Student and Alumni experiences - Sustainability Science

12.01.22 Jonathan Szabo has taken Lüneburg and Leuphana to his heart. That's why he decided to stay at Leuphana after completing his Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences. Since October 2021, he has been studying in the Masters programme in Sustainability Science. Here, he appreciates the opportunities for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work and is particularly looking for possibilities to link sustainability with economic action.

Why did you decide to study Sustainability Science at Leuphana Graduate School?

I chose this study programme because I want to make a difference. The world as it is today faces many problems and we humans are responsible for most of them. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that we can also solve these problems and would like to expand my basic knowledge from the Bachelor's degree to do so. The topic of sustainability is a huge and complex concept and it is not enough to just scratch the surface and then call yourself sustainable. That's why I like the study programme, because it combines aspects of natural and human sciences and links different disciplines. Actually, sustainability science should not be seen as a discipline alongside others, because it covers all areas of our lives. Above all, however, I would like to answer the question of how and at what point in the future I can best contribute to bringing humanity into harmony with the planet and itself.

What did you study before starting your Masters degree at Leuphana Graduate School?

I did my Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences at Leuphana as well. This degree programme also combines components from the natural sciences and the human and social sciences in relation to various environmentally relevant topics. Therefore, I already knew the university and was already familiar with some of the topics from the Masters programme. However, this is really not necessary to be able to study the Masters, but it helped me insofar as I knew that I would like the university and the programme.

You are in your first Masters semester. How did you experience your start of studies and the Opening Days?

Even though the Opening Days could only take place digitally in parts, it was still nice to get to know the other first-year students and to hear what motivates them so much. All in all, it was a good introduction to university life here. I found it particularly funny that one of the first programme points was planned without a tutor, so I spontaneously gave a tour of the campus, which enabled me to meet a few nice people straight away. The introduction to the programme itself was particularly motivating for me, as we were finally able to study in person again. In addition, the introduction was designed in such a way that everyone who had perhaps studied something else before was also taken along.

Leuphana sees itself as an inter- and transdisciplinary university. The orientation of your study programme is also interdisciplinary. How do you perceive this?

There is a really strong focus on inter- and transdisciplinarity at Leuphana. On the one hand, this is noticeable in the design of the various study programmes, on the other hand also in the students themselves. In addition to the various focal points that can be set, the study programme also includes Complementary study modules. I find this particularly exciting because it offers the opportunity to get to know topics outside of the core studies and, above all, to get to know students from other study programmes. In Sustainability Science, too, there are many different subject backgrounds from which the students come. What is also special about the study programme are the transdisciplinary research projects in the second and third semesters. I think these have a lot of potential and I'm excited to see what awaits us there.

You have the opportunity to choose between different modules in the degree programme and to set your own focal points. Which modules did you choose? What do you mean by that?

Since I am still in my first semester, some of the introductory seminars and lectures are still included in my chosen modules. These include an insight into what Sustainability Science actually entails, as well as some chemical and natural science basics. In the complementary module, I am taking a seminar that deals with the question of how we can actively retrieve carbon from the atmosphere in order to reach pre-industrial concentrations there. In the future, I would like to shift my focus further towards sustainability in business. This includes sustainability communication and management, but above all I am also interested in the topic of truly sustainable innovations and start-ups that can make big things happen.

What is the relationship between the students and the lecturers like?

I think there are few degree programmes where students and lecturers are so motivated and committed. I'm very enthusiastic about how the lecturers burn for their cause, and that naturally rubs off on us students as well. In this respect, the relationship so far has been very relaxed and friendly, and at the same time totally committed and respectful. Of course, this is even more true for the students among themselves. We had a really great first-year trip, there are usually frequent events organised by the student council and you can quickly find friends and like-minded people. It's really amazing how short we've only been studying here and how much I've grown to love many of them. In general, the university is not too big and everything on campus is close together, so you know each other and often see familiar faces there.

What keeps you busy besides your studies?

Between my Bachelor and Masters, I did an internship at Braungart EPEA, where I now also work as a student trainee during my studies. We are working on advancing the Cradle to Cradle design concept. Since I study full time and am well utilised with the working hours, there is unfortunately not much time left to commit myself to a cause additionally. But for those who feel like it, there are enough opportunities and initiatives to do so. I can only recommend keeping your eyes open and simply approaching people with an open mind. Personally, if it works out, I would like to start the next dance course with my girlfriend this year.

How do you like Lüneburg as a place to live and how do you spend your free time here? Do you use the semester ticket? What should everyone have done in or around Lüneburg?

Lüneburg is a beautiful city that has a lot to offer despite or even because of its manageable size. You can stroll through the old town and take a look at the water tower or other historic buildings, or in summer you can take advantage of the many opportunities to be outside. For example, there is the nature reserve near the university, the Ilmenau river, the lake at the Kreideberg, the spa gardens or the Lüneburg Heath. In the evenings, you can explore Lüneburg's excellent pub culture, where there is something for everyone. Personally, I enjoy cycling outdoors a lot. Culturally, you can let off steam at the theatre, the Scala cultural cinema, Salon Hansen, Anna & Arthur, Mosaique or many other locations. And if that's not enough, you can get to Hamburg for free with the semester ticket and enjoy the advantages of a big city.

What should everyone have done? Well, tastes differ, but a must is to eat at least once at Jim Curry and a midnight pizza in September, to spend a summer evening on the Stint bridge and to swim in the Ilmenau.

To whom would you recommend your study programme at Leuphana Graduate School?

The most important thing is your own motivation, I think. If you have the will to change something in the world, to understand what is behind the many problems and how we can fight against them, then you should consider studying here. Questioning things critically, even within your studies, can also be very helpful. If you want to be part of a very engaged community, then I can definitely recommend Sustainability Science. It doesn't matter if you want to go into business, teaching, research or any other profession related to sustainability. You can gain valuable experience and knowledge here. Besides, it's not just the studies that are important, but also the contacts that can be made here. The beautiful city and the life here are of course a little bonus on top.

Why did you decide to study Sustainability Science at Leuphana Graduate School?

I chose this study programme because I want to make a difference. The world as it is today faces many problems and we humans are responsible for most of them. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that we can also solve these problems and would like to expand my basic knowledge from the Bachelor's degree to do so. The topic of sustainability is a huge and complex concept and it is not enough to just scratch the surface and then call yourself sustainable. That's why I like the study programme, because it combines aspects of natural and human sciences and links different disciplines. Actually, sustainability science should not be seen as a discipline alongside others, because it covers all areas of our lives. Above all, however, I would like to answer the question of how and at what point in the future I can best contribute to bringing humanity into harmony with the planet and itself.

What did you study before starting your Masters degree at Leuphana Graduate School?

I did my Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences at Leuphana as well. This degree programme also combines components from the natural sciences and the human and social sciences in relation to various environmentally relevant topics. Therefore, I already knew the university and was already familiar with some of the topics from the Masters programme. However, this is really not necessary to be able to study the Masters, but it helped me insofar as I knew that I would like the university and the programme.

You are in your first Masters semester. How did you experience your start of studies and the Master Kick-off?

Even though the kick-off could only take place digitally in parts, it was still nice to get to know the other first-year students and to hear what motivates them so much. All in all, it was a good introduction to university life here. I found it particularly funny that one of the first programme points was planned without a tutor, so I spontaneously gave a tour of the campus, which enabled me to meet a few nice people straight away. The introduction to the programme itself was particularly motivating for me, as we were finally able to study in person again. In addition, the introduction was designed in such a way that everyone who had perhaps studied something else before was also taken along.

Leuphana sees itself as an inter- and transdisciplinary university. The orientation of your study programme is also interdisciplinary. How do you perceive this?

There is a really strong focus on inter- and transdisciplinarity at Leuphana. On the one hand, this is noticeable in the design of the various study programmes, on the other hand also in the students themselves. In addition to the various focal points that can be set, the study programme also includes complementary study modules. I find this particularly exciting because it offers the opportunity to get to know topics outside of the core studies and, above all, to get to know students from other study programmes. In Sustainability Science, too, there are many different subject backgrounds from which the students come. What is also special about the study programme are the transdisciplinary research projects in the second and third semesters. I think these have a lot of potential and I'm excited to see what awaits us there.

You have the opportunity to choose between different modules in the degree programme and to set your own focal points. Which modules did you choose? What do you mean by that?

Since I am still in my first semester, some of the introductory seminars and lectures are still included in my chosen modules. These include an insight into what Sustainability Science actually entails, as well as some chemical and natural science basics. In the complementary module, I am taking a seminar that deals with the question of how we can actively retrieve carbon from the atmosphere in order to reach pre-industrial concentrations there. In the future, I would like to shift my focus further towards sustainability in business. This includes sustainability communication and management, but above all I am also interested in the topic of truly sustainable innovations and start-ups that can make big things happen.

What is the relationship between the students and the lecturers like?

I think there are few degree programmes where students and lecturers are so motivated and committed. I'm very enthusiastic about how the lecturers burn for their cause, and that naturally rubs off on us students as well. In this respect, the relationship so far has been very relaxed and friendly, and at the same time totally committed and respectful. Of course, this is even more true for the students among themselves. We had a really great first-year trip, there are usually frequent events organised by the student council and you can quickly find friends and like-minded people. It's really amazing how short we've only been studying here and how much I've grown to love many of them. In general, the university is not too big and everything on campus is close together, so you know each other and often see familiar faces there.

What keeps you busy besides your studies?

Between my Bachelor and Masters, I did an internship at Braungart EPEA, where I now also work as a student trainee during my studies. We are working on advancing the Cradle to Cradle design concept. Since I study full time and am well utilised with the working hours, there is unfortunately not much time left to commit myself to a cause additionally. But for those who feel like it, there are enough opportunities and initiatives to do so. I can only recommend keeping your eyes open and simply approaching people with an open mind. Personally, if it works out, I would like to start the next dance course with my girlfriend this year.

How do you like Lüneburg as a place to live and how do you spend your free time here? Do you use the semester ticket? What should everyone have done in or around Lüneburg?

Lüneburg is a beautiful city that has a lot to offer despite or even because of its manageable size. You can stroll through the old town and take a look at the water tower or other historic buildings, or in summer you can take advantage of the many opportunities to be outside. For example, there is the nature reserve near the university, the Ilmenau river, the lake at the Kreideberg, the spa gardens or the Lüneburg Heath. In the evenings, you can explore Lüneburg's excellent pub culture, where there is something for everyone. Personally, I enjoy cycling outdoors a lot. Culturally, you can let off steam at the theatre, the Scala cultural cinema, Salon Hansen, Anna & Arthur, Mosaique or many other locations. And if that's not enough, you can get to Hamburg for free with the semester ticket and enjoy the advantages of a big city.

What should everyone have done? Well, tastes differ, but a must is to eat at least once at Jim Curry and a midnight pizza in September, to spend a summer evening on the Stint bridge and to swim in the Ilmenau.

To whom would you recommend your study programme at Leuphana Graduate School?

The most important thing is your own motivation, I think. If you have the will to change something in the world, to understand what is behind the many problems and how we can fight against them, then you should consider studying here. Questioning things critically, even within your studies, can also be very helpful. If you want to be part of a very engaged community, then I can definitely recommend Sustainability Science. It doesn't matter if you want to go into business, teaching, research or any other profession related to sustainability. You can gain valuable experience and knowledge here. Besides, it's not just the studies that are important, but also the contacts that can be made here. The beautiful city and the life here are of course a little bonus on top.

Interviewer: Jonas Kernein

14.05.20 The student of Sustainability Science is a passionate athlete. For her commitment to environmental protection and her very good performance in her studies, she is supported with the Deutschlandstipendium.

When Mira Pape goes to sports, she doesn't just see goals, balls and her team: Are animals disturbed by training? Is there a deposit bin on the club grounds? Is the grass artificial or natural? Mira Pape is interested in the conflict of use between athletes and nature. After school, she did a voluntary ecological year at the Lower Saxony Sports Association: "Sustainability was already an important topic for me when I was at school." Originally, she wanted to study sports, but the work she did during her ecological year led her to a Bachelor of Environmental Sciences.

Four years ago, she began her studies at Leuphana, and is now studying for a Masters degree in Sustainability Science. "One of the university's guiding principles is action orientation. That convinced me. With this degree, I can combine the topics of sport and sustainability," explains the 23-year-old. In a course on geoinformation systems, for example, she mapped sports facilities in socially deprived neighbourhoods. Were the public football fields even accessible for children? For Mira Pape, sustainability stands not only for environmental protection, but also for social commitment. The scholarship holder is on the board of both the Sportjugend Lüneburg and the Sportjugend Niedersachsen. Together, for example, they develop sports programmes for disadvantaged children. But Mira Pape also shows local sports clubs how to apply to the state for funding to turn an unused green space into a meadow orchard. Politically, she is involved with the Green Party and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of artificial turf with sports clubs. On the one hand, its use introduces microplastics into the environment, but on the other hand, it does not need to be irrigated.
 
At the age of 16, the woman from Lower Saxony obtained her fitness and dance instructor's certificate, taught children and later got into touch rugby through her husband. Unlike the name suggests, the sport is less contact-oriented than the better-known rugby and is played in mixed teams. Mira Pape is a member of the German national team. In times of the Corona pandemic, many of her activities are not possible. Nevertheless, the scholarship holder is optimistic about the future. Mira Pape is the sustainability officer of the university sports department. She coordinates the sustainability measures there and has, for example, worked to get the university sports centre recognised as an assignment site for the Voluntary Ecological Year in Sport. Now a new project is in the pipeline: cardio machines are not only to make their users fitter, but are also to be used to generate electricity. "Through physical exertion, people can experience the value of our resources," she explains. After the Corona pandemic, she wants to take this project beyond the university's borders and pass it on to larger sports clubs and associations.
 
For one year, she will now receive regular funding of 300 euros a month thanks to the Deutschlandstipendium. Half of the money comes from a private mentor, the other half is provided by the federal government. "I am very grateful to my sponsor for supporting young academics in this way," says Mira Pape. The Deutschlandstipendium is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Mira Pape puts the money into her further education. Especially in Corona times, she has time for online courses on personal development. The student also wants to invest in sustainable sports equipment. In addition, she continues to work on her website and shares her current activities: "I would like to motivate others and expand my network," says Mira Pape. When she has her Masters degree in her pocket, she wants to continue what she started with during her studies: "I can imagine working in a large sports company, at the Landessportbund or as an independent consultant."

Author: Dr. Marietta Hülsmann