At the ZHAW International Evening 2024, we will explore the competing priorities and complex interplays that arise at the intersections of sustainability and internationalisation.

As an internationally oriented university, the ZHAW values intercultural education and exchanges within global networks. We believe that intercultural awareness and international experience are essential in a globalised world. Additionally, exchanging expertise and best practices helps address various challenges.

The ZHAW therefore encourages the international mobility of students and staff, among other things. This can be through exchange semesters, job shadowing or project and research visits. 

This mobility may, however, conflict with the ZHAW’s shared responsibility for ensuring sustainable development and its aim of reducing travel emissions and their impact on the environment as part of its sustainability goals. This is particularly relevant when such mobility involves air travel.

How can we advance our international activities and, at the same time, live up to our sustainability goals?

Be part of the conversation and help shape the future of the ZHAW’s international activities with us sustainably.

• Date: Tuesday, 8 October 2024
• Time: 17:45 – 21:30 (17:15 – Doors open and registration)
• Location: Haus Adeline Favre, MG E0.095, Katharina-Sulzer-Platz 9, Winterthur
• Event language: English
   
• Organisation: ZHAW International Affairs, ZHAW sustainable
• Partners: ESN Winterthur, Alias

• 17:15 – Doors open and registration
• 17:45 – Opening of the event
  Moderator
  Prof Guido Keel, Director, IAM Institute of Applied Media Studies
  Curator of audience questions
  Eleftheria Dimopoulou, Student, ZHAW School of Management and Law
  
  Welcome
  by Prof Dirk Wilhelm, Dean, ZHAW School of Engineering, 
  Head, ZHAW International Affairs
• 18:00 – Short impulse talks 
  Listen to different perspectives on the complex interplays at the intersections of sustainability and internationalisation.
• 18:50 – Let’s discuss!
  How can we advance our international activities and, at the same time, live up to our sustainability goals?
  
  The evening’s discussions, insights and ideas will be captured visually by means of graphic recording.
• 19:30 – ZHAW sustainable travel contest
  Francesco Bortoluzzi, Head, Sustainability Programs
  awards the winners their prizes.
• 19:45 – Apéro riche and networking
• 21:30 – End of event

• Steffi Neumann, lecturer and consultant for leadership at the ZHAW Institute of Applied Psychology
  In her introduction, Steffi Neumann argues that intercultural identity is a prerequisite for managing future challenges. Such an identity, she opines, is fostered by exposing oneself to diverse cultural settings. She shares episodes from her biography that illustrate her own journey of personal development.
• Arnaud Buthey, President of the “Erasmus Student Network Switzerland” student association
  In his short session, Arnaud Buthey adopts a student perspective in presenting the challenges of encouraging internationalisation while supporting sustainability. By pointing to various initiatives, Arnaud reveals how local and international students can inspire a change of mindset when it comes to sustainability in our local communities.
• Dr Andrea Del Duce, lecturer and senior researcher in the area of sustainable mobility at the ZHAW School of Engineering
  Andrea Del Duce conducts research in the area of sustainable mobility. A key aspect of his work is the transition towards less carbon-intensive mobility solutions. He is convinced that international exchanges are of great importance in the academic world. However, the current challenges faced in the sustainability space need to be taken into account in the discourse on internationalisation and how we view different mobility solutions.
• Dr Susann Görlinger, advisor to ZHAW sustainable and Co-founder of iilo GmbH
  Susann Görlinger has set up and led two flight reduction projects (ETH Zurich and FlyingLess), advised the ZHAW and the NGO Climate Accelerator on this topic and recently co-founded the non-profit iilo GmbH as an ETH spin-off for sustainability consulting. She believes that (international) exchange is very important, but that we must and will find ways to make this more sustainable and inclusive.
• Daniel von Felten, Head of COIL and lecturer at the ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management
  Is COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) the solution for facilitating sustainable internationalisation? While Daniel von Felten, who has many years’ experience with COIL, says it won’t be enough on its own, he believes it can play an important role: to tackle future challenges and achieve significant progress with ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives and in complying with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), students already increasingly need to acquire skills that enable them to collaborate on an equal footing as part of international (mostly virtual) teams. This is done predominantly virtually, but it occasionally includes in-person meetings.

If you have any questions, please contact us at international@zhaw.ch.

See you at the ZHAW International Evening 2024!