Draft:Active8-Planet
Erasmus Programme project for learning model related to sustainability issues
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Active8-Planet was an international research and education project co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme (Knowledge Alliances for Higher Education). The project ran from January 2021 to December 2023, with a total EU grant of €947,685. [1]
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Background
The Active8-Planet project was developed in the context of growing awareness among young people of climate change and sustainability issues, such as the School Strike for Climate movement led by Greta Thunberg.[2] While the need for interdisciplinary and cross-sector approaches to sustainability has been widely recognized in research and policy, their integration into higher education curricula has been comparatively slow. The project aimed to address this gap by developing and testing new educational approaches that combine academic learning with practical engagement in sustainability challenges.[1][3]
Its activities were aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal.[4]
Partners
The project was coordinated by the Institute for Innovation and Development of the University of Ljubljana (IRI UL, Slovenia) and involved seven additional partners across four European countries: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands), Hasselt University (Belgium), Halmstad University (Sweden), Huygen Engineers & Consultants (Netherlands), Endava (Slovenia), Volvo Cars (Sweden), and ICNM - Internationales Centrum fur Neue Medien (Austria).[5]
Approach
Active8-Planet creates a knowledge alliance by working together to develop, implement, and evaluate a new Active8-Planet learning model based on four planet-centered development principles: (1) planet-centered design, (2) interdisciplinary and intergenerational co-creation, (3) environmental ambition and action, and (4) university-business.[6]
The project applied an interdisciplinary learning model to three thematic areas: urban mobility, circularity in the built environment, and health and well-being in future communities. For instance, students in the Bachelor's program in Digital Design and Innovation at Halmstad University worked directly with Volvo Cars researchers and developers on problems with urban mobility.[2] Students in the Social and Cultural Anthropology and Culture, Organization & Management Master's program in Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam worked on the project as part of their thesis work. They worked with engineering firms and healthcare organizations to solve problems related to sustainability.[7]
Outputs
The project produced a range of educational outputs, including toolkits, lecture series, and a sustainability-themed card game.[8] The project led to the creation and testing of a cross-disciplinary learning model designed to incorporate sustainability issues into higher education. This model was put into action through "living lab" formats, where students, researchers, and outside stakeholders all worked together on real-world sustainability problems.[3]
According to European Knowledge Alliances reports, the Active8-Planet project contributes to broader shifts in higher education towards people- and planet-centered approaches, although such initiatives also raise questions about the integration of external, industry-driven frameworks into academic environments.[9]
Academic Discussion
A paper presented at the 2022 biennial conference of the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA) in Belfast reviewed this project. The authors critically looked at living lab experiments in three EU Knowledge Alliance projects: EURL3A, PEOPLE, and Active8-Planet. It said that students said they understood better how their knowledge could be used outside of school, but the authors warned against blindly bringing business ideas into universities.[10]
Events
The first Active8-Planet international event took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 15 to 18 May 2022. Participants from the project's partner institutions met in interdisciplinary teams to present their work, exchange knowledge, and engage in co-creation workshops addressing sustainability challenges. The program included collaborative sessions, presentations to external audiences, and the introduction of project outputs such as the Active8-Planet card game.[11]
A second international event was organized in May 2023 in Salzburg as part of the project's second learning cycle, continuing the exchange of knowledge and collaboration between participating institutions.[12][13]