and economic challenges of all dimensions of sustainability. Within this framework, we actively cooperate with various organizations and companies.
Sustainability communication
Sustainability communication deals with the question of how the topic of sustainability can be communicated in a way that motivated, facilitates change, and furthers rethinking. At the Europäische Adademie Otzenhausen, we see our focus primarily in the cooperation with companies and local authorities.
A tandem-professorship for sustainability communication was established in 2022 in cooperation with the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld of Trier University of Applied Sciences to establish this new focus area. The tandem-professorship combines the work of a regular professor (research and teaching) at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld with the practical work as a project manager for sustainability communication at the Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen, thus creating exciting synergies and potentials.
Within the framework of our job-related continuing education courses, basic concepts and strategies for effective, motivating and target group oriented sustainability communication are taught in an interactive and practice-oriented setting. We also teach the necessary tools for concrete implementation, for example in the context of the digital presence (e.g. on social media, website) of a company or local authority. Please feel free to contact us with your individual requests and we will develop customized offers.
Your contact person is our tandem-professor Dr. Marie-Louise Brunner.
Example topics:
- How can I present myself as a sustainable company in the digital environment and appear as a sustainable employer?
- How can I win over my target groups with the topic of sustainability? How can I best reach citizens with the topic of sustainability?
- How can I convince with my sustainable offer on social media?
- How can I present complex sustainable contexts in a way that is easy to understand for my target group?
... and many more!
Educational materials on the topic of sustainability
In cooperation with the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld of Trier University of Applied Sciences, our tandem-professor Dr. Marie-Louise Brunner is working with students to develop playful approaches to communicating sustainability. As part of the project Communicating sustainability in a playful way and in seminars and projects on the topic of sustainability communication, initial materials have already been created in collaboration with the Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen for university and school use. This has resulted, for example, in the escape game Path of Change on the topic of flight and sustainability.
The materials are open access and freely usable under the licence "CC-BY-NC 3.0" of the Creative Commons Public License; they are available for download on the website of the InDi - Institute for International and Digital Communication at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld.
Further materials are currently being developed.
Master's Program Sustainable Change - From Knowledge to Action (M.A.)
The Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen is a long-term cooperation partner of the German Master's degree program Sustainable Change - From Knowledge to Action (M.A.) at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld of Trier University of Applied Sciences.
"Understanding Sustainability in a systemic manner:
Climate change, resource scarcity, and demographic changes pose growing challenges to our society. Every organization, no matter how large, is directly affected by this and has to align its strategy with this development in order to be sustainably competitive. These changes and the increased demands associated with them put more and more focus on the employee as a central resource: highly qualified, academically trained specialists and managers with interdisciplinary know-how are needed.
This is precisely where the extra-occupational master's program "Sustainable Change - From Knowledge to Action" comes in: The program is interdisciplinary in nature and, with its three pillars of "Ecology & Technology," "Economics," and "Sociology, Politics & Ethics," as well as a "Studium Generale," offers an overview of the fundamentals of sustainability from a wide variety of perspectives." (Source: Environmental Campus Birkenfeld)
More information about the study program as well as a contact for any inquiries can be found directly on the website of the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld: Sustainable Change - From Knowledge to Action (M.A.).
Courage for sustainability - Mut zur Nachhaltigkeit
As part of the Partners for Europe network, we cooperate on a range of projects on different topics, including sustainable development.
This is particularly relevant in the context of the Courage for Sustainability initiative (Mut zur Nachhaltigkeit). Launched in 2006, the educational project received four awards as an official project of the "UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development" in the initial phase between 2007 and 2012. Since then, the project has developed and diversified considerably and is currently active throughout Germany as well as in other European countries.
In this context, the Foundation Forum für Verantwortung and the Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen regularly offer colloquia for young academics (on different topics from the sustainability context and with speakers from different disciplines) as well as seminars on climate change and climate communication for media professionals. Click here for the calendar of events.