One week summer course on Circular Economy in Lviv, Ukraine - an experience report by students

From September 3, 2019, to September 8, 2019, our students (Ecology and Environmental Protection, Integrated Management System/Integrated Management) went on a study trip to Ukraine and Poland. The purpose of the trip was to participate in this year’s BUP Summer Course. What the students learned and experienced there is beautifully summarized here by the students themselves:

Stanislaw Horzov from Lviv (Ukraine):

“At UNFU, from September 3 through September 7, the Baltic University Program held a summer school on ‘Sustainability Innovations in a Circular Economy,’ in which I participated.

The event brought together about 60 participants, including students and professors, representing the University of Applied Sciences Hamburg, the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz, WSB University in Wrocław, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and the National Forestry University of Ukraine.

In line with the summer school’s main vision, presentations addressed topics such as ecological, green, and circular economics; the sustainable development of industry; and the search for opportunities to utilize alternative resources in the context of economic growth.

A key feature of the summer school was the large number of participants, including not only professors but also students. The event brought together bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. students enrolled in programs in economics, management, ecology, biotechnology, sociology, forestry, woodworking technologies, and industrial engineering from Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, France, Mexico, and Belarus. As a result, each presentation was always followed by lively conversation, additional comments, and discussion, in which every student participated.

The program also included interesting field trips to the factories of FAKRO, Enzym, Carlsberg Ukraine, and the “Mebli-Styl” (“Furniture-Style”) furniture factory, with the goal of learning about organization, management, and the effective use of resources. This experience deepened my understanding of practical aspects related to the development of strategies and the establishment of effective production principles.

For me, the most exciting part was the very last day, when educational group games were organized, during which we attempted to establish production links between factories for recycling materials and sourcing resources—all with the aim of ensuring the efficient production of goods for the market and consumers. This learning method was based on materials about industrial symbiosis, and through this unique and intensive approach, our group explored the topic in practice and drew significant conclusions about this form of industrial development.

In closing, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to the organizers from UNFU for making this event a reality: Vice Rector Mykola Borys, Lyudmyla Zahvoyska, Lyudmyla Maksymiv, Ihor Soloviy, Victoria Oliferchuk, and Solomia Salabay; the organizers of the Baltic University Program at the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz: Jana Brauweiler, Markus Will, and Anke Zenker-Hoffmann; and from the University of Applied Sciences Hamburg: Walter Leal Filho.

It was a fascinating week, full of interesting events and experiences, and I recommend that all students and professors participate in future summer schools and events organized by the Baltic University Program!”

Klaudia Zamora from the University of Łódź, Poland

I would like to say thank you for the BUP Summer Course 2019 “Sustainability Innovations in a Circular Economy” in Lviv. It was my first course with BUP, and it certainly won’t be my last!

The best part was the atmosphere. I felt like everyone was welcome to share their thoughts and concerns. It’s very important to me—as a young student—to feel that all professors are open to discussing things with me and respect my opinion.

The subject matter was very contemporary and aligned with my interests. All the lectures prompted me to think more deeply about current issues and strengthened my belief in the circular economy. Thank you.

Since I believe we can evolve faster and better through feedback, I’m sharing my thoughts. It would be great if we started changing our non-eco-friendly habits during the course and set a good example for others in the future—for example, by reducing the use of plastic bottles, single-use tissues, single-use cups, plastic pens, and so on.

My favorite part was a game where we could interact more with each other. It’s very encouraging to spend time with young, smart, and ambitious people and see how different we are, yet still share the same goals for our future.

Thank you for this opportunity, and see you next time!