Presenting an Interdisciplinary Teaching Approach to Involve …
75
Integration of Saxony-Anhalt before answering students’ questions on this topic.
Since education and risk communication play an important role in the field of health,
the students finally developed an idea for an education campaign on a topic of their
choice in the area of health risks from climate change in group work.
The fifth workshop was on energy and mobility. In his presentation “No energy
turnaround without a turnaround in transport”, a mobility researcher from the Social
Science Research Centre Berlin, presented possibilities and examples for future
sustainable mobility. In addition to electric mobility, active mobility and public transport were presented as the main solutions to prevent further climate change. Afterwards, a staff member of the Chair of Electrical Power Networks and Renewable
Energy from the university spoke about the challenges of energy system transformation and the role of electric mobility. The question how electrical networks should
be designed to meet future and changing requirements was discussed. Additionally,
a member of a local initiative promoting better infrastructure for cyclists was invited
as a representative of civil engagement. He encouraged voluntary work in this area
and gave examples of how this is possible in Magdeburg.
The last workshop at Magdeburg City Hall was about climate friendly city planning. The head of the urban planning office in Magdeburg presented many examples
of ways in which a city can be adapted to climate change and made sustainable.
He focused on urban densification and the need to keep climate-compensating and
risk areas free. A staff member from the Office for Environment then presented the
climate change adaptation concept of the city of Magdeburg. The focus here was
primarily on the different degrees to which the various districts are/will be affected.
The bills. Subsequently, the students worked in their groups on the drafts for their
bills. Each group was asked to write two bills corresponding to the responsibility of
the ministry they were in. To give them orientation on what needs to be included in
their bills a template was provided. The template included the issues presentation
of the problem, goal of the bill, measures to achieve this goal, target group and
success indicators. Additionally, students were asked to assess the impact of their
plans regarding sustainability, which is obliged for new laws in Germany.
The developed bills were discussed in two parliamentary debates. For the debates,
students took on the roles of members of parliament (in order to be able to vote on
the bills). To make the sessions as realistic as possible, the teaching staff adopted the
role as state parliament presidium with one of them guiding the debate as the speaker
of the parliament.
In the first debate, all bills were briefly presented in five minutes by one member of
each ministry. Subsequently, the other ministries were asked to submit amendments
to the proposals, which they had prepared in writing beforehand. With their bills,
students addressed a wide range of topics, some narrower and more specific, others
broader and more comprehensive. For example, they made a case for higher funding
for research on climate change adaptation, pleaded for sustainability consultants at
schools, developed plans to make cities greener and rewetting marshlands.
In the second parliamentary debate, which took place in a round-shaped auditorium to enhance the similarities to the parliament floor, the bills were briefly presented
again with focus on the changes that had been incorporated into the bills following the
75
Integration of Saxony-Anhalt before answering students’ questions on this topic.
Since education and risk communication play an important role in the field of health,
the students finally developed an idea for an education campaign on a topic of their
choice in the area of health risks from climate change in group work.
The fifth workshop was on energy and mobility. In his presentation “No energy
turnaround without a turnaround in transport”, a mobility researcher from the Social
Science Research Centre Berlin, presented possibilities and examples for future
sustainable mobility. In addition to electric mobility, active mobility and public transport were presented as the main solutions to prevent further climate change. Afterwards, a staff member of the Chair of Electrical Power Networks and Renewable
Energy from the university spoke about the challenges of energy system transformation and the role of electric mobility. The question how electrical networks should
be designed to meet future and changing requirements was discussed. Additionally,
a member of a local initiative promoting better infrastructure for cyclists was invited
as a representative of civil engagement. He encouraged voluntary work in this area
and gave examples of how this is possible in Magdeburg.
The last workshop at Magdeburg City Hall was about climate friendly city planning. The head of the urban planning office in Magdeburg presented many examples
of ways in which a city can be adapted to climate change and made sustainable.
He focused on urban densification and the need to keep climate-compensating and
risk areas free. A staff member from the Office for Environment then presented the
climate change adaptation concept of the city of Magdeburg. The focus here was
primarily on the different degrees to which the various districts are/will be affected.
The bills. Subsequently, the students worked in their groups on the drafts for their
bills. Each group was asked to write two bills corresponding to the responsibility of
the ministry they were in. To give them orientation on what needs to be included in
their bills a template was provided. The template included the issues presentation
of the problem, goal of the bill, measures to achieve this goal, target group and
success indicators. Additionally, students were asked to assess the impact of their
plans regarding sustainability, which is obliged for new laws in Germany.
The developed bills were discussed in two parliamentary debates. For the debates,
students took on the roles of members of parliament (in order to be able to vote on
the bills). To make the sessions as realistic as possible, the teaching staff adopted the
role as state parliament presidium with one of them guiding the debate as the speaker
of the parliament.
In the first debate, all bills were briefly presented in five minutes by one member of
each ministry. Subsequently, the other ministries were asked to submit amendments
to the proposals, which they had prepared in writing beforehand. With their bills,
students addressed a wide range of topics, some narrower and more specific, others
broader and more comprehensive. For example, they made a case for higher funding
for research on climate change adaptation, pleaded for sustainability consultants at
schools, developed plans to make cities greener and rewetting marshlands.
In the second parliamentary debate, which took place in a round-shaped auditorium to enhance the similarities to the parliament floor, the bills were briefly presented
again with focus on the changes that had been incorporated into the bills following the