UPB for Future – The Sustainability Module
New interdisciplinary sustainability module for UPB students
In the winter semester 2024/25, Paderborn University launched a new Sustainability Module for students, spanning multiple semesters. The module aims to integrate sustainability into Paderborn University's study programmes, bringing students from different disciplines together and enabling them to gain a holistic view of sustainability that goes beyond their own field of study.
The programme of the Sustainability Module consists of existing and newly designed courses and integrates offerings from all faculties of the University and the PLAZ (Professional School of Education), with the aim of implementing sustainability within Paderborn University's teaching in an interdisciplinary and cross-faculty manner. This interdisciplinary approach enables students to examine and understand sustainability issues from various scientific perspectives.
FAQ
The “UPB for Future“ module comprises a total of at least 13 ECTS and consists of three components:
- The lecture series “UPB for Future” (ungraded credited participation (qualified participation), 3 ECTS)
- two supplementary courses in the faculties or at PLAZ (totalling at least 8 ECTS)
- a closing workshop organised by the Sustainability Office (ungraded credited participation (qualified participation), 2 ECTS)
It is intended that the students first attend the lecture series; the supplementary courses can be taken afterwards or at the same time. The closing workshop should be attended last.
Only courses that are expressly open for the Sustainability Module may be selected as supplementary courses. Each faculty and the PLAZ has a project assistant who will provide you with the course programmes and assist you with any questions you may have.
The module is deemed to have been passed when all components have been successfully completed.
- The requirements for qualified participation in the lecture series are:
- Attendance (2 SWS)
- Follow-up work to presentations in PANDA
- Submission of a written reflection paper
- The remaining requirements will be fulfilled in supplementary courses and the closing workshop. The examination types are determined and announced by the examiners.
Here you can find a sample certificate.
All courses that can be attended as part of the Sustainability Module “UPB for Future“ can be found under “Extracurriculare Angebote” (extracurricular offers) → ‘UPB for Future (extracurricular)’ in PAUL.
The lecture series and the closing workshop are compulsory components of the module. At least two of the listed supplementary courses must be attended.
| Titel der Lehrveranstaltung | Veranst.-Nr. | Lehrende |
|---|---|---|
| UPB for Future – die Nachhaltigkeitsringvorlesung (3 ECTS) | L.UPB.10000 | Pia Scholz, Prof. Dr. René Fahr |
| UPB for Future – Abschlussworkshop (2 ECTS) | M.HSD.1002 | Friederike Haver |
| Nachhaltige Entwicklung – Stoffkreisläufe in der Lebenswelt (3 ECTS) | L.032.90028 | Laura Wittkopp, Prof. Dr. Sabine Fechner |
| Sustainable Behavior in Organizations (5 ECTS Fakultät WiWi, 6 ECTS alle anderen Fakultäten) | K.184.31851 | Emily Nass, Prof. Dr. Philip Yang |
| Nachhaltige Lösungen für Smart Cities (5 ECTS) | L.104.61250 | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Schlüter, Tamino Donner |
| Energiesysteme für Nicht-Ingenieur*innen (3 ECTS) | L.048.55206 | Prof. Dr. Henning Meschede, Kevin Henne |
| Grundlagen der Nachhaltigkeit: Kulturwissenschaftliche Ansätze für eine interdisziplinäre Diskussion | K.ZFB.10100 | Julia Ndlovu |
| Mentalstrategien - Umgang mit Stress (3 ECTS) | L.ZBL.99901 | Claudia Decker |
| Proseminar: Zirkuläre Transformation in der Unternehmenspraxis (4 ECTS) | L.079.07505 | Dr. Christian Koldewey, Lisa Petzke |
Registration for the individual courses in the module is mandatory.
All courses that can be attended as part of the Sustainability Module “UPB for Future“ can be found under “Extracurriculare Angebote” (extracurricular offers) → ‘UPB for Future (extracurricular)’ in PAUL.
Registration within the regular registration period is possible if the module is being taken as an additional qualification for the certificate outside of the curriculum.
Please note:
If you wish to take the lecture series or a supplementary course not only for the certificate, but also as part of your degree programme (e.g. the lecture series as part of Studium Generale (extracurricular studies) or a course in the regular curriculum), you must register for it accordingly. In such cases, do not register via the extracurricular offerings section, but select the courses as normal via the examination regulations stored for you in the system.
At present, there is no option to register for the module as a whole. If you would like to obtain the advanced certificate, simply collect proof that you have passed the individual courses and contact us at upbforfuture@upb.de as soon as everything is complete.
In many degree programmes, parts of the module can be integrated into the curriculum. The lecture series can already be selected in some degree programmes, e.g. as part of Studium Generale (extracurricular studies). Some of the supplementary courses can be selected from the degree programmes offered by the faculties.
Regardless of whether the module is part of a degree programme, successful completion will result in a certificate as an additional qualification. This requires a valid PANDA account.
Faculty of Arts and Humanities: Julia Ndlovu (ehemals Meyer)
Faculty of Business Administration and Economics: Emily Nass
Faculty of Science: Laura Wittkopp
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: Tamino Donner
Faculty of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics: Kevin Henne, Lisa Petzke
PLAZ - Professional School of Education: Franziska Schlaf
The contact persons in the faculties are responsible for the supplementary courses and will advise you on these.
If you have any questions about the lecture series or the certificate, please contact Dr. Katharina Schardt or upbforfuture@upb.de.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send an e-mail to upbforfuture@upb.de or contact us directly: Pia Scholz
