SustainMV 2024
The Sustainability Summer School
Programme Overview
SustainMV is jointly presented by all universities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The overarching theme for this unique event is sustainability in all subject fields. Academics from all MV universities, who are all experts in their respective fields of sustainability, present their work and research. The focus is sustainability in the fields of Tourism, Renewable Energies, Digital & Technological Innovations, Recycling & Waste Management, Ecosystems and Social Sustainability.
Its consists of an online and an on-site part in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Online Programme (27 – 29 August)
| 11:30 - 12:15 | 🙌 | Welcome to SustainMV 2024 | |
| 12:15 - 13:15 | 🌍 | Presentation with discussion "The many Faces of Sustainability" A recent online article is aptly titled: “Sustainability – confusing term for a clever concept“. This nicely summaries both the beauty and challenge in dealing with this important concept. The idea of sustainability first emerged with regards to forestry, where it means never harvesting more than what the forest yields in new growth. The word “Nachhaltigkeit” (the German term for sustainability) was first used with this meaning in 1713. Since then the concept of sustainability has come a long way. In general terms, sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. However, this is not restricted to the natural environment but also extends to social and economic resources. Thus, sustainability goes beyond environmentalism and also encompasses social equity and economic development. Sustainability can also be understood as a movement which has its roots in social justice, conservationism or internationalism. By the end of the 20th century, many of these ideas were united under the roof of “sustainable development” and found their most prominent expression in the Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) as the current global agenda for reducing poverty and raising the quality of life. Sustainability as a political and strategic concept has its origin in the Brundtland Report “Our Common Future” of 1987. The report was concerned with the tension between the aspirations of mankind towards a better life on the one hand and the limitations imposed by nature on the other hand. The presentation traces the history of the concept of sustainability and critically discusses its many dimensions. |  Prof. Dr. Jörn Dosch University of Rostock |
| 13:15 - 13:45 | ☕ | Break / Room for Exchange Take a break or use the opportunity to exchange with the other participants | |
| 13:45 - 14:00 | ⭐ | Uni Showcase: Rostock | |
| 14:00 - 15:00 | 🌍 | "Greenwashing from an Ethical Perspective" Many companies acknowledge the importance of sustainability. But how can we know wether a company is sincere, or whether it uses the term "sustainable" as a fig leave to legitimize the status quo? In this session I will analyse the issue of greenwashing from an ethical standpoint by a. giving a definition of greenwashing, b. showing how the current sustainablity community is prone to greenwashing practices and c. give some normative guidelines that can serve as a safeguard and highlight the transformation potential of "true" sustainability. |  Dr. phil. Frederike Neuber |
| 15:00 - 15:15 | ☕ | Break / Room for Exchange Take a break or use the opportunity to exchange with the other participants | |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | 🌍 | "Hydrogen as a Crucial Part in the Energy Transitions" Hydrogen plays a crucial role in the transition to a renewable energy system, acting as a versatile and clean energy carrier. This presentation explores the various advantages of using hydrogen for energy storage and mobility, such as its potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and its energy density. It also addresses the challenges and disadvantages, including the current high costs of production and infrastructure requirements. Additionally, the presentation provides a explanation of how a FuelCell operates, covering its basic principles, the chemical reactions involved, and its applications in different sectors. This presentation aims to enhance understanding of hydrogen's potential in advancing a sustainable energy future. |  Prof. Dr. Johannes Gulden University of Applied Sciences Stralsund |
| 16:00 - 16:15 | 👋 | Closing of the Day A brief closing statement to the day’s programme and pointers to extracurricular activities available. |
| 11:30 - 12:15 | 🙌 | Welcome to the Day A brief introduction to the day’s programme and organisation | |
| 🎵 | Tuning in with the Rostock University of Music and Drama |  Rostock University of Music and Drama |
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| ⭐ | Uni Showcase: Neubrandenburg | ||
| 12:15 - 13:15 | 🌍 | "Sustainability as a Guiding Principle in Farm Management" |  Prof. Dr. Rainer Langosch University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg |
| 13:15 - 13:45 | ☕ | Break / Room for Exchange Take a break or use the opportunity to exchange with the other participants | |
| 13:45 - 14:00 | ⭐ | Uni Showcase: Stralsund | |
| 14:00 - 15:00 | 🌍 | Presentation "Sustainability & Tourism: Navigating Myths, Challenges, and Good Practices" This presentation explores the intricate relationship between sustainability and the tourism industry, underscoring the necessity for substantial reforms to align tourism practices with sustainable development principles. Key topics include the foundational concepts of sustainability, the myths versus realities of sustainable tourism, and the global challenges such as climate change and resource consumption. Additionally, the presentation discusses best practices for integrating sustainability into tourism, with a particular emphasis on eco-friendly mobility and inclusive tourism events. |  Dr. Acácia Malhado University of Applied Sciences Stralsund |
| 15:00 - 15:15 | ☕ | Break / Room for Exchange Take a break or use the opportunity to exchange with the other participants | |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | 🌍 | Workshop "How Environmental Psychology describes and predicts Sustainable Behaviour Changes" Psychological models are used to describe, predict and purposefully change behaviour. Knowing such theories and their predictors of behaviour can help to focus efforts to increase sustainable behaviour. In this workshop you'll get to know two theories of behaviour change and how they can be applied. |  M.Sc. Paul Schulz University of Greifswald |
| 16:00 - 16:15 | 👋 | Closing of the Day A brief closing statement to the day’s programme and pointers to extracurricular activities available. |
| 11:30 - 12:15 | 🙌 | Welcome to the Day A brief introduction to the day’s programme and organisation | |
| 🎵 | Tuning in with the Rostock University of Music and Drama | Rostock University of Music and Drama |
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| 12:15 - 13:15 | 🌍 | "Sustainable AI - From a Lighthouse to a Sea of Lights" We know that neither the Ocean nor other natural areas are infinite, but that the Earth is a closed system, and all its resources are limited. If we want to shape our existence in the long term with these scarce resources, we must keep our consumption within the corridor provided by the Earth system - in short, we must act sustainably. In view of the global challenges of our time, especially regarding dwindling resources, increasing natural hazards and rapidly advancing climate change, the question is more relevant than ever: What can the "tool Al" contribute to environmental protection? Following a brief introduction of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (IOW) and its "perspectives of coastal seas" the presentation will investigate the potential of Al to support marine research and stewardship. Towards this end, two in-depth studies will be presented, a) the utilization of Al to promote a digital twin addressing marine environmental effects from offshore windfarms, and b) on the application of deep learning for the assessment of microplastic litter in coastal zones and river areas. Finally, we will change flight level and investigate the top-level questions of Al as a "game changer" in the context of UN sustainable development goals. |  Prof. Dr. Oliver Zielinski University of Rostock |
| 13:15 - 13:45 | ☕ | Break / Room for Exchange Take a break or use the opportunity to exchange with the other participants | |
| 13:45 - 14:00 | ⭐ | Uni Showcase: Wismar | |
| 14:00 - 15:00 | 🌍 | Seminar with practical elements "Sustainability Engineering and the Difficult Way to Truly Sustainable and also Ecological and Social Products" Critical analysis of the current situation in the field of Sustainability Engineering. - Problems are everywhere – case studies for possible activities in Sustainability Engineering. - Presentation of Methodology for the development of sustainable products. - Common online excercise for development of social, ecological and sustainable products. |  Prof. Dr. Henrik Schnegas University of Applied Sciences Wismar |
| 15:00 - 15:15 | ☕ | Break / Room for Exchange Take a break or use the opportunity to exchange with the other participants | |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | 🌍 | "Demolish, sell or protect for Sustainable Urban Development?" What the GDR left us and how it still shapes East German city centers, despite 35 years of transformation processes. The public perception is that many buildings from the GDR era have been demolished. In fact, this mainly applies to the large housing estates on the outskirts of the city, but not to most of the city centres. Rather, there have been adaptations and modernizations in line with the new urban planning models, but the architectural heritage of socialist times is often still visible. Which conversions and redesigns in Dresden, Rostock, Neubrandenburg and others, have turned out to be sustainable developments and to what extent are ideological reasons likely to have led to demolitions? Join us on a tour through East German city centers and into the depths of recent planning history. |  M.Sc. Jan Nissen University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg |
| 16:00 - 16:15 | 👋 | Closing and Farewell|
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On-site Programme (3 – 13 September)
Travelling to Stralsund 🛫 🚄 🚌
📍 Stralsund
| 09:30 - 10:45 | 🙌 | Opening Welcome to SustainMV 2023 | |
| 10:45 - 11:30 | 👨👩👦👦 | Campus Tour Stralsund | |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | 🍽️ | Lunch | |
| 🚌 | Free Time + Transfer to City Center | ||
| 13:45 - 15:00 | 👨👩👦👦 | City Tour Stralsund | |
| 15:30 - 17:30 | 🌍 | Public Round Table "More or less? - Reduction and Substitution as Sustainable Strategies" As part of this panel discussion, we will take a look at the practical side of sustainable development at regional level with representatives from business, science, politics and society in MV. This year, we are particularly interested in the relationship between reduction and substitution: In which areas do we as a society rely on renunciation in the sustainability transformation, where do we not want to renounce, but rather replace? In our state, too, the question of renunciation or replacement is central, as can be seen in tourism, peatland use and animal husbandry, for example. 📍 MakerPort Stralsund | |
| 17:30 - 18:30 | 🍽️ | Get-together with Snack Buffet |
📍 Stralsund + Greifswald
| 🚌 | Transfer to Greifswald | ||
| 10:30 - 11:30 | Campus Tour Greifswald | ||
| 11:30 - 13:30 | 🍽️ | Lunch + Free Time | |
| 13:30 - 16:30 | 🌍 | Workshop "Greifswald's Sustainability Handprint Tour" This guided tour combines two learning formats: In the first part students will visit key locations of good-practice examples in sustainable development dealing with mobility, energy production, education and policy making. In the second part students will form small working groups, develop an innovative own idea (can be a very small or a very big one) how to make Greifswald more sustainable and - finally - present this idea in a small, improvised theatre performance to the group. |  Dr. Tiemo Timmermann University of Greifswald |
| 16:30 - 18:00 | Free Time | ||
| 18:00 - 19:30 | 🌍 | Public Lecture "Stay grounded, keep connected – flight reduction in academia" Academic air travel and the associated CO2 emissions have increased dramatically over the last 50 years, which is in conflict with the net-zero targets. Susann Görlinger will use the example of ETH Zurich and other universities to illustrate the challenges and opportunities in implementing projects to reduce air travel and present a toolbox to support academic institutions and interested scientists in designing their own process. A successful reduction of flight emissions requires a solid and longterm strategy in terms of data monitoring and governance, as well as a willingness to transform the academic system, which currently relies heavily on intercontinental mobility. 📍 Alfried Krupp Wissenschaftskolleg Greifswald. |  Dr. Susann Görlinger |
| 19:30 - 20:00 | 🍽️ | Joint Dinner | |
| 🚌 | Transfer to Stralsund |
📍 Stralsund
| 8:30 - 10:00 | 🌍 | Seminar "Rebalancing Tourism in Turbulent Times" Global challenges like climate change, rising inequality and geopolitical conflicts coincide with tourism growth projections and unbridled travel desires. This seminar considers approaches placing sustainability and human dignity center stage, and we will discuss regional opportunities and obstacles with reference to tourism contexts. 📍 Stralsund |  Prof. Dr. Volker Rundshagen University of Applied Sciences Stralsund |
| 10:00 - 12:00 | 🧩 | Time for Group Work | |
| 12:00 - 13:30 | 🍽️ | Lunch | |
| 13:30 - 16:30 | 🌍 | Workshop “Krafla – Energy Transition Simulation Game: Negotiating with the World” In the Energy Transition Game, energy companies from six countries play against each other in a fictional world and have to keep an eye on global greenhouse gas emissions. The task is to generate profits by buying and operating power plants. The winner is whoever has achieved the best economic performance. Together, however, a certain limit of greenhouse gas emissions must not be exceeded. You have to discuss, negotiate and take decisions in a climate council - just like in the real world. 📍 Campus Stralsund | Prof. Dr. Johannes Gulden University of Applied Sciences Stralsund  Romy Sommer University of Applied Sciences Stralsund |
| 16:30 - 18:00 | 🧩 | Time for Group Work |
📍 Stralsund
| 08:00 - 10:00 | 🚌 | Transfer to Rostock | |
| 10:00 - 11:00 | 🌍 | Lab Tour Visit of "Abfalltechnikum" Rostock Since September 2008, approx. 600 m² of hall and laboratory space has been available for research on waste and resource management at the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Due to the continuous expansion, the technical laboratory is now equipped with a wide range of equipment and laboratory technology which we will see during the tour. The main area of work is currently a biogas test facility. The research focus is currently on the field of anaerobic methane fermentation of biogenic waste to produce biogas. 📍 "Abfalltechnikum" Rostock |  Prof. Dr. Michael Nelles University of Rostock |
| 🚌 | Transfer | ||
| 11:30 - 12:45 | 🍽️ | Lunch | |
| 🚌 | Transfer | ||
| 13:00 - 14:30 | 🌍 | Lab Tour "Aquaponics - Combined Production of Fish and Plant" The FischGlasHaus, Europe's most advanced aquaponics experimental facility, was built in 2015 on the campus of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. It employs an eco-friendly "multi-unit system design" and investigates the impact of different fish species on the growth of herbs, leafy greens, and fruit vegetables. The closed aquaponics system utilizes fish water for plant nutrition, saving up to 90% of water in plant production and contributing to global resource optimization. 📍 "FishGlassHouse" |  Dr. rer. nat. Adrian A. Bischoff-Lang University of Rostock |
| 🚌 | Transfer | ||
| 15:00 - 16:30 | 🌍 | Seminar "The Sustainable Development Goals: What are they, how did we get there and where do we stand?" During a United Nations summit in New York in 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was launched. This global initiative, in which all UN member states participate, aims to promote peace and prosperity for all people and to protect the Earth's environment and climate, which is reflected in the five ‘P ’s (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership). As part of this agenda, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were defined with a total of 169 targets. These goals cover a wide range of topics, including eradicating poverty and hunger, strengthening education and health systems, improving conditions for decent work, promoting gender equality, taking action on climate change and efficient water management. These goals are monitored and evaluated at UN level using a set of currently 231 indicators. The implementation of the SDGs has reached its halfway point. In this session we will take stock of what has been achieved so far, and discuss the problems, challenes and hurdles in the process of achieving the SGDs. | Prof. Dr. Jörn Dosch University of Rostock |
| 16:30 - 18:00 | 👨👩👦👦 | Free Time | |
| 19:30 - 20:45 | 🚌 | Transfer to Stralsund |
Day at Leisure 🌱
Day Trip to Hiddensee Island 🚢
| 🚌 | Transfer to Stralsund ferry terminal | ||
| 09:20 - 12:00 | ⛴️ | Ferry to Hiddensee Island | |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | 🍽️ | Lunch | |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | 👨👩👦👦 | Walk | |
| 14:00 - 15:00 | 🌍 | Botanical Excursion “Hiddensee” is an island located in the Baltic Sea and part of the national park “Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft”. The island is quite busy during the summer due to vacationers who enjoy the peaceful (car-free) island with its beautiful beaches. During the excursion we will learn from Prof. Blindow (University of Greifswald) about its unique ecosystems and how to protect these endangered landscapes. |  Prof. Dr. Irmgard Blindow University of Greifswald |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | 👨👩👦👦 | Walk | |
| 16:00 - 18:45 | ⛴️ | Ferry to Stralsund |
📍 Wismar
| 🚌 | Transfer to Poel Island | ||
| 9:45 - 12:00 | Experimental Lecture + Guided Tour |  Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Stollberg University of Applied Sciences Wismar |
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| 12:00 - 13:00 | 🍽️ | Lunch | |
| 13:00 - 15:00 | 🌍 | Manufacturing Visit "Insulation from the Baltic Sea" Start-up Build Blue | |
| 15:00 - 15:20 | 🚌 | Transfer to Wismar | |
| 15:20 - 17:00 | 👨👩👦👦 | City Tour Wismar | |
| 17:00 - 18:00 | Free Time | ||
| 18:00 - 19:00 | 🍽️ | Joint Dinner | |
| 19:00 - 21:00 | 🚌 | Transfer to Stralsund |
📍 Neubrandenburg
| 8:00 - 9:30 | 🚌 | Transfer to Neubrandenburg | |
| 9:30 - 11:00 | 👨👩👦👦 | City Tour Neubrandenburg | |
| 11:00 - 12:30 | 🌍 | Seminar "Germany's Sustainable Development Strategy and its Implementation" The seminar gives an overview of the German sustainability strategy and its implementation in selected areas, e.g. renewable energies, land use and nature conservation. Students learn about germanys spatial planning system and are invited to reflect the situation in their home countries. |  Prof. Dr. Torsten Lipp University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg |
| 12:30 - 13:30 | 🍽️ | Lunch | |
| 13:30 - 14:00 | 👨👩👦👦 | Campus Tour Neubrandenburg | |
| 14:00 - 15:30 | 🌍 | Seminar "The use of Drones and Comparison with other Remote Sensing Methods in Crop Production" This seminar will provide a description of the process costs of remote sensing technologies in crop production. |  Paul Gütschow University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg |
| 15:30 - 17:45 | 👨👩👦👦 🍽️ | Get-together at the Campus | |
| 17:45 - 20:00 | 🚌 | Transfer to Stralsund |
📍 Stralsund
| 09:00 - 10:30 | 🌍 | Seminar "Magnesium Applications – Eco-friendly and enabling good health" Components made of magnesium are of interest in the automotive sector because the lightest structural material is used. It is eco-friendly and can be 100 % recycled. Its use as a temporary implant is of interest as it is biodegradable and biocompatible. Costs and risks can be saved by avoiding a second operation to remove the implant, e.g. after bone healing. |  Prof. Dr.-Ing. Petra Maier University of Applied Sciences Stralsund |
| 11:00 - 13:00 | 🌍 | Workshop "Circular Economy Business Models (CEBM)" The circular design is a key part of the circular economy, as a society we need to reshape the way that we are manufacturing our products and look for another green materials, reusable material, design easy to adjust or replace. In this workshop we will learn: The current scenario. Linear Economy: Linear design |  José Alexander Mosquera Manchola University Externado de Colombia |
| 13:00 - 14:30 | 🍽️ | Lunch | |
| 14:30 - 16:00 | 🌍 | Seminar “Turning the Power of the Sun into Hydrogen Molecules” Being a source of unlimited power, the sun is ideal for producing electricity. However, the energy system of tomorrow does not only require electrons but also molecules, most importantly hydrogen. Production of green H2 is usually accomplished by an electrolyzer that is coupled to a power source such as a photovoltaic (PV) module which is basically an indirect method. The question thus arises: Is it possible to turn solar energy directly into hydrogen molecules, i.e. by using only a single component instead of two? The talk will start with some foundations of photovoltaics, before introducing combined PV/electrolyzer systems. Finally, the lecture will take the audience to so-called photoelectrochemical cells, which directly turn photons into H2 molecules without the need of a separate electrolyzer. |  Prof. Dr. Jan-Christian Kuhr University of Applied Sciences Stralsund |
📍 Greifswald + Stralsund
| 🚌 | Transfer to Greifswald | ||
| 10:45 - 12:15 | 🌍 | Seminar + Lab Tour "Enzymatic Degradation and Recycling of Plastics" This lecture will show recent examples for the enzymatic degradation of waste plastic materials, such as PET, aiming at a circular bioeconomy. 📍 Institute of Biochemistry |  Prof. Dr. Uwe Bornscheuer University of Greifswald |
| 12:15 - 13:30 | 🍽️ | Lunch | |
| 🚌 | Transfer | ||
| 14:00 - 16:00 | 🌍 | Peatland Excursion With Prof. Jurasinski we are going to explore the peatland close to the city centre of Greifswald. Sturdy footware and a rain jacket are recommended for this field trip. |  Prof. Dr. Gerald Jurasinski University of Greifswald |
| 🚌 | Transfer to Stralsund |
📍 Stralsund
| 10:30 - 13:30 | 👋 | Closing Event 📍 MakerPort Stralsund | |
| 13:30 - 14:30 | 🍽️ | Joint Lunch |
