Completed research
Completed scientific projects at the Regional Center of Expertise
Responsibility for sustainable food systems is discussed at global and national levels, but is (not) put into practice at regional level and, above all, in everyday routines. For this reason, the project focuses on the everyday experiences of children and young people with food (and food practices) in order to better understand how they address the issue of food within their daily lives and environments: What everyday connections do young people make to issues surrounding a socially just and ecologically sustainable food system? In which everyday contexts does responsibility take concrete form (for whom)? In which social perspectives and standpoints are these and other questions embedded?
As part of EAT+CHANGE, pupils from three secondary schools in Graz are working as co-researchers alongside academic researchers from the University of Graz to explore dietary practices and their socio-cultural contexts in everyday life. Through this, they identify strengths, weaknesses and potential for change within the local environment. In doing so, previously invisible layers of knowledge are brought to light, and a dialogue is initiated with the local public based on these findings.
In the project, the co-researchers, as experts on their own living environments and the everyday practices taking place there, play an active role in the success of the entire research process: they formulate their own research questions, which they explore using the Photovoice method, and curate, present and discuss their research findings. Using this method, the co-researchers photograph their everyday lives and surroundings, exploring the contexts and manifestations of different dietary practices. The photographs are jointly structured and critically analysed in group discussions across several workshops to uncover recurring narratives and ingrained patterns of thought and action regarding (un)sustainable diets. To make the results visible, in-school exhibitions are organised, which will be presented to decision-makers and the public in a large joint exhibition in Graz during the third year of the project. The aim is for the research findings to facilitate local processes of change within the co-researchers’ communities.
The workshop materials used to implement the research projects will be continuously developed throughout the project period in collaboration with the co-researchers, the participating teachers and in close consultation with the Institute for Media Education at the University of Education Styria. In the form of a multimedia guide, these materials will be made available digitally as an open educational resource and embedded in the education system beyond the project context.
More information is available here
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, OeAD – Agency for Education and Internationalisation/Sparkling Science
Funding amount: €349,965
Duration: 10/2022 – 09/2025
Team: Assoc. Prof. Dr Fabian Pettig (RFDZ-GW) (Project Lead); Prof. Anke Strüver (RCE Graz-Styria); Prof. Ulrich Ermann (RFDZ-GW); Prof. Johannes Dorfinger (RFDZ-GW, PHST); Daniela Lippe (PhD candidate, project funding); Karoline Stöcklmayr (PhD candidate, project funding); Chiara Roithmeir (research assistant); Mareen Taibinger (research assistant)
Partners: Regional Centre for Geography and Economics Education, Graz (RFDZ-GW), University of Education Styria
Participating schools: PH Styria Training Secondary School, Dr Renner Secondary School, Graz-Webling Secondary School
The UniNEtZ project – Universities and Sustainable Development Goals – was initiated by the ‘Alliance of Sustainable Universities in Austria’, a platform formed in 2012 comprising a total of 15 universities (as of 2020). The aim of the UniNEtZ project is to produce a policy paper for the Austrian Federal Government that identifies and evaluates forward-looking options for action in line with the implementation agreed by the Council of Ministers. This gives rise to desirable synergies – e.g. improved interdisciplinary networking and enhanced cooperation between universities and non-university research institutions or subordinate agencies particularly relevant to the science portfolio – as well as the joint identification of research needs and options for action. As part of UniNEtZ, the RCE Graz-Styria, under the leadership of Prof. Anke Strüver, has taken on the sponsorship of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
Further information can be found here.
Duration: 01/2019 – 10/2025
Partners: Austrian universities and research institutions
Contact person: Prof. Anke Strüver
This research project examines the cultural practice of mushroom gathering from the perspectives of nature conservation, as well as economic, social and cultural factors – with a focus on Burgenland. It addresses the question of how the experiential and environmental knowledge of mushroom gatherers, as well as the mushroom gathering practices observed in Burgenland, relate to the sustainable use of wild plants or, conversely, to the negative environmental impacts of such gathering practices. The aim is to investigate the socio-ecological implications of experiential and environmental knowledge, as well as mushroom-gathering practices, for nature conservation and the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems under conditions of climate change, and to derive recommendations for action to promote sustainable mushroom-gathering practices in Burgenland.
Further information can be found here
Funding: Burgenland Theodor Kery
Foundation Duration: 2022–2025
Contact person: Mag. Dr. Nicolas Schlitz (Project Manager)
The increasing financialisation of critical social infrastructure and public services – in Austria, particularly in the field of residential long-term care – and the ongoing care crisis formed the starting point for the conference “Social Services – Organising for the Public Good and in a Democratic Manner”, held on 29 November 2024 in Vienna. The conference examined “good practices” and discussed possible alternatives, such as non-profit regulations modelled on the housing sector; democratisation and co-determination in health and care organisations (e.g. through organising); solidarity-based and participatory forms of organisation; and public funding.
A working paper examines the potential of economic democracy for health and care, with a focus on democratic forms of enterprise. On the one hand, it explores how employees in conventional enterprises and organisations can contribute to the democratisation of economic structures and processes. Drawing on examples from the health and care sector, democratic forms of enterprise (worker cooperatives, user cooperatives and multi-stakeholder cooperatives) are analysed and their potential for better working conditions and higher quality of service examined. The study is scheduled for publication in 2025.
Funding: Vienna Chamber of Labour
Funding amount: €11,766.28
Duration: 09 - 12/2024
Partners: Research Group for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy (IFIP) – Vienna University of Technology, Vienna Chamber of Labour, RCE Graz-Styria (Centre for Sustainable Social Transformation at the University of Graz) and the Competence Centre for Everyday Economics.
Contact persons: Markus Blümel, Andreas Exner
Funding: Climate and Energy Fund, RD Foundation, AMS Styria Regional Office, City of Graz, CoopVerband
Grant amount: €18,000
Duration: 04/2023 – 09/2024
Team (RCE): Andreas Exner (Project Manager), Markus Blümel (Research Associate), Dirk Raith (Research Associate)
Team (other organisations): Vera Koller (AUGE/UG), Christoph Schabetsberger (Economy for the Common Good Austria), Wolfgang G. Weber (University of Innsbruck), Irmgard Weinhandl (Economy for the Common Good Austria), Josef Wirth (VÖWG)
Cooperation partners / Co-organisers: attac Austria, AUGE/UG Vienna, Economy for the Common Good Austria, habiTAT – Association for the Promotion of Self-Managed and Solidarity-Based Forms of Housing and Living, Institute for Economic Democracy (Institute for Economic Democracy) – Ljubljana, Institute of Psychology – University of Innsbruck, Catholic Workers’ Movement Austria (KABÖ), Competence Centre for Everyday Economics, Mandelbaum Verlag eG, ÖGB – Austrian Trade Union Federation, Smart Coop Austria, Student Council UBRM (BOKU Vienna), Independent Trade Union Faction within the ÖGB (UG), VÖWG (Association of the Public and Social Economy of Austria), Association of Austrian Trade Union Education (VÖGB), Association for Solidarity Economy, younion_The Public Services Union
Description: In the face of a climate catastrophe that is intricately intertwined with other crises, international and national institutions are increasingly supporting a holistic, systemic transformation of the economy towards the principles of the social economy. This refers to economically active organisations that primarily pursue social or environmental objectives and are often organised democratically or participatively. Their potential is highlighted by, amongst others, the EU, the OECD and the ILO, as well as the WEF. The EU has set out objectives for their further development in an action plan. Nevertheless, the social economy in Austria remains largely invisible and receives insufficient support. Furthermore, the diverse actors in this field have so far operated in a fragmented manner. Against this backdrop, the RCE Graz-Styria at the University of Graz, in collaboration with the Centre for Social Economy (ZfSW), organised the 1st Social Economy Conference in Austria on 24 November 2022. Around 50 key stakeholders in the social economy acted as co-organisers. Some 200 people attended the conference. The aim of the ‘Establishment of a Social Economy Platform’ project was to reinforce and sustain the momentum generated by the Social Economy Conference, as well as to help strengthen and raise the profile of the social economy and social and solidarity-based economies in Austria.
Links:
Social Economy Conference
Social Economy Enquiry: Common Good, 24 May 2023, BOKU, Vienna
Social Economy Declaration (Consultation 05–06/2023, Publication 09/2023)
Social Economy Enquiry: Democracy, 23 November 2023, University of Graz
Panel discussion “Economic Democracy and the Solidarity Economy”, 10 September 2024, younion, Vienna
Funding: Austrian Climate and Energy Fund
Grant amount: €106,513 (RCE: €56,898)
Duration: 02/2021 – 07/2023
Cooperation partners: IFZ Graz, Raiffeisenverband Steiermark, SMZ Liebenau Social and Medical Centre, Verein Illusions (Triesterviertel Community Centre), Styrian Chamber of Agriculture, Petra Herout
Contact persons: Dr Andreas Exner (Project Manager)
Description:
CoopsForFood investigates how Alternative Food Networks (AFN) – as an example of Diverse Economies of Sustainable Food – can be made more economically and socially accessible through cooperative structures, thereby becoming a new alternative mainstream. To this end, the project focuses on three districts in Graz with inadequate local food provision and a high proportion of marginalised people: the Triesterviertel, the Jakominiviertel and Grünanger. Initiated, organised and investigated by CoopsForFood as part of an activating and participatory research approach oriented towards everyday life, the project examines three activities: (1) an initiative to establish a cooperatively structured Community Supported Agriculture (CSA 2.0) in a multi-stakeholder format, (2) an initiative to establish a municipal support centre for inclusive food sharing, (3) a participatory discourse intervention based on food stories that encourage a creative and sustainable engagement with everyday food life. Among other things, the project is developing a handbook on setting up a CSA 2.0.
Funding: Austrian National Bank
Funding amount: €124,000 (RCE: €63,488)
Duration: Nov 2020 – Jun 2023
Partners: Medical University of Vienna, WIFO, Verein Soziokratie
Contact persons: Dr Andreas Exner, Prof. Anke Strüver (Project Lead)
Description: Urban green infrastructure can promote public health in a cost-effective manner by improving the ecological quality of urban environments. However, the criteria for the functionality of green infrastructure vary depending on the social group and type of stakeholder. Yet these differences have scarcely been investigated scientifically. Against this backdrop, the project analyses the social specificity of imaginations of green infrastructure and evaluates its ecosystem services, including the impacts on health. To this end, a case study is being conducted in Vienna. To gain a better understanding of the social differences in perceptions of green spaces and related scenarios, the project examines spaces of action, perception and emotion, as well as socio-economic factors relating to the lifestyle and mindset of social milieus.
Funding: Climate and Energy
Fund Grant amount: €7,500
Duration: March 2023 – June 2023
Team: Andreas Exner (Project Lead), Markus Blümel (Research Associate), Dirk Raith (Research Associate)
Description: In the face of a climate catastrophe that is intricately intertwined with other crises, international and national institutions are increasingly supporting a holistic, systemic transformation of the economy towards the principles of the social economy. This refers to economically active organisations that primarily pursue social or environmental objectives and are often organised democratically or participatively. Their potential is highlighted by, amongst others, the EU, the OECD and the ILO, as well as the WEF. The EU has set out objectives for their further development in an action plan. Nevertheless, the social economy in Austria remains largely invisible and receives insufficient support. Furthermore, the diverse actors in this field have so far operated in a fragmented manner. Against this backdrop, the RCE Graz-Styria at the University of Graz, in collaboration with the Centre for Social Economy (ZfSW), organised the 1st Social Economy Conference in Austria on 24 November 2022. Around 50 key players in the social economy acted as co-organisers. Some 200 people attended the conference. The project “Establishing a Social Economy Platform” aims to reinforce and sustain the momentum generated by the Social Economy Conference, as well as to help strengthen and raise the profile of the social economy (social and solidarity-based economies) in Austria.
Funding: EISMEA
Overall project management: EURICSE
Funding amount: €5,500 University of Graz for the Austrian sub-project
Duration: June to the end of September 2023 for the Austrian sub-project
University of Graz team: Maria Anastasiadis (Institute of Educational Sciences, project lead for the Austrian team), Dirk Raith, Andreas Exner (RCE Graz-Styria)
Cooperation partners for the Austrian sub-project: CIRIEC Spatial Foresight GmbH, EMES International Research Network asbl
Description: The study entitled "Improving the socio-economic knowledge of the proximity and social economy ecosystem (EISMEA/2022/OP/0015). Lot 1: Benchmarking the socio-economic performance of the EU social economy" aims to 1) collect qualitative and quantitative data to enable evidence-based policy on the social economy within the framework of the EU’s industrial strategy, 2) contribute to the policy-making of the social economy at national and EU level, based on information regarding the recovery of the industrial ecosystem of the proximity and social economy in the context of the COVID-19 crisis; and 3) to support national statistical authorities and those at EU level in generating high-quality data and developing new indicators that measure the socio-economic impact of the social economy.
Funding: Austrian Climate and Energy
Fund Funding amount: €99,664 Duration:
06/2022 – 05/2023
Partner: KMU Forschung Austria
Contact person: Dr Andreas Exner (Project Manager)
Description: Social and Solidarity Economies (SSE) have recently found their way into EU strategies for socio-ecological transformation under the name ‘Social Economy’. The ClimCoopSuccess project investigates the potential that these democratically run enterprises offer for climate protection. To this end, the project examines good examples across the EU, analyses success factors and develops recommendations for policymakers. Effective climate protection requires not only technological but also social innovation. ClimCoopSuccess examines the contribution that Social and Solidarity Economies (SSE) can make to this structural change. In its analysis of cooperatives, civil society-led enterprises and social enterprises, ClimCoopSuccess pays particular attention to the importance of organisational democracy. To better understand the impact of organisational and regulatory frameworks, good examples of SSE are selected from European focus regions and subjected to a multi-stage empirical analysis. On this basis, recommendations for action in Austria are formulated.
Funding: Climate and Energy
Fund Funding amount: €329,993 Duration:
April 2020 – March 2023
Partners: StadtLABOR – Innovations for Urban Quality of Life GmbH, Bravestone Information-Technology GmbH
Contact persons: Dr Andreas Exner, Prof. Anke Strüver (Project Lead)
Description: Together with people and organisations living in the new “My Smart City Graz” district, the project is developing initiatives for sharing objects, spaces, knowledge, services and responsibility within “My Smart City Graz” and neighbouring districts. These initiatives will be fleshed out in a future conference and subsequent working groups. Relevant social processes will be researched alongside this. In addition to establishing neighbourhood support and voluntary engagement, SMASH also aims to promote commercial enterprises that place sharing at the centre of their operations, namely cooperatives in which operating resources are managed collectively. In all these cases, SMASH’s focus is on ensuring that the people and organisations involved share not only resources but also responsibility. Digital technologies can support sharing. These activities are intended to help make “My Smart City Graz” a sustainable neighbourhood, support eco-friendly behaviour, strengthen social cohesion, and thereby also improve quality of life. The experiences gained in the project are intended to facilitate future smart urban development processes towards solidarity-based economies.
Further information on the project:
https://cityofcollaboration.org/smash/
https://www.mysmartcitygraz.at/smart/smash_teilen-und-tauschen/
This project is funded by the Climate and Energy Fund and is being carried out as part of the “Smart Cities Demo – Living Urban Innovation 2019” programme.
This EU-funded commissioned research project examines the conditions for fair public procurement in relation to the needs and potential of the social economy. It is developing a framework for the delivery of capacity-building workshops aimed at strengthening fair public procurement.
The project is being carried out by Maria Anastasiadis (Institute of Education and Educational Science, project lead for the Austrian team) in collaboration with Andreas Exner. Michaela Schneebacher is conducting stakeholder interviews on behalf of the Institute of Education and Educational Science.
Funding: RCE Graz-Styria
Grant amount: €3,000
Duration: 03/2022 – 06/2022
Researcher and associate researcher: BA Livia Cepoiu, MA Stephanie Arzberger
Contact persons: Dr Andreas Exner
Description:
The project synthesises the results of a project at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) entitled “Smart & Edible”, which was funded by the City of Vienna’s Anniversary Fund for WU. Based on the discussion paper on the project published by WU (https://www-sre.wu.ac.at/sre-disc/sre-disc-2021_09.pdf), a German-language academic article will be drafted and submitted.
Funding: Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) (1st call for proposals: Bridge Young Scientists)
Project number: 872615
Funding amount: €256,352 Duration:
07/2019 – 06/2022
Partner: Schwarz.Platzer.Architekten.zt-gmbh
Contact person: Dr Thomas Höflehner
Description: Since July 2019, the three-year FFG Bridge project S’ReVit has been dedicated to developing a systemic approach to carrying out ‘smart revitalisation’ of residential buildings, which, in addition to energy-efficiency and environmental improvements to the building fabric, also incorporates measures to enhance the social sustainability of the residents. Within the framework of the research project, revitalisation is regarded as an extended form of refurbishment (which comprises only technical and structural measures). This may also involve a change of use or modernisation; in any case, the residents of the existing complex are included in the process. The development of innovative participatory approaches and formats is intended to facilitate new perspectives on residents’ everyday living, the further development of the building stock, and the socio-spatial fabric. This also increases acceptance of refurbishment measures and removes barriers, which in turn can contribute to an increase in the refurbishment rate. Furthermore, this promotes awareness of sustainable lifestyles among residents, which in turn can help to avoid rebound effects. This comprehensive and innovative approach to the topic of revitalisation is indicated by the addition of ‘smart’. Accordingly, the development of processes and methods for integrative building stock revitalisation focuses on the early and systematic involvement of residents and aims to provide implementing actors with efficient models for user participation and the promotion of social sustainability. All project results are available on the S’ReVit website or can be downloaded.
Duration: Jan 2020 – Dec 2020
Partner: Transition Graz
Contact person: Dr Andreas Exner
Description: The City of Collaboration project focuses on the potential of collaborative economic models and seeks to establish an environment conducive to them through targeted, structured collaboration. The project’s objectives include developing a transformation guide for the city of Graz, creating a travelling exhibition, establishing student cooperatives, organising a national trade fair, and developing a concept for a Collaborative Innovation Hub to serve as a start-up centre for cooperatives. The project is being carried out as part of the Graz Cultural Year 2020.
Funding: StartClim, University of Natural
Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna Funding amount: €19,753 (RCE: €9,965)
Duration: October 2020 – July 2021
Collaboration partner: Medical University of Vienna
Contact person: Dr Andreas Exner
Description: Climate policy measures encounter multiple, intertwined forms of resistance. These include special economic interests, short-term political horizons, everyday habits, dependence on fossil fuels, and a lack of concepts for a society that consumes significantly fewer resources. Positive visions of the future play a key role in this context. For it is in these visions that desires, life goals, moral orientations and political concepts of order coalesce, giving meaning to actions, describing directions of development and opening up possibilities. Yet serious climate policy has so far been associated mostly with sacrifice and restrictions on one’s own way of life. The structural obstacles to a socio-ecological transformation are often emphasised more strongly than the potential gains in well-being. Consequently, fears are stoked rather than creativity and drive being stimulated. In contrast, there is a need for new, strategically useful, evidence-based societal guiding principles. These should make clear the individual and social benefits offered by a climate-friendly society. Therefore, as part of this StartClim2020 project, the RCE Graz-Styria, in collaboration with the Centre for Public Health at the Medical University of Vienna, aims to identify the key dimensions of visions for a climate-friendly society, quantitatively assess their health impacts, and develop transformation scenarios in consultation with stakeholders. The aim is to establish the scientific basis for a follow-up project on the health aspects of a socio-ecological transition towards a climate-friendly society. > Final project report
Duration: March 2020 – February 2021
Partners: Junior Fellow: Marcella Rowek; Incoming Senior Fellow: Prof. Dr Sybille Bauriedl, Interdisciplinary Institute for Environmental, Social and Human Sciences, Department of Geography, European University of Flensburg; Incoming Junior Fellows: Yannick Ecker, Henk Wiechers
Contact person: Univ.-Prof. Dr Anke Strüver
Description: The term ‘Smart City’ describes not so much the status of a city as the promise to improve the quality of life in cities through digital technologies. Digital communication, digital infrastructures and digital connectivity are increasingly permeating the public and private spaces of working and everyday life. On the one hand, increasing digitalisation thus offers potential for new forms of urban coexistence, whilst at the same time revealing a tendency towards universalisation and standardisation driven by dominant digital corporations (cf. Bauriedl/Strüver 2018: Smart Cities. Critical Perspectives on Digitalisation in Cities. Transcript).
Within the framework of smart city strategies and the supply-driven expansion of platform economies, the sectors of care work and mobility in particular are subject to significant dynamics in major cities. A wide range of services (care, meal and grocery delivery, house cleaning or gardening) are being offered on an ever-increasing scale via care platforms. Mobility platforms are offering an ever-increasing range of transport options (city cars, vans, bicycles, cargo bikes, e-scooters) and usage models (stationary or unbound, self-driving, shared or autonomous). Where and how these infrastructures and services are developed reflects societal power relations. The rapid expansion of online platforms reveals a hierarchical pattern: a commodification of care and mobility services coupled with the imposition of precarious working conditions based on gender and whiteness, and an exclusive offering in socially privileged neighbourhoods. Care and sharing services reproduce a gendered division of labour, and the particular demand for care and mobility services in socially marginalised neighbourhoods is scarcely met. The promises of digitalisation for smart cities do not apply to the city as a whole, but rather to ‘islands of smart privilege’ that already possess excellent service infrastructures. As part of the fellowship, these observations will be examined in greater detail for selected major European cities, addressing the following questions: Do the promises of smart city discourse (effectiveness, availability and quality of life through digital technologies) address a gendered and racialised division of labour? Do platform-mediated care and mobility services lead to social and spatial privileges and intersectional hierarchies?
Funding: Fritz Thyssen Foundation
Funding amount: €111,100.00
Duration: 01/2016 – 09/2020
Contact persons: Dr Steffen Hirth and Prof. Anke Strüver
Description: The research project aims to examine the constitution of responsible nutrition from a spatial theory perspective and therefore investigates the (implicit) social and ecological values and norms of sustainability policy in discourses within the food and agricultural sectors. At the same time, it focuses on consumers’ self-care practices relating to eating. An analysis of the spatial and social locations of responsibility for ‘good’ or ‘sustainable’ nutrition aims to highlight the reciprocal relationships between discursively constituted norms and individualised everyday practices, and to reveal the underlying (dis)connections. Adopting a “reading for difference rather than dominance” (Gibson-Graham 2006), the study examines both dominant attempts to impose ethical dietary norms and marginalised/resistant discourses and practices, as the latter represent approaches to the resubjectification and reshaping of dietary identities and practices.
Funding: Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe
Funding amount: €1,387,042 Duration:
03/2016 – 03/2019
Lead partner: Maastricht University
Partners: City of Maastricht, Maastricht Bereikbaar, Antea Group; Vrije Universiteit Brussel – COSMOPOLIS, Brussels Council for the Environment; University of Graz – RCE Graz-Styria, City of Graz; University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, City of Bellinzona, Pro Velo Ticino
Project leader: Mag.a Petra Wlasak, MA MSc PhD
Description: The research focused on so-called ‘Living Labs’, which represent a promising tool for addressing current challenges and integrating the interests of citizens, politicians and the administration on an equal footing into urban development. Through participatory dialogue involving as many stakeholders as possible, the intellectual, creative and social potential of a city’s inhabitants is to be pooled and harnessed through shared learning processes. Whilst there are numerous positive experiences with Living Labs, weaknesses are also evident, such as the failure to involve certain social groups in the planning phase or the unsatisfactory implementation of the developed ideas on a larger scale. The aim of the SmarterLabs project was to analyse these potential problems using specific transport projects in the partner cities and to make the Living Labs concept ‘smarter’ or refine it by developing guidelines. Insights were drawn from Bellinzona, Brussels, Maastricht and Graz. Through three pilot workshops in Santander, Istanbul and Helsinki, the applicability was further evaluated in regionally diverse contexts. All project results are available on the SmarterLabs website and can be downloaded.
Funding: Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe
Funding amount: €1,367,066 Duration:
09/2014 – 08/2017
Lead partner: Maastricht University
Partners: City of Maastricht; University of Lund; University of Malmö; City of Malmö; University of Graz – RCE Graz-Styria; City of Graz; City of Leoben; City of Antwerp; Pantopicon Antwerp
Project leader and contact person: Prof. Dr Friedrich M. Zimmermann
Description: European cities are increasingly confronted with highly complex economic, social and environmental challenges (demographic change, social conflicts, resource scarcity, emissions, etc.). To address these developments as effectively as possible, cities are seeking new forms of governance. A modern approach to innovative governance methods is currently being explored in so-called ‘urban labs’. In these “experimental fields”, a participatory dialogue between citizens, politicians and the administration is initiated and fostered. By involving as many stakeholders as possible, the intellectual, creative and social potential of a city’s inhabitants is intended to contribute to new developments through shared learning processes. Depending on the focus regarding the key stakeholders of an “urban lab”, a distinction is made between “living labs” (focus on collaboration between individual citizens) and ‘city labs’ (focus on collaboration between administrative bodies and interest groups). To provide the best possible support to decision-makers in politics and administration when initiating and implementing ‘urban labs’, it is important to gather practical experience from existing ‘urban labs’ in the form of evidence-based guidelines and principles. These should provide insights into which topics “urban labs” are suitable for, how urban labs should be organised in terms of structure, processes and participation methods, and how the approach can best be integrated into local government and administrative structures. The EU project URB@Exp aimed to develop precisely such evidence-based guidelines to promote the dissemination of innovative forms of urban governance and to initiate a trialogue process between citizens, the administration and politicians. During the 36-month project duration, this was achieved essentially in three steps: (1) Analysis of existing ‘urban labs’ (2) Implementation of new ‘urban labs’ in five European partner cities and the conduct of ‘action-based research’, as well as (3) the exchange of knowledge and experience through a mobility programme for decision-makers. Through joint learning among citizens, politicians and administrative staff, the Urb@Exp project thus contributed to new forms of sustainable urban development.
Funding: EU Tempus IV – 6th call for proposals: Joint Projects
Funding amount: €968,205.72
Duration: December 2013 – November 2016
Lead partner: RCE Graz-Styria/University of Graz
Partners: EU: BOKU Vienna (Austria), Leuphana University Lüneburg (Germany), University of Limerick (Ireland); Albania: European University (Tirana), Polis University (Kashar), Aleksander Moisiu University (Durres), Agricultural University of Tirana, Centre for Comparative and International Studies (Tirana); Kosovo: Universum College (Prishtina), University Haxhi Zeka (Peje), Riinvest College (Prishtina), Institute for Development Policy (Prishtina)
Project leader and contact person: Prof. Dr Friedrich M. Zimmermann
Description: Addressing the Western Balkans’ regional priority of the ‘knowledge triangle: education-research-innovation’, this project aims to establish a regional network linking science (involving higher education and research) and society (involving practice) to foster sustainability innovations in Albania and Kosovo. The broader objectives are to strengthen the links and collaboration between higher education institutions, research and practice, as well as to promote mutual learning and innovative approaches to sustainability issues through structured workshops designed to support capacity building and foster systemic and holistic thinking. Therefore, the specific objectives are: 1) to identify regional stakeholders in the fields of higher education, research and practice for sustainable development; 2) to establish a science-society network for sustainability innovations; 3) to develop innovative teaching materials and methodologies for higher education institutions; 4) to develop and run structured workshops and training sessions for science-society collaborations. To achieve these objectives, the consortium members were selected on the basis of their methodological competencies, capacities and expertise. Furthermore, they provide a comprehensive representation of the project’s stakeholders. Consequently, the consortium comprises four universities from Albania (AL) and three from Kosovo (XK), as well as four universities from the EU. Furthermore, two civil society organisations, one from each partner country, and two Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) on ESD are involved. The direct target groups will be higher education institutions (particularly lecturers, researchers and students), research institutions and regional stakeholders such as businesses, NGOs and regional development agencies. Furthermore, policy-makers will benefit indirectly.
Funding: EU ERASMUS Academic Networks
Total funding: €799,677, RCE Graz-Styria: €12,679
Duration: 10/2013 – 10/2016
Lead partner: University of Gloucestershire
Project partners: 55 higher education partners from 33 European countries
All project partners, listed by country:
Albania: University of Tirana; Belgium: Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven; Bosnia and Herzegovina: University of Bihác; Bulgaria: University of Architecture, Civil Engineering & Geodesy, University of Forestry; Denmark: Aalborg University; Germany: Leuphana University Lüneburg, University of Bremen; England: University of Gloucestershire, London South Bank University; Estonia: Institute of Ecology, Tallinn University; France: École Nationale Supérieure EGID; Greece: Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and SD; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Ireland: ECO-UNESCO; Italy: University of Bergamo, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Sustainability, Interuniversity Research Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Palermo, University of Rome Tor Vergata; Croatia: University of Rijeka; Latvia: Institute of Sustainable Education at Daugavpils University, Centre for Sustainable Business at SSE Riga; Lithuania: Vilnius University; Malta: University of Malta; Macedonia: Cyril and Methodius University; Netherlands: Open University of the Netherlands; Norway: University of Oslo; Austria: University of Graz, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna; Poland: Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, University of Warsaw; Portugal: Portuguese Catholic University, University of Aveiro, University of Minho, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria; Romania: Foundation Centre Education 2000+; Sweden: Malmö University, Uppsala University; Switzerland: University of Bern; Serbia: University of Niš; Slovakia: Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Comenius University in Bratislava; Slovenia: University of Maribor Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Ljubljana; Spain: Autonomous University of Madrid, Autonomous University of Barcelona, University of Girona, University of Granada, University of the Basque Country; Czech Republic: Charles University, Prague; Turkey: Bogaziçi University – Sustainable Development and Cleaner Production and Consumption; Hungary: Eötvös Loránd University; Cyprus: University of Cyprus, Frederick University
Staff: Project Leader: Prof. Friedrich M. Zimmermann; Project Officer and Contact Person: Marlene Mader
Description: The EU project “University Educators for Sustainable Development” aims to strengthen the sustainability skills of lecturers at European universities through professional development. 55 partners from the higher education sector across 33 European countries have formed a network and, over the next three years, will map existing professional development programmes for university lecturers in their respective countries, identify exemplary initiatives, develop educational resources and establish an academy for education for sustainable development, which is intended to enable researchers and lecturers to acquire sustainability skills so that they can competently convey the subject to students and thus contribute to transformative higher education development. In addition to the institutional university level, awareness of the structural link between sustainability, continuing professional development and university quality assurance is also to be raised at the political level. The project is based on the work and activities of the COPERNICUS Alliance, the European university network for sustainable development, and the People’s Sustainability Treaty on Higher Education, which was adopted in 2012 during the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development.
UE4SD Newsletter
March 2015 Newsletter (PDF file)
Funding: FFG Innovation Voucher
Funding amount: €5,000.00
Duration: 02/2015 – 09/2015
Cooperation partners: Christine Bärnthaler – Development for People and Organisations, Judenburg; RCE Graz-Styria, University of Graz
Project lead and contact person: Prof. Dr Friedrich M. Zimmermann; Jonas Meyer, MSc (contact person); Finn Laurien, BSc
Description: The Upper Styria West region is home to 103,504 people. At the same time, however, it is affected by the typical characteristics of a peripheral region. These include: isolation from urban centres, unemployment, out-migration and a loss of attractiveness. The main problem for local businesses is the out-migration of the younger generation. It is forecast that the working-age population will shrink by 17% by 2030 (Statistik Austria 2014). Consequently, companies will face a labour shortage in the future that they cannot resolve without incurring additional costs. To counteract this shortage, active measures on the part of companies are necessary. The research project “Brain Gain instead of Brain Drain in the Murtal” addresses these issues. In summary, the aim is to analyse the extent to which companies in rural regions can drive strategic regional development as key players. In particular, measures to make the Murtal region more attractive to highly qualified workers are to be analysed.
Project objectives: 1.) Analysis of the significance and effectiveness of corporate activities in the context of making the region more attractive to highly qualified professionals, 2.) Raising awareness of the need for strategic cooperation between companies, public institutions and social stakeholders to make the West Upper Styria region more attractive to future employees
Funding: EU Lifelong Learning Programme – Comenius multilateral project
Funding amount: €401,814, RCE Graz-Styria €33,797
Duration: October 2013 – May 2016
Lead partner: RCE Rhine-Meuse
Project partners: Austria: RCE Graz-Styria, Dreihackengasse Grammar School and Music Grammar School, Admont Abbey Grammar School; Finland: City of Espoo; Etelä-Tapiola High School; France: Université de Bretagne Sud; Lycée Alain René Lesage; Italy: The City of Venice; Istituto Comprensivo Cortina d’Ampezzo; Lithuania: Šiauliai University; Šiauliai Didždvario Gymnasium; Šiauliai Jovaro Progymnasium; Romania: Cheorghe Sincai Theoretical High School; Scoala Gimnazială Corneliu Coposu; Czech Republic: Charles University in Prague; Schola Humanitas
Staff: Project Lead: Prof. Friedrich M. Zimmermann; Staff: Dr Filippina Risopoulos-Pichler (contact person), Dr Judith Pizzera, Thomas Drage and Heidrun Kögler
Description: The “OPEDUCA” project promotes the establishment of “open learning regions” in which schools, research institutions and businesses learn with and from one another in order to encourage pupils to enjoy acquiring knowledge, to increase all stakeholders’ sense of belonging to the region, and to secure the region’s future as a whole (intact environment, quality of life, jobs, infrastructure, social cohesion, recreation and leisure, etc.). “OPEDUCA” is an acronym for “Open EDUcational Area” and refers both to a regional network and to its vision of a new way of learning. OPEDUCA views all existing “sources of knowledge” in a region as potential educational opportunities and thus builds bridges between theory, practice and experience. Pupils and teachers work across subjects and year groups on issues relating to environmentally relevant topics such as energy, water, food, mobility and health. Teacher training is a further key component of the project, ensuring an appropriate pedagogical approach and embedding the OPEDUCA concept within the education system. Through its long-term focus on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the OPEDUCA concept aims to lead to a qualitative improvement in education across various dimensions and all school subjects.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Science and Research
Funding amount: €10,000
Duration: 02/2014 – 01/2015
Lead partner: RCE Graz-Styria
Project lead: Prof. Friedrich M. Zimmermann
Description: We live in a communication and media society in which an enormous wealth of information on every conceivable topic is disseminated via a wide variety of communication channels. This abundance makes it increasingly difficult for communicators to disseminate messages effectively and presents potential recipients with a growing challenge in perceiving, selecting and processing these messages. In particular, the communication and dissemination of complex, less tangible topics such as ‘sustainability’ face the challenge of needing to be communicated in a particularly targeted and accessible manner. The aim of the project is to compare the strengths and weaknesses of sustainability communication using a static website based on the example of ‘OpenScience4Sustainability’ and using a social network based on the example of ‘Facebook’. The following results will be achieved: 1.) Suggestions for improving online communications, specifically for “OpenScience4Sustainability”, 2.) Monitoring of the Facebook experience and the establishment of a permanent sustainability blog on Facebook by the RCE Graz-Styria, 3.) Optimisation of the interlinking of websites and social networks
Commissioned by: Federal Ministry of Science and Research
Funding: €17,000
Duration: October 2013 – April 2014
Lead partner: RCE Graz-Styria
Project partners: -
Team members: Project lead: Prof. Friedrich M. Zimmermann; Team member and contact person: Marlene Mader
Description: As part of the research project “Scaling Sustainability”, the aim is to identify the needs, challenges and potential involved in scaling up sustainability initiatives and expertise at the interface between science and society. To this end, a research workshop will take place during the Global RCE Conference in late November 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on how RCEs in particular can share their expertise and experiences more efficiently and thus learn from one another in a more structured manner. One focus will be on the role of higher education institutions. Furthermore, interviews with experts will be conducted. The findings from this research will form the basis for further research projects on the framework conditions that can promote the scaling of sustainability initiatives between academia and society.
Funding: Lifelong Learning Programme – Leonardo da Vinci (No.: 2011-1-PL1-LEO05-19884)
Funding amount: €356,580.00, University of Graz: €94,952.00
Duration: 01/2012 – 01/2014
Lead partner: Poznań University of Economics
Project partners: ISM University of Management and Economics, Wielkopolska Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Team members: Project lead: Dr Filippina Risopoulos-Pichler; Team members: Mag. Mario Diethart, Sonja Bloder BSc.
Description: As part of the project, a Virtual Strategic Management Game is being developed. A Virtual Strategic Management Game refers to the structured and simplified representation of real-world business conditions. In this context, several virtual companies compete within a specific, predefined virtual market. Through the simulation, participants learn to recognise complex economic interrelationships and can run through possible real-world scenarios in the ‘safe virtual world’. This enables them to develop entrepreneurial thinking and behaviour, teamwork skills and leadership qualities. As part of this project, an accompanying study is also being conducted using an online questionnaire. The results of the study will support the programmers of the online game. Business teachers and trainers from Austria, Poland and Lithuania are being surveyed.
Funding: Rural Development Programme (ELER) – LEADER priority 2007–2013
Funding amount: €34,400, RCE Graz-Styria €2,000
Duration: Jan 2013 – Dec 2013
Lead partner: Bio Ernte Steiermark
Project partners: South Styria Nature Park, 10 wine-growing businesses (8 from the nature park, 2 interested parties outside the area)
Staff: Project lead: Prof. Dr Friedrich M. Zimmermann; staff member and contact person: Mag. Thomas Drage
Description: Organic viticulture is practised in the South Styria Nature Park according to various standards (Bio Ernte Steiermark, Demeter, farms in conversion, etc.). In contrast to conventional agriculture, organic viticulture has so far increasingly relied on the commitment and traditional knowledge of individual ‘pioneers’. The project aimed to network organic farms, exchange existing knowledge on cultivation and processing, learn from and with one another, identify synergies, and raise awareness of organic viticulture and sustainable development—as well as their visibility—through a unified approach. As part of the project, numerous working group meetings were held in 2013 with partners in the region on the topics of sustainability, production techniques, product quality and brand development. In parallel, biodiversity surveys were carried out in the vineyards of the participating estates to highlight the positive effects of organic viticulture on flora and fauna. The results form the basis for the creation of a joint organic wine umbrella brand, which emphasises the individual characteristics of each winery whilst highlighting the common features of organic viticulture within the nature park. This newly created brand, named Südherz, under which organic wine will be jointly marketed from 2014 onwards, was presented to the public in December 2013. Once the project has concluded, follow-up projects in other regions are set to benefit from recommendations for action based on the findings. Organic viticulture and the project “Naturpark-Biowein-Qualität-Südsteiermark – Creating a Brand in the Region” contribute to the preservation of valuable cultural landscapes.
Funding: EU Tempus
Funding amount: €1,258,556.47, RCE Graz-Styria: €73,808.77
Duration: 3 years, 10/2010 – 10/2013
Lead partner: RWTH Aachen, Germany
Project partners: 4 European partners: RWTH Aachen, UNESCO International Hydrological Programme (Germany); University of Graz (Austria); CEIFA (Portugal); University of Limerick (Ireland); and 14 Egyptian partners: Alexandria University, American University in Cairo, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Cairo University, Fayoum Governorate – Ministry of Education, Fayoum University, Heliopolis University, Ministry of Higher Education, SEKEM Development Foundation, Suez Canal University, The American-Mideast Education and Training Service, Wadi Environmental Science Centre, Zagazig University
Staff: Project leader: Prof. Friedrich M. Zimmermann, (until 30 April 2012: Prof. Clemens Mader); Staff member and contact person: Marlene Mader
Description: The aim of EduCamp is to promote education for sustainable development within Egyptian society. This is achieved through the establishment of education centres at seven Egyptian universities, the development of innovative teaching materials on ESD, and the implementation of a continuing professional development programme in which professors are trained in ESD and subsequently train teachers in Egypt. The specific project objectives of EduCamp are: 1.) the establishment of seven ‘Centres of Excellence’ within Egyptian universities to offer and deliver training on activities related to Education for Sustainable Development, 2.) the development of ‘EduCamp ESD Teaching and Learning Kits’ for pupils aged 10 to 14, containing over 200 activities on the themes of sustainability, biodiversity, energy, agriculture and water, tailored to the Egyptian curriculum, 3.) the development of innovative teaching methods for schoolchildren, 4.) the development and implementation of a “Training of Trainers” programme, within which professors are trained in ESD topics and methods, who in turn provide further training for Egyptian teachers, 5.) the creation of a virtual platform for networking and the exchange of knowledge and experiences on the topic of sustainable development. EduCamp is the first initiative in Egypt to structurally link universities and schools. The RCE Graz-Styria is responsible for the Training of Trainers modules.
Publications: Mader, M., Sewilam, H., Mader, C. (2013) EduCamp – Education for Sustainable Development in Egypt, pp. 139–145, in: Umweltdachverband (ed.) (2013) Education for Sustainable Development – Yearbook 2013, Forum Umweltbildung, Vienna
Funding: Federal Ministry of Science and Research as part of the ‘MINT Mass Subjects’
call for proposals Funding amount: €1,076,000.00
Duration: 01/2012 – 06/2013
Project partners: University of Graz, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Graz
University of Technology Project team: Project leader: Prof. Friedrich M. Zimmermann for KFU; Team members: Ricarda Rindlisbacher MSc BSc, Sonja Bloder BSc, Mag. Mario Diethart, Mag. Thomas Drage, DI (FH) Stefanie Egger, Magdalena Gschaider BSc, Mag. Thomas Höflehner, Mag. Irene Jammernegg, Martin Kubanek MSc BSc, Mag. Marlene Mader, Jonas Meyer MSc BSc, Mag. Dr. Filippina Risopoulos-Pichler
Description: SUSTAINICUM is a collaborative project between the University of Graz, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, and Graz University of Technology. The project aims to integrate sustainability-related topics into university teaching from the perspective of various disciplines. To this end, a platform has been established on which various types of resources are collected and made available. These resources (building blocks, teaching methods, lecture notes and teaching modules) are intended to support lecturers in terms of content and through the use of innovative teaching methods, whilst promoting systemic and holistic thinking. Lecturers can continuously submit their own resources on the topic of sustainability to make them available to other colleagues. A focus on ecological and scientific aspects is intended to spark interest in the STEM subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – particularly among female students.
Funding: EU ERASMUS – Lifelong Learning Programme
Funding amount: €388,020.00, RCE Graz-Styria: €54,612.00
Duration: October 2010 – October 2012
Lead partner: University of Crete
Project partners: University of Crete, Open University of Cyprus, Daugavpils University, Dublin City University, Frederick University, Uppsala University
Staff: Project Leader: Prof. Dr Clemens Mader and, from the end of the project, Univ.-Prof. Dr Friedrich Zimmermann; Staff: Mag. Mario Diethart
Description: As part of ICTeESD, seven universities from Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Sweden, Cyprus and Austria are developing a joint master’s degree that combines education for sustainable development with modern information and communication technologies: on the one hand, the course content is delivered via the internet; on the other hand, students learn how to use modern media for education for sustainable development. Courses in the curriculum deal with holistic approaches to sustainability, the management of sustainability projects, and European and international education policy; furthermore, students are taught about the potential of modern communication technologies (Web 2.0) in knowledge and sustainability communication. In addition to the 120 ECTS Joint Master’s Degree, the ICTeESD project involves the creation of the virtual platform itself, as well as the training of e-tutors to support the students. In the long term, the ICTeESD Joint Master’s programme aims to contribute to promoting education for sustainable development in Europe and worldwide, and to address the need for more accessible and flexible higher education opportunities. The UN Decade of ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ is being promoted more widely, and education for sustainable development is being placed on a broader footing through the involvement of students and university staff from various disciplines.
Funding: Energie Steiermark GmbH
Funding amount: €23,200, RCE Graz-Styria: €18,800
Duration: 01/2011 – 09/2011
Project partner: Energie Steiermark GmbH
Staff: Project leader: Prof. Dr Clemens Mader; Staff member: Mag. Marlene Mader
Description: With the study “Electromobility in Styria”, RCE Graz-Styria presents the results of a comprehensive online survey on the topic of electromobility in Styria, with a focus on e-bikes, which was conducted in 2011 in cooperation with Energie Steiermark. The aim was to identify the potential and attitudes towards e-bikes, particularly in rural areas, and to create user profiles of e-bike riders. Three different target groups were surveyed: Styrian municipalities, existing e-bike users, and people who could envisage using an e-bike. From late February to mid-April 2011, a total of 381 people took part in the online survey. At the end of May 2011, a workshop was held with participants in this study and interested parties, where the initial findings of the study were presented, reflected upon and discussed: 1.) E-bikes replace the car, particularly for journeys of up to 10 km, 2.) Batteries are charged almost exclusively at home, 3.) Around two-thirds of those surveyed would like to see improved cycle paths as the most important infrastructure measure, 4.) Secure parking spaces are also a concern, particularly for e-bike users living in cities or on the outskirts of towns, 5.) Almost 90% of local authorities support the private purchase of an e-bike
Funding: EU Lifelong Learning Programme
Funding amount: €529,701, University of Graz: €92,157
Duration: 2 years, 01/2009 – 12/2010
Lead partner: Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
Project partners: Open University of the Netherlands, Netherlands; Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany; University of Macedonia, Greece
Staff: Project leader: Prof. Friedrich M. Zimmermann; Staff: Marlene Mader, Prof. Clemens Mader, Elisabeth Görsdorf-Lechevin
Description: The 3-LENSUS project is funded under the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme. The focus of 3-LENSUS lies on the so-called knowledge triangle of education, research and innovation. Educational and research activities at universities are therefore to be linked with society in order to create innovations for sustainable development. The project objectives can be divided into the following two areas: 1.) Networking universities with regional stakeholders to form multi-stakeholder learning networks. This is achieved through the relaunch of the COPERNICUS Alliance, the European university network for sustainable development, and through the development of a ‘Database on Learning for Sustainable Development’, which promotes networking and the exchange of knowledge and experience between academic, non-university and regional stakeholders. 2.) Capacity building to support existing and future multi-stakeholder learning networks. Knowledge and experience are gathered and processed through a series of seminars and the development of a best practice handbook on ‘Multi-Actor Learning for Regional Sustainable Development’.
Publications: The project results were also published as part of a special issue on ‘Learning for sustainable development in regional networks’ in the Journal of Cleaner Production (Volume 49, 2013). Trummler M., Mader C., (2011) Database on Learning for Sustainable Development – analysis of projects, In: Barton A., Dlouha J., Multi-Actor Learning for Sustainable Regional Development in Europe: A Handbook of Best Practice, Grosvenor Publishing, Surrey, 343p
Funding: EU eLearning Programme
Funding amount: €915,000
Duration: 2 years, 2007–2009
Lead partner: University of Macedonia
Project partners: University of Graz, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Open University of the Netherlands, Charles University Prague
Project team: Project lead: Prof. Dr Friedrich M. Zimmermann, Team members: MMag. Dr Judith Pizzera, Mag. Elisabeth Görsdorf-Lechevin
Description: The VCSE (Virtual Campus for a Sustainable Europe) project is an international virtual education platform initiated by five European partner universities as part of the eLearning 2006 programme. The VCSE network has since grown to include 15 partner universities and enables students at each university to participate in virtual courses on the topic of sustainable development. Five courses are offered annually, each addressing a topic within sustainable development from different perspectives, depending on the focus of the university offering the course. This results in a very diverse range of courses, spanning economic issues and globalisation to environmental topics. The University of Graz is represented here by the Institute of Geography and Spatial Research, with a focus on ‘Sustainable Urban and Regional Development’.
Funding: Province of Styria
Funding amount: €14,000
Duration: 09/2007 – 04/2008
Lead partner: RCE Graz-Styria
Project partners: Fun House – Trofaiach Youth Centre, Municipality of Trofaiach, FA 6A Styrian
Provincial Youth Office Project leader: Prof. Dr Clemens Mader
Description: In 2008, young people from the ‘Fun House’ Youth Centre in Trofaiach and students of Environmental Systems Science at the University of Graz, under the guidance of RCE Graz-Styria, jointly developed an educational trail on the topic of sustainable development. During four workshops, the young people had the opportunity to discuss topics such as climate change, poverty alleviation, energy consumption and water resources in relation to sustainable development with the students, and to develop educational panels on these topics. These workshops also highlighted ways of incorporating sustainability into their daily lives, for example through energy saving or the consumption of regional products. The students were challenged to put their theoretical knowledge into practice. This led to an exchange of knowledge between the young people and the students, who worked together on the content and design of the educational trail panels. Anyone interested can visit the nature trail at any time and free of charge on the Panoramaweg in the west of Trofaiach! The nature trail was recognised by the Austrian UNESCO Commission as an official project of the UN Decade of ‘Education for Sustainable Development 2005–2014’: certificate and report in the Kleine Zeitung.
Nature trail panels (for download):
1. Start board
2. Climate change
3. Food consumption
4. Energy consumption
5. Water resources
6. Poverty reduction
7. Education
8. Millennium Development Goals
The educational panels can be purchased for €40 and displayed in schools, for example. If you are interested, please get in touch with us!