The German BUP Center is based at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and is led by Prof. Dr. Bernd Delakowitz and his team. The presidency of the BUP network rotates every six months among the members and was held by Germany—essentially by Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences—during the first half of 2018.
In this role, the university hosted the BUP Students Conference from May 28 to June 1, 2018, under the title “Innovation for Sustainability: Energy and Resource Efficiency in Production and Transportation” on the Zittau campus and on the grounds of the Trixi Ferienpark Großschönau. Eighty participants, predominantly master’s students from 30 universities in 14 countries, took part: 43 students from the BUP network, 25 students from Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, and 12 students from the partner university ITMO in St. Petersburg, Russia.
During the week-long event, which was conducted entirely in English, theoretical and practical insights on sustainability innovations, the carbon bubble, new advances in the circular economy (circular economy), as well as energy storage and electric mobility. The lectures, panel discussions, and workshops were led by professors and instructors from academia and research and were supplemented by an excursion to the VW Transparent Factory and the Transportation Museum in Dresden. The students were also actively involved: They presented the current status as well as trends and potential for sustainable development in their home countries on posters and, as part of group work and workshops, collaboratively sought further development approaches and solutions.
In addition to the academic focus, personal interaction among the students and the intercultural experiences of working and spending time together are crucial components of such an event. The chosen venue at Trixi-Park in Großschönau was perfectly suited for this. In addition to the opportunity to enjoy the swimming pool and all the facilities on the grounds together, the event also included a cooking competition. With great enthusiasm and incredible dedication, the students used the ingredients provided by the organizers to prepare a huge, colorful buffet featuring many traditional and very tasty dishes from their respective countries. Another highlight of the exciting week was the farewell dinner on the last evening, featuring a barbecue, a campfire, and live music by Prof. Bernd Delakowitz and his colleague Rudi Baumann from the well-known Bavarian folk band Mardi Gras.
