HNEE enquires: Nationwide annual conference of the Hochschulnetzwerk Bildung e.V.

Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) and other cooperation partners, such as the Sustainability Coordination Office at Brandenburg's universities, are inviting participants to Eberswalde on 21-22 September 2023.

The aim of the annual conference is to show how universities work together with civil society practitioners in the context of teaching. Also important: how they enable their students to gain experience from civil society engagement, take it with them and receive credit for it. Why is this so important in the education of young people and for the acquisition of skills?

The programme of the annual conference is full of ideas and approaches for opening up universities to civil society and strengthening them and their students in precisely this commitment. One of the ways in which HNEE is doing this is with its approach to establishing service learning in academic teaching. "The combination of service learning and sustainable development is particularly suitable for supporting social change," emphasises Prof Dr Heike Molitor, Professor of Education for Sustainable Development at HNEE.

Students and lecturers should apply their teaching content to specific issues in civil society. Experience-based knowledge from practice and its reflection in teaching creates a democratising effect - in the consciousness of civil society as well as in that of young students.

The inclusion of civil society involvement in teaching and the targeted comparison with sustainability skills is intended to strengthen a sustainable democratic society from the ranks of the students. The experiences of students and staff outside the university reflect society within the university and reflect teaching and life experiences in both directions.

Around 50 universities in Germany are working and researching on this in the higher education network Bildung durch Verantwortung e.V. - some of which are now also in Austria. HNEE is one of them and this year's organiser of the annual conference entitled: Democracy education and civil society in the context of sustainable development: What impact do universities achieve in their region?

"We are delighted to be bringing the annual conference of the Education through Responsibility university network to Eberswalde and to have Dr Mandy Singer-Brodowski from Freie Universität Berlin and Timo Reinfrank, Managing Director of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, as speakers. With these two experts, we have the best possible line-up for the topics of civil society, democracy and education for sustainable development," says Prof Dr Heike Walk, political scientist and Professor of Transformation Governance at HNEE.

"On the one hand, we are extremely pleased about the financial support from the German Foundation for Engagement and Volunteering (Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt, DSEE). The foundation, represented by its board member Mr Jan Holze, will also speak at the conference about how cooperation between universities and civil society can be intensified in a targeted manner. The examples presented in over 30 contributions in the programme will show us how this can be achieved and make networks possible. This was one of the main objectives of the Eberswalde protagonists when putting together the programme," says Steffi Schneemilch, research assistant and Service Learning Officer at HNEE.

The conference as a whole is guided by the idea: When the body moves, the mind moves. We will therefore take our participants to various places during the conference, which will be the focus of the contributions. We will walk to places such as the Hermann Scheer Centre - the current headquarters of the SDW e.V., the Forest Botanical Garden or the Zainhammer Mühle as the location of the art association Die Mühle e.V.

The parallel conference part at the Waldcampus (21 September) is in no way inferior to this. A sustainability simulation game, a movement format entitled "Sustainability on the move" as well as educational forestry activities for all conference guests will perhaps provide a better understanding of some of the contributions, such as the "Biesenthaler Bürgerwald" project (HNEE Professor Martin Guericke) and "The voice of nature" (Dr Monica Hernandez from HNEE), and ensure movement.

The first day of the conference will conclude with the awarding of the Engagement Prize of the Eberswalde University Society - the HNEE's support organisation. This award honours students or initiatives at HNEE who are particularly involved in voluntary work. The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, represented by Ms Melanie Haas, Head of Department 1 - Democracy and Volunteering, will be attending the award ceremony to give a welcome address and exchange ideas.

The complete programme can be found on the website of the Hochschulnetzwerk Bildung durch Verantwortung e.V..

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