Youth Encounter on Sustainability YES

ANNUAL REPORT 2007

 Youth Encounter on Sustainability YES
Annual Report 2007

ETHsustainability
Center for Sustainability at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich)

January 2008
Executive Summary

The Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES), an initiative run by ETHsustainability, has

been offering upper-level undergraduate and graduate university students from around
the world a unique educational experience every summer for the past nine years. During
the two-week sessions, participants are sensitized to the diverse issues of sustainable
development while bringing in their own perspectives, expertise, and experience from
around the world. The large diversity of cultures, languages and disciplines and the
opportunity to work together with other outstanding students and esteemed international
faculty make the YES environment both challenging and enriching for all those involved.
YES is a pioneering concept in education for sustainable development that puts
ETHsustainability at the forefront of addressing the teaching and learning challenges of
sustainable development. The YES program in 2007 included 5 courses, with one held in
Japan in partnership with Hosei University, two courses in Switzerland, one course in
Slovakia, and one course in Kenya in partnership with UNEP. A total of 174 students from 63
different countries underwent training in these courses, bringing the total number of YES
Alumni all around the world to over 800 located in 95 different countries.

The educational model on which the course is based supports teaching and learning
through various pedagogical methodologies. Emotional and empathy-building
components play a substantial role in the course framework and in differentiating it from
other sustainability courses. The 2007 courses were designed under the theme of “Living
for 10 Billion people by 2050”, and were structured in four modules covering the concept of
sustainability; natural and human systems; physical needs (energy and materials, nutrition
and health, living space); and psychological/social needs.

Each of the courses offered participants diverse activities including lectures, small group
discussions, student presentations, and plenary discussion with an interdisciplinary and
international faculty and facilitators. Evening lectures and discussion with invited experts,
conversation within the group, cultural events and excursions significantly add to the
experience. This innovative approach to education relies heavily on the formation of
emotional bonds among those participating. Having students live together and share
responsibility as well as challenging them in new ways, for example, by having them carry
out creative and artistic activities with a professional artist, serves the goal of building a
community of dedicated young people. Within each program the participants were
responsible for carrying out a project that focussed on the application of the knowledge
and skills they had gained during the course. Within this context the participants worked
over the duration of the course in small, multicultural, multidisciplinary groups to carry out
background research, analysis and develop a project proposal for a concrete initiative that
they could implement to contribute to sustainable development.

The YES sessions conducted in 2007 were yet again highly successful and concluded with a
new group dedicated, inspired, and motivated alumni. These individuals came away with a
greater understanding of other cultures and their views on sustainability matters and of
the interconnectedness between environmental, economic and social issues. The two
weeks made them more open to others’ views and alternative solutions to problems as
well as making them more aware of their own capabilities and power as students and
young professionals. Each participant benefited from gaining new skills and knowledge
across disciplinary and cultural boundaries and from learning that, despite regional
differences, there are others around the world with similar concerns and willingness to act.
Contents

1 ETHsustainability – the Organizer ...........................................................................................................4

2 Background - Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) Program...............................................5

3 The YES Approach in 2007........................................................................................................................... 7

3.1 Course content ............................................................................................................................................... 7

3.2Setting and logistical components....................................................................................................... 11

4 Outcomes and Follow up from the YES Program............................................................................ 13

5 Highlights from YES Courses around the World .............................................................................16

6 Appendices......................................................................................................................................................20

Appendix 1: Methodological Approach of YES

Appendix 2: Sample Day-to-Day Program, YES Braunwald (August) 2007
Appendix 3: List of Faculty (all 5 courses)

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1 ETHsustainability – the Organizer
ETHsustainability was founded as the Center for Sustainability at the ETH Zurich in January
of 2003. The Center was established to intensify the endeavors of ETH Zurich in the area of
sustainable development by functioning as an open forum and service center in the areas
of dialogue, services and education.

The Center defines sustainability as a comprehensive economic, ecological, and social

concept. All of these three aspects must be considered in the planning and decision-
making processes of all stakeholders at all levels. ETHsustainability is working to bring
together representatives of industry, academia and society to deal with the development
and implementation of sustainable solutions by exchanging specific information, practice-
oriented networking, services, and educational platforms.

ETHsustainability focuses its activities in the three main areas of dialogue, services, and
education:

The purpose of the dialogue area is to:

• Create platforms for exchanging experiences, building networks and gathering
knowledge through a practice-oriented approach.

The purpose of the services area is to:

• Guide the interactions between various departments within the ETH and among
external partners from society, industry, and academia.

• Support student initiatives in the area of sustainability.

• Support general sustainability research, link potential project partners and provide
project management

• Function as an administrative capacity for initiatives in sustainable development at

the ETH Zurich and within Switzerland.

The purpose of the education area is to:

• Convey to future leaders from diverse backgrounds content that integrates
discipline-specific insights within an extended frame of reference and which
sensitizes them for the complex interconnectedness of systems.
• Be a pioneer and experimental resource for university representatives promoting
sustainability-oriented teaching within university disciplines.
• Design and deliver courses outside of the traditional curricula of the current
university structure.

The principal educational program of the center is the Youth Encounter on Sustainability
(YES). This program was originally launched in the year 2000 under the Alliance for Global
Sustainability (AGS), however since 2004 has been the sole responsibility of
ETHsustainability. During the 8 years the course has been run each one of the sessions has
provided a unique opportunity for students worldwide to experience a new way of
learning about sustainability outside of the university context.

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2 Background - Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) Program

The focus of Education for Sustainability, from the perspective of the ETHsustainability and
the Alliance for Global Sustainability (AGS), is on lifelong learning in a practical context
taking a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural approach.

The sensitization of young academics to critical aspects of sustainable development calls

for an educational methodology that is based on a concrete framework and philosophy but
that allows flexibility with regard to content and logistics. The Youth Encounter on
Sustainability (YES) is the translation of this concept into an educational initiative for
international undergraduate and graduate students. So far this program has benefited
more than 750 students from over 90 countries and over 45 disciplines with many alumni
personally testifying to the courses’ effects on their behavior and personal commitment to
a sustainable future.

The importance of university level students as stakeholders in the sustainable

development debate is well established. As tomorrow’s leaders and decision makers they
will be the ones who must live and deal with the impacts of choices made by previous
generations and who have to chart
the course for a more sustainable
way of living. At this level of
education the students are well
placed to make connections and
begin to understand the world from
a systems thinking perspective.
Furthermore, this is a very
important time in an individual’s
life where they are making
important decisions about their
future careers and directions. The
YES program was developed to
address deficiencies we witness in
higher education systems around
the world to nurture leaders who can address the challenges we are facing in the world
today. As it is a long process to mainstream ESD into institutions of higher learning, the
YES program aims to provide an alternative during this transitory process.

YES is much more than just a series of traditional university lectures. It is a two-week
seminar held in remote locations around the world, which offers participants diverse
activities such as lectures, small group discussions, student presentations, and plenary
discussion with an interdisciplinary and international faculty and facilitation team. The
learning process itself is considered to be equally important to what is actually taught over
the time period. Evening lectures and discussion with invited experts, conversation within
the group, creative cultural events, excursions, and a two-week small-group case study add
significantly to the experience. This innovative approach to education relies heavily on the
formation of emotional bonds among those participating. Having students live together
and share responsibility as well as challenging them in new ways, for example, by having
them carry out creative and artistic activities with a professional artist, serves the goal of
building a community of dedicated young people.

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The combination of actively participating students, young professionals and distinguished
professors, all of international character, offers a unique and effective platform for
knowledge sharing, for increased understanding of other cultures, mindsets and
disciplines, and for experimenting with new ways of teaching and learning about
sustainability.

ESD differs from conventional environmental education in that it must further address
complex social issues, such as the links between environmental quality, human equality,
human rights, peace and the underpinning politics (Fein et al., 2004). Development
towards a more sustainable society entails conceptually planning for new forms of future
living (Baud, 2004). Thus, ESD must develop competencies for people to deal with highly
complex, ill-defined problems with a high degree of uncertainty. As our pursuit of
knowledge grows increasingly specialised within disciplines, we often lose sight of the
overarching goal of a humane future where every citizen has the necessary knowledge,
understanding, skills and values for a productive and rewarding life in an educated, just
and open society (Baud, 2004). In order to address this, the ESD model utilised in the YES
program addresses 3 fundamental tiers, as illustrated in Figure 1.

he

Figure 1.0 ESD Model applied in the YES program

A total of 5 YES courses were held around the world in 2007, with one course in Tokyo,
Japan, in partnership with Hosei University, two courses in Braunwald, Switzerland, one
course in Bratislava, Slovakia, and one course in Njoro, Kenya, in partnership with UNEP.
Each of these courses brought the ESD model presented above “to life” by taking a unique
and comprehensive pedagogic approach. The details of the course framework utilised for
the courses is presented in detail in the following sections.

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3 The YES Approach in 2007
3.1 Course content

The YES program has evolved over the years as part of a continuous learning process of
how to best design such an innovative two-week course. It is currently set up within the
umbrella theme of “Living for 10 Billion people by 2050” and is structured in four modules.
These modules complement each other and are based on a framework, which is shown in
Figure 2.0. An example day-to-day program is given in Appendix 2.

MODULE 1 The sustainability concept is explored as an introduction to explore the

participants’ basic understanding of the theme.

MODULE 2 This module is based on the description of “basic systems”; distinguishing

between natural and human systems.

MODULE 3 The third module focuses on physical needs and specifically on three issues
chosen because of their importance for human existence: Energy and
Materials; Nutrition and Health; and Living Space.

MODULE 4 The final module analyses psychosocial needs, which are also considered
essential for individual and human social existence. It also deals with
related attitude changes and ethical aspects.

These 4 modules are strongly interlinked with the content of Module 3 forming the main
component of the course. This module considers the options and solutions science has
generated regarding the basic provision of water, food, energy, land use, etc. Just as
importantly, the human living models and social and institutional structures for to support
these technical systems are investigated. The course’s integrative approach looks at the
following social drivers as cross-cutting themes: the economic and private sector, civil
society, and national and international governance.

The methodological approach of the YES course, illustrated in Figure 2.0, is based on a
gradual progression of thinking, proposing, and working out practical solutions to guide
human living on earth towards a sustainable future. To realize this goal, students need to
understand the concept of SD
(basic understanding),
examine the potential goals
of SD on a global and
regional/local level (goals),
and think about possible ways
of reaching these goals
(solutions). The social drivers
(economy, civil society,
governance) play a pivotal role
in the realization of solutions,
which is why we refer to these
socioeconomic carriers in all
our discussions.

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 Basic YES Framework Living for 10 Billion people

Module 1. Intro to Sustainable Development: an Ecological-Social Concept

Module 2.1 Module 2.2

Natural Systems Human Systems

• Climate • Social Systems

• Earth Systems •Political Systems
• Biodiversity •Economic Systems

Module 3. Module 4.
Physical Needs Psycho-Social Needs
• Energy and Materials • Behaviour and Consumption
• Nutrition and Health • Education
• Living Space • Social Relationships

Social- Economy Sector

Institutional
Drivers Civil Society

National and International Governmental Institutions

Figure 2.0 Course Content Framework YES 2007

A number of pedagogic elements are incorporated into the course to ensure that
participants can move to proposing and implementing solutions to the complex
challenges that they learn about in the course. Three of these elements that are considered
key are outlined below:

Project Work: For the duration of the course the participants are engaged in a group
project where they work with a multidisciplinary, multicultural group of their fellow
participants to deliver a final project report and presentation. During the 2007 courses the
students worked on developing concrete project proposals which required them to apply
the knowledge and skills gained in the course. The participant group was divided into six
smaller groups, each with the task of focusing on the role of a different “social-

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institutional driver” in implementing sustainable development. The six groups were as
follows:

1. Governance
2. Civil Society
3. Corporate sector
4. Media
5. Education and Academia
6. Science and Technology

Each group then analyzed the key challenges in terms of sustainable development for their
particular social driver and selected one of these to focus on. The team was the required to
carry out background research and analysis and then develop a concrete project proposal
(including vision, goals, objectives, implementation plan, project management and
budget) that they could implement themselves in their position as young academics. An
example of the project work carried out in the YES Africa course is presented below.

YES Africa Project Work:

Engaging the Social Drivers in Building Africa’s Path to Sustainability

Governance Group:
Creation of economic enterprise for poverty
reduction and human well being in Sierra
Leone

Civil Society:
Increasing citizen participation in governance
through knowledge based community
empowerment

Corporate Sector:
Enhancing community enterprises: a fair
tourism business model

Media Group:
Using media as a tool for influencing
individual and social behavior towards
sustainable development in Kenya

Science & Technology:

A water assessment framework for rural
communities in Africa: Pilot initiative in
Busegera District, Rwanda

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Artististic Elements: A professional artist joins the group for the duration of the course to
encourage back reflection on their experience in the course and to process the course
content. The artist guides the students in painting and drawing activities in small groups
to reflect on their cognitive and emotional growth and transformation during the
program. Over the duration of the course the participants work together to produce a
mural which their experiences in the program and how this has shaped their
conceptualisation of sustainable development (see Figure 3.0 below)

Figure 3.0 Example of one of the YES murals created by participants in YES Africa 07
The mural now stands in the entry hall of UNEP in Nairobi
(Actual Size 4 x 2 m, Stand-alone Wooden Panel)

Team Building and Communication: In 2007 a professional psychologist joined the program
to carry out activities such as psycho-drama, team dynamics and communication activites
with the group. The purpose of this is to improve social interaction in the group, develop
communication skills, and to improve participant’s ability to communicate, express
themselves and realise their individual potential. All of these factors are important
leadership skills for the individual participants to be agents of positive change in their
future careers.

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3.2 Setting and logistical components

Over the past eight years of YES the team involved in organizing and running the seminar
have gained extensive experience in teaching, learning, capacity building and network
creation. This has allowed them to continuously review and effectively address the
following critically important aspects of the course:

Diverse disciplinary backgrounds: A group of YES participants might include an Economics

student from Japan, a Journalism student from Switzerland, an Environmental Sciences
student from Nepal, a Law student from
Mexico, a Civil Engineering student from
Mauritius, and a Psychology student from
Germany, to name just a few. It is an aim of
the YES organizers every year to involve
students from a large variety of disciplines
so as to take advantage of their different
perspectives and skills and allow for a truly
multi-disciplinary dialogue. In this way
participants learn to see challenges from
different perspectives and are encouraged
to take a broader systems approach to
problem-solving. Pre-reading material is
made available to ensure that the participants are well prepared and on similar levels of
understanding before the course.

Diverse cultural backgrounds: Each YES course in 2007 included participants from, on
average, 27 different countries. The participants are rooted in a wide spectrum of cultures,
ethnic backgrounds and religions. The YES approach has always been to encourage this
cultural diversity, honor it, and provide a platform through which understanding and
mutual respect may flourish.

Avoidance of financial discrimination:

The difficulties of the poor of our planet are a significant part of sustainable development
concerns, and YES organizers thus give special attention to helping students lacking
financial resources. The approach is to look at each individual case so as to offer
opportunities to students from poor countries but also to those who may face financial
difficulties as citizens of wealthier nations. The aim is for each participant to contribute
something as part of the total fee. The participation fee is all inclusive of transportation
costs, food, accommodation and activities for the duration of the program.

Gender equality: YES students are selected carefully according to their educational, extra-
curricular and professional experience and according to their discipline and nationality for
sake of diversity. In addition, the selection process aims at keeping a balance between male
and female participants.

Promotion of different learning methods: YES participants have access to information

technology during the course; however, it is a goal of the seminar to have students use
different types of media to conduct research and to deliver content. A mix of targeted
activities, cognitive learning modules and emotional and practical experiences has
therefore been carefully designed for the course.

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From theory to action: YES students are certainly capable of formulating theoretical
analyses and reports, but they are not limited to theorizing. The YES team addresses this
potential in its participants during the course by involving them in practical exercises,
introducing them to existing alumni initiatives and start-ups, and offering them support
as members of the alumni network (now over 800 in number) to initiate activities
themselves following the course.

Faculty involvement: A diverse group of faculty taking part in YES is as important as a

diverse group of students. The YES faculty base are top-level academics from the four
partner universities of the Alliance for Global Sustainability (AGS). Over the years, faculty
members from other universities and organizations (e.g. INCAE in Costa Rica, Humboldt
University in Berlin, Germany, TU Vienna, UNDP, UN Habitat and UNEP in Nairobi among
many more) have been brought in to give input on their areas of expertise as well as their
perspectives on sustainability from different knowledge fields. The list of faculty and
facilitators for YES 2007 is included in Appendix 3.

Participation of guest speakers: Discussions with guest speakers are an important feature
of YES. Experts involved in sustainable development from governments, media, business,
NGOs and academia are invited to engage in dialogue with YES participants. The names of
the participating guest speakers in 2007 can also be found in Appendix 3.

Course evaluation: It is seen as important to carefully evaluate the immediate and long-
term impacts of the course, especially focusing on the behavioral changes of the
participants that come as a result of their participation in the course. This is achieved
through written evaluations during the course and ongoing contact with the YES alumni
network.

Networking: YES alumni are regularly in touch through the YES alumni social networking
platform (www.yesalumni.ethz.ch). The network is a communication platform, which
offers dialogue space for topical discussion, web-based posting boards, participants’
information, and the possibility to work and collaborate
together. The site also allows alumni to keep in touch
with fellow participants and to come into contact with
and access information from alumni from other sessions.

Inspiring Natural Setting

The physical location where the course takes place
contributes significantly to the educational experience.
The YES course locations in 2007 included the Swiss Alps,
Mt Fuji in Japan, the countryside surrounding historic
Bratislava in Slovakia, and the Rift Valley in Kenya, which
all combine unique natural and man made settings and
provide opportunities for outdoor activities in connection
to the content of the course. An ideal environment for a
holistic educational experience is one which encourages
attentiveness and reflection through group interaction
and personal activities, promoting the development of a
collective feeling of a need for action. Having students live and work together in an
isolated and inspiring environment plays an important role in building a connected
community of dedicated leaders.

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4 Outcomes and Follow up from the YES Program
YES participants are selected through a rigorous application procedure that assesses the
individuals’ leadership skills, academic capabilities, commitment to sustainable development and
their ability to fully participate in the course based on language skills, academic, extra-curricular
and professional experience. Over the past eight years, this selection process has proven to be
very successful with the core team being repeatedly impressed by the competent, intelligent and
inspiring participants and with the students’ generally finding their expectations of the course
surpassed.

Via communication with the participants prior, during and after the sessions as well as via course
evaluations, it has been possible to identify some of the key outcomes and benefits gained as a
result of participation in the YES program.

Some of those worth highlighting are the following:

• An increased knowledge and understanding of key sustainable development challenges

and their potential solutions at both global and local levels;
• Improved cross-cultural communication and awareness
• Team-building and networking skills
• An appreciation of a systems thinking approach
• Intense practice in preparing and delivering effective presentations and communicating
key messages and ideas
• The ability to explore various problem solving methodologies
• Increased awareness of one’s own regional situation and how this fits into the global
context
• Enriching interactions with professionals and experts from different sectors and countries
• The belonging to an international network of more than 750 future leaders committed to
sustainability in over 85 countries
• Greatly improved knowledge and understanding from various disciplines that has not been
previously experienced in other academic settings
• The psychosocial needs module bought in social and pshycological perspectives
fundamental to sustainability that are not often integrated into teaching on the topic
• Future support from ETHsustainability’s dedicated team of international professionals

The above listed factors can also be viewed not just as personal gains but also as future benefits to
potential employers of YES alumni. As employees, YES alumni will have a superior cultural and
cross-disciplinary awareness as well as the ability to access expertise in many areas of sustainable
development. They will increase any organization’s intellectual and human capital on issues
related to sustainable development strategies at a local and global level. Those members of the
workforce that have participated in YES are individuals that were impressive students and young
activists and entrepreneurs; in addition, as a result of their participation, they have gone through
an extraordinary experience, which has made them more open to the need to be able to
communicate internationally and to the diversity of existing perspectives and problem-solving
methodologies, two aspects generally viewed as essential in today’s globalized working world.
They are less likely to allow themselves to be stumped by obstacles and more able to see the
holistic picture around a problem.

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Selected quotes from course evaluations in 2007:

“Most lectures were extremely well delivered and with a high academic content. An
excellent working environment and facilitation with the whole course very well
organised. Overall it was the best program I have ever participated in. “
YES Japan Participant

“For me YES was not only a unique, deeply emotional course with highly relevant
interdisciplinary issues, but an intense cultural experience.”
YES Japan Participant

“In my personal and cultural aspects it really influenced my motivation to act. I feel
I am completely a different person as compared to when I arrived for the course.”
YES Braunwald July Participant

“Living and working together with colleagues from all over the world was a unique,
enriching and eye opening experience”
YES Braunwald August Participant

“The artistic and creative activities were the most interesting approaches to
sustainability education that I have seen. This aspect of the course was unique and
very valuable.”
YES Africa Participant

The YES alumni network has been the foundation of a number of very successful projects and
initiatives. One example of this is the not for profit organisation “myclimate” (see
www.myclimate.org) started by a group of YES Alumni students based at the ETH Zurich in 2002.
Focusing on CO2 compensation for air travel in the voluntary market, the group has now become
an industry leader. They have now expanded their operations into climate neutral companies,
events and products, including the 2006 FIFA world cup and the World Economic Forum in Davos.

A further example of the capabilities of the Alumni network is the annual invitation of selected
groups of YES Alumni to contribute to the Academia Engelberg conferences held in Engelberg
Switzerland. Each year a group gives a series of presentations to the conference plenary and hosts
a series of workshops for the high level conference participants from industry, academia and
government from all over Europe. The students also prepare and submit project proposals that are
then implemented by a team of Alumni students from around the world. A very successful
example of such a project is the “Latin American Forest Policies and Climate Change” project that
commenced in 2005 and is currently coming to a conclusion. The project has been enormously
successful in addressing its goal of influencing government policies to address climate change
mitigation and adaptation in relation to forests in the Latin America region. Teams of YES Alumni
across the region undertook extensive background research in order to prepare policy papers to be

14
endorsed by policy makers in the region. The paper of the Mexican group has alredy been endorsed
by the deputies chamber of the Mexican senate, and the Colombian team is working closely with
the Colombian ministry of environment to integrate the policy recommendations in to the country
wide development plan.

Numerous other examples of YES Alumni returning home and implementing their own initiatives
exist. These activities are, in many cases, supported by ETHsustainability or by other YES Alumni
themselves, exchanging information and experiences within the network. In order to further
facilitate this exchange, ETHsustainability launched a customised online social networking
platform at the end of 2007 with the aim of leveraging the potential of the strong and continually
expanding global network of YES Alumni (see www.yesalumni.ethz.ch). This allows the alumni to
easily stay in contact and reach alumni in specific regions or with specific academic and work
experience.

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5 Highlights from YES Courses around the World

The five courses held in 2007 educated a total of 174 students from 63 different countries
(represented in Figure 4.0 below).

Figure 4.0: Countries represented (red) in 2007 YES courses

Each of the courses brought together around 35 participants, coming from, on average, 20
different academic disciplines. Each of the courses followed the same general content framework
developed for the YES programs, however was uniquely tailored to meet the context of the host
country and the regional priorities faced there. Each of the 5 courses are briefly described below,
with a list of the unique aspects of each course.

YES Japan

Location:
Hosei University TAMA Campus
& Mount Fuji Seminar Center

Partner:
Hosei University

Dates:
26th March – 8th April, 2007

Participants:
35 Participants representing 26 different countries: Argentina, Azerbaijan, China, Estonia, Great
Britan, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Romania, Russia, Slovak
Republic, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, USA, Vietnam

16
Program Highlights:

ƒ Visit to Yamatake research lab

ƒ Cultural visits to temples and shrines in Kamkura and Oshima Island and local history tour
ƒ Case studies on “Sustainability and the Automobile Industry” with Professory Amman and
Kahn, IMD Lausanne and University of St. Gallen,
ƒ Workshop on “Urban Sustainability” with Dr. Marco Keiner, Head of Urban Environment,
UN-Habitat, Nairobi,
ƒ Nature Conservation Field Trip at the Mt Fuji Biodiversity Center with Representative from
Japanese Ministry of Environment, Tokyo Urban Sustainability Tour.

YES Braunwald (July and August)

Location:
Alpenblick Hotel, Braunwald, Switzerland

Partners:
AGS Partner Institutions (ETH, MIT, UT, Chalmers)

Dates:
Course 1: 7th-23rd July, 2007
Course 2: 4th-20th August, 2007

Participants:
Course 1 (July) - 35 participants representing 25 different countries: Australia, Argentina, Azerbaijan,
Brazil, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, China, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan,
Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Spain, Switzerland, USA, Uzbekistan

Course 2 (August) - 36 participants representing 24 different countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil,

Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, Fiji Islands, India, Japan, Kenya, Mongolia, Nigeria, Peru,
Singapore, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, USA,
Uzbekistan

Program Highlights:

ƒ Field trip to alpine farming region, history and viewing of farm cheese production,
presentation on organic and local agriculture in Switzerland
ƒ Visit to mineral Elmer water bottler in context of “Water and Privatization” module,
presentation from company regarding sustainability policies
ƒ Waste water treatment plant visit
ƒ Hiking and climbing in the Swiss Alps
ƒ Guest presentation and film viewing with “Oil Peak” film producer Ray McCormack
ƒ Bicycle tour through Linthal valley including visit to historical industries and museum,
reception at parliament house and overview of direct democracy concept

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 ƒ Guest presentations from student organizations included successful YES alumni
organization Myclimate
ƒ Presentation from Martin Graf, Town Mayor of Effretikon and Swiss Green Party candidate
ƒ Philip Morris company representative discussing and debating company sustainability
policies
ƒ Guest presentation from Prabhu Guptara, director of Wolfsberg think-tank
ƒ Professor Jurg Minsch presenting on alternative economic models
ƒ Phsycologist Ursula Hauser conducting pshyco-drama and team building activities with the
participant group
ƒ Political scientist Professor Joanne Kaufmann, MIT, discussing political systems,
international governance and sustainable development

YES Central and Eastern Europe (Slovakia)

Location:
Bratislava, Slovakia

Partners:
Comenius University, Management Faculty, Slovakia
Institute for Social Research Lithuania

Main Sponsor:
Velux Foundation

Dates:
24th August - 10th September, 2007

Participants:
35 Participants representing 27 different nationalities: Armenia, Argentina, Canada, Colombia,
Ecuador, Egypt, Hungary, India, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgystan, Latvia, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro,
Netherlands, Spain, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, USA,
Uzbekistan

Program Highlights:

ƒ Industry visit to French company GEFCO, and subsequent completion of student projects
and presentation to company. Focus was on how to implement a corporate sustainability
strategy including a set of concrete recommendations on how the company could improve
its environmental performance related to its logistics and other operational aspects of its
management.
ƒ Visit to OSRAM Slovakia and the discussions with the Director, Mr. Johann Müllauer
regarding environmental, energy consumption, social, and economic aspects of production
and global distribution of light bulbs.
ƒ Visit to Danube hydroelectric dam with presentations on flood management, sustainable
energy supplies and water issues

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YES Africa (Kenya)

Location:
Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya

Partner:
UNEP and Egerton University

Dates:
9th – 26th November, 2007

Participants:
34 Students representing 23 different countries: Brazil,
Cameroon, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan,
Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Rwanda,
South Africa, Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
USA

Program Highlights:

ƒ Dialogue session with UNEP Executive Director Mr.

Achim Steiner and meeting with senior officials of UNEP
and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-HABITAT) at the United Nations Offices in Nairobi
(UNON).
ƒ Day-long educational trip to the River Njoro Watershed
and the world famous Lake Nakuru National Park (LNNP)
in Kenya’s Rift Valley facilitated by Faculty of
Environment & Resources Development (FERD) at
Egerton University and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)
covering the topics of water resources, agriculture,
biodiversity, wildlife and an overview of land use
pressures, socio-economic activities and environmental
challenges within the River Njoro watershed.
ƒ Visit to local dairy industry, discussion regarding
processing, packaging and eco-design
ƒ Visit to local student led development initiatives

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6 Appendices
Appendix 1: Methodological Approach of YES
Appendix 2: Sample Day-to-Day Program, YES Braunwald (August) 2007
Appendix 3: List of Faculty (all 5 courses)

20
Appendix 1: Methodological approach of YES

The overarching goal of the YES course is to think, propose and work out practical solutions to
guide human living on earth towards a sustainable future. The following figure illustrates the
basic approach to addressing sustainability issues in YES.

Sustainability
Basic understanding Goals Solutions
Concept

Sustainable Development an
ecological-social concept

I: Basic understanding
Ecological dimensions (…examples…)
• Available resources
• Natural systems (lifecycles, atom-
sphere, water balance, land use, etc.)
• Processes with own dynamism
(evolution, metabolism, etc.)
• Growth dynamics of living systems
Psychological, social, ethical dimensions
• Social systems (society, politics,
religion, economy, etc.)
• Psychological systems (selfdevelop-
ment, behavior, learning processes,
perception, language, spirituality, etc.)
• Existential basic framework
• Cultural and historical processes and
ethical values

II: Goals
Natural environment (….examples…)
• Preservation of self-dynamic potential
for development
• Renewable resources
• Reduction of material flow
• Biodiversity conservation
• Sustaining basic living requirements
Individual and Social Environment
• Existential primary health care for all
humans (food, medicine, etc.)
• Peaceful societies, political stability
• Preservation of cultural diversity
• Non-growth oriented society
• Self-realization, security

III: Solutions
Via technology (…examples..) Via individual and social changes
• Optimization of technological process
• Individual behavioral change
• Non-toxic materials • Learning processes, influence,
manipulation
• Energy-saving • New goals and reason for living
• Reduced material use • Political instruments
• Methods obtained from the natural • Methods obtained from the social
sciences sciences

Interdependencies 21
Appendix 2: Sample day-to-day program for August 2007 session

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

3 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 7 August 8 August 9 August
Latest arrival Module 1 Module 2 Module 2 Module 2 Module 3.1 Module 3.1
of Introduction Natural & Human Human Energy& Energy&
participants to the Human systems – systems – Materials Materials
course, systems Political and Module 3.1 Sustainable Full day
Framework, Introduction, Economic Energy & Energy excursion
get to know basic Materials Future, with various
each other, knowledge, Overview, energy calc., field visits, to
sustain- Development Energy Cross-cutting local
ability perspectives calculator social parliament
concept “My climate “ aspects and
Speaker companies.
Type Lectures Lectures Lectures Lectures Lectures en
Work groups Exercises Work groups Work groups route
Excursions / Village walk Film evening Excursion to Sustainability Bike tour in
Activities the Alps Café 1 the valley

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

10 August 11 August 12 August 13 August 14 August 15 August
Group work FREE DAY Module 3.2 Module 3.3 Module 3.3 Module 3.2
day - Rock clim- Nutrition Living Space Living space Nutrition
Student bing, hiking, and Health – Urbanization Poverty, and Health
projects biking, and Water Land uses. MDGs, World food
other resources, Sim. game Mobility overview,
activities global “Fish Banks” agriculture in
available overview, pri- different
vatization. countries,
Local A21
Type Group work Lectures, Lectures Lectures
Discussions, exercises discussions
Poster
session
Excursion Morning: Art Film Evening: Cultural Collage
Specials activity with “Oil Peak”, showcase activity with
K. Elle with guest. evening Klaus Elle

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday

16 August 17 August 18 August 19 August 20 August
Module 3.2 Module 4 Group work Group work,
Health and Psycho-social day - presentation Departure
Nutrition Needs Student and Transfers to Zurich
Excursion to Consumpn. Projects Conclusions/
Geberit, Bio- patterns, Course
farm and potentials for wrap-up
waste water change/
treat. plant Work Groups
Type Lectures/ Workshop/ Group work
Work groups psychodrama
Excursion Sustainability Project 21 Farewell
Specials Café 2 and WSC-SD dinner and
guests party

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Appendix 3: Faculty, Facilitators and Guests, 2007

Name Family Name Country Role and Official Affiliation /

Courses Participation
Dr. Akpezi Ogbuigwe Nigeria Guest, Head Environmental Education and
Training, UNEP Nairobi /
YES Africa
Dr. Achim Steiner Germany Guest Speaker, Director UNEP /
YES Africa
Dr. Adriana Diaz Venezuela Facilitator, Course Organiser,
ETHsustainability /
YES Braunwald
Dr. Andjelka Mihajlov Serbia Lecturer, Waste Management, Former
Minister for Environment /
YES Slovakia
Atsushi Inaba Japan Lecturer, Sustainable Consumption, University
of Tokyo /
YES Japan
Prof. Claude Friedli Switzerland Course leader, Professor of Chemistry, EPFL
Lausanne /
YES Braunwald
Prof. Claude Siegenthaler Switzerland Lecturer, Economics, CSR, Hosei University
Tokyo /
YES Japan, YES Braunwald
Dr. Doulaye Kone Switzerland Lecturer, Water, SANDEC, ETH Zurich /
YES Braunwald, YES Africa
Fabio Segura Colombia Facilitator, ETHsustainability Zurich, YES
Alumni 2004 /
YES Japan, YES Braunwald, YES Slovakia,
YES Africa
Dr. Francis Wegulo Kenya Lecturer, Agriculture in Developing Countries,
Egerton University /
YES Africa
Hans Kaspar Schiesser Switzerland Political Scientist (VÖV)
YES Braunwald, YES Slovakia
Helena Malisova Slovakia Course organizer Slovakia, facilitator, ETH
Zurich, YES alumni 2003 /
YES Slovakia
Prof. Hiroki Hondo Japan Lecturer, Energy, Yokohama University /
YES Japan
Janine Baud Switzerland Facilitator, College of Education, Zurich /
YES Braunwald
Prof. Jeffrey Steinfeld USA Lecturer, Energy & Materials, MIT /
YES Braunwald
Jim Kairu Kenya Lecturer, Biodiversity, Wildlife Managemetn
and Toursim, Moi University /
YES Africa

23
Dr. Joanne Kauffman USA Lecturer, Policy Making, MIT LFEE Boston /
YES Slovakia
Joseph Edebe Kenya Lecturer and Guide, Lake Nakuru Park Tour,
Kenya Wildlife Service /
YES Africa
Dr. Justus Nyanga’ya Kenya Lecturer, Political Systems and Leadership in
Africa, LEAD Africa /
YES Africa
Kizito Masinde Kenya Facilitator, Tropical Biology Association Kenya,
YES Alumni 2004 /
YES Africa
Klaus Elle Germany Interpretative artist /
YES Japan, YES Braunwald, YES Slovakia, YES
Africa
Prof. Ludwig Ellenberg Germany Lecturer, Living Space, Humbolt University,
Berlin /
YES Africa
Dr. Marco Keiner Switzerland Chief, Urban Environment, UN Habitat /
YES Japan, YES Africa
Martin Graf Switzerland Guest Speaker, Mayor of Illnau-Effretikon /
YES Braunwald
Martin Ott Switzerland Guest Speaker, Largest Organic Farmer in
Switzerland /
YES Braunwald
Matthew Gardner USA Lecturer, Energy and Climate, MIT Terrascope /
YES Braunwald, YES Slovakia, YES Africa
Michelle Grant Australia Course organizer, facilitator, ETH Zurich,
YES alumni 2002 /
YES Braunwald, YES Africa
Prof. Morio Kuninori Japan Lecturer, Energy, Hosei University Tokyo /
YES Japan
Prof. Patricia Holmes Germany Lecturer, Water, Head Masters Program in SD
University of Basel /
YES Braunwald, YES Slovakia
Dr. Paul Gamba Kenya Lecturer, Economics, Egerton University /
YES Africa
Prof. Peter Edwards UK / Lecturer, Biodiversity, ETH Zurich /
Switzerland YES Japan, YES Slovakia
Dr. Peter Lumumba Kenya Lecturer, Constitutionalism and Governance in
Africa, University of Nairobi /
YES Africa
Philip Osano Kenya / Facilitator, PhD Candidate McGill University,
Canada YES Alumni 2003/
YES Braunwald, YES Africa
Dr. Prabhu Guptara India / Guest Speaker, Wolfsberg /
Switzerland YES Braunwald
Ray McCormack UK Guest speaker, Independent Film Producer:
The Oil Peak /
YES Braunwald, YES Slovakia

24
Rodrigo Santos Brazil Guest Presentation, Biodiversity, UEA, UK /
YES Braunwald
Prof. Roland Schertenleib Switzerland Lecturer, Water and Sanitation in Developing
Countries, EAWAG, ETH /
YES Braunwald
Robert Ouma Kenya Guest speaker, Rural Development,
International Livestock Research Institute /
YES Africa
Dr. Roger Baud Switzerland Course organizer, Lecturer, Social Pshycology,
ETH Zurich
Prof. Sarah Cordero Costa Rica Lecturer, Human Systems, INCAE, Costa Rica
Prof. Shiban Kahn Switzerland Lecturer, Economics and Management, IMD
Lausanne & University of St. Gallen/
YES Japan
Tadas Leoncikas Lithuania Lecturer, Ethics, Center of Ethic Studies of the
ISR /
YES Slovakia
Prof. Thomas Bernauer Switzerland Lecturer, Political Science, CCIS, ETH Zurich
Dr. Ursula Hauser Switzerland Social Psychologist, Group Building /
/ Costa Rica YES Braunwald
Dr. Wanyama Wafula Kenya Guest Speaker, Motivational Skills, Egerton
University /
YES Africa
Dr. Wilkister Moturi Kenya Lecuturer, Health and Environment, Egerton
University /
YES Africa
Prof. William Shivoga Kenya Lecturer, Environment and Development,
Egerton University /
YES Africa
Prof. Wolfgang Amman Switzerland Lecturer, Economics and Management, IMD
Lausanne /
YES Japan
Prof. Wolfgang Wimmer Austria Lecturer, Energy & Materials, TU Vienna
Prof. Yamaji Eiji Japan Lecturer, Sust. Agriculture, UT /
YES Braunwald

25
 For more information, please contact:

ETHsustainability
Center for Sustainability at the

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich)

Bolleystrasse 9, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland

Tel: +41-44 632-4256, Fax:+41-44-632-1597

E-mail:info@centersus.ethz.ch
Internet: www.sustainability.ethz.ch

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