http://www.albelli.de/onlinefotobuch‐teilen/03c371b1‐9b0b‐406c‐aecf‐5c0908eca4ed

The Future of  Sustainable Food 

Business International Summer 

University 2016 

GermanSocietyforHumanEcology(DGH)incooperationwiththe

CollegeoftheAtlantic(COA),USA  

July 31  – August 15 2016 in Emmendingen  

(near Freiburg), Germany  

 A transatlantic American‐German Cooperation

The German Society for Human Ecology (DGH),foundedin1975,hashadsustainableeducationonitsagendasincetheverybeginning.In2006itsCommit‐tee for a European College of Human Ecology wasestablished to explore possibilities of founding aliberal arts college in Germany. The College of theAtlantic (COA) is a small college on Mount DesertIsland, off the coast of Maine, offering an excellenthumanecologystudyprogramsince1969.

 Conditions of participation 

Thetwo‐weekprogramisopentorisinghighschoolseniors or graduates, International Baccalaureatestudents fromschools like theUnitedWorldColleges(UWC) and undergraduate students with a highdegreeofmotivationandsocialengagement,aswellas satisfactory academic performance. They areexpected to have a strong interest in the topic ofsustainability. Very good English language skills arerequired.Germanlanguageskillsareanassetbutnotessential.Thenumberofparticipantsislimitedto20.ForthesuccessfulcompletionoftheSummerUniver‐sity,studentswillreceiveacertificateoftheEurope‐an College of Human Ecology from the DGH aboutacademiccredit,equivalent to150hoursofstudy oronecollegelevelcourse.

Application

Information about the applicationprocedure aswellas the application form is available on our websitewww.coh‐europe.defromlateNovember2015.Theoverall fee* covers roomandboard, local trans‐portation,andinstructionalmaterial.

Overallfee: 2,500.00EUR‐Programfee: 1,300.00EUR‐Boardingfee: 1,200.00EURApplicationdeadline:April30,2016*Our philosophy is that cost should not be a hin‐drance for any student. Students needing financialassistanceshouldcontactusandfilloutthefinancialassistance application and submit their applicationearlyaspossible.ForanyquestionscontactJulieSchmidtsdorf:schmidtsdorf@coh‐europe.deRebeccaCoombs:coombs@coh‐europe.de

 Organization   Deutsche Gesellschaft für Humanökologie e.V. European College of  Human Ecology  Dr. Wolfgang H. Serbser  Fritschestr. 26 10585 Berlin, Germany Tel: ++49 30 26932950 serbser@coh‐europe.de  www.coh‐europe.de www.humanoekologie.de 

College of the Atlantic contact person:  Jay Friedlander  Professor of Sustainable Business and Entrepre‐neurship 105 Eden Street Bar Harbor, ME 04609 ++1 207 801‐5716 jfriedlander@coa.edu www.coa.edu 

 

Goat cheese dairy Monte Ziego

Students at the COA

After visiting local food systems partners, studentswilldividethemselvesintogroupsofthreetofourinorderto investigateandaddressaself‐chosenprob‐lemtogetherwithonepartnerbusinessororganiza‐tion.Eachgroupwillanalyzetheuniquechallengesoftheirpartnerandwillevaluatethepotentialtoincor‐porate or expand sustainability into its businessstrategy.Simultaneously,studentswillcombinetheirobservations fromEmmendingen andnew conceptsfrom lectures and discussions to analyze the localfood systemand its sustainability.At theendof thetwo weeks, groups will present findings, key con‐cepts, and any recommendations in a public exhibi‐tionforthetownofEmmendingenStudents will have ample time to gather first‐handexperience on site with their partner business ororganization, and work autonomously in teams todeveloptheirprojects.ExperiencedfacultymembersfrombothDGHandCOAwillworkwiththestudentsto guide their learning, while respecting individualinterestsandcreativityandencouragingstudentstoself‐organize.

TheRealWorldLabtakestheformofaCharrette,i.e.,aworkshopopen to thepublic, givingall interestedcitizenstheopportunitytobeinvolvedinprocess.Aswork progresses the student groups will show in‐terimresultsandattheendinthefinalexhibition.

The town of Emmendingen

Emmendingen is a townnearFreiburg imBreisgau.The Freiburg region represents the origin of theenvironmental movement in Germany. Not surpris‐ingly, the regionoffers avarietyof links to thepro‐gram, including a long tradition of exceptionallyhigh‐qualityfoodproduction.Itisahotspotofbiody‐namic agriculture – the Demeter Movement – andalsohosts a SlowFoodassociation.There is also aninvestigationintothepossibilityofurbanrooffarm‐ing on factory buildings at theWehrle‐WerkAG, anindustrial center for energy and environmentaltechnologythathashospitablyopenedanextraofficebuilding for our working space. The tiny exclusiveArt‐HotelMarkgrafoffersawelcomingplacetostay.Local business and organizations have offered tosupportaspartners.Theyrepresentdiverseareasofthe food system, ranging from organic and biody‐namic farming, food production and distribution, tolocalfoodbusinessinvestment,gleaningfood‘waste’,andtheslowfoodmovement.Thepeople andbusinessesofEmmendingenwhole‐heartedly supported every aspect of the first DGHSummer University in 2015, with much excitementthesupportingsteps towardsestablishing theEuro‐peanCollegeofHumanEcologydirectlyinthetown.

 An ambitious program for gap year students   and freshmen  

TheSummerUniversityontheFutureofSustainableFoodBusinesswill addresscontroversialquestionsregarding our food system, its sustainability, andinnovative concepts in sustainable business torealize changes. It will challenge students to bringthe discussion on sustainability into practicethrough real‐world case scenarios with local part‐ners in Emmendingen. Studentswill develop skillsforaneededlocalandglobaltransitiontoasustain‐able food system. The content of the SummerUni‐versity is relevant to both nations of the GlobalSouthandtoindustrializedcountries.Studentsfromdifferent regions of theworldwill have ample op‐portunity to share their experiences from theirdiverseculturalperspectives.

 Work and research in a Real World Lab 

Sustainablefoodentrepreneursareattheforefrontofchangesandchallenges in the foodsystem.Suchenterprisestakeadvantageofthevaluesquanderedbythe linear industrialeconomy.Theyareredefin‐ing farming, production, distribution, consumption,and foodwaste as a resource. Studentswill be in‐troduced to new frameworks in sustainable busi‐ness, human ecology, and food systems, aswell asconcepts in meal cultures, power dynamics, andcommunity food assessment. Students will be ex‐posed to relevant subject matter, theoretical con‐cepts,andpracticalskills inaRealWorldLab,withemphasis on practical learning through a transdis‐ciplinary group project in the open ambience of aCharretteintheheartofEmmendingen.

Students at the Summer University 2015

Future College of Human Ecology