Development of a Sustainability Concept for International Student Projects
The rising importance of sustainability is expected to affect the International Student Projects of the FHNW in the short and long term. This paper proposes solutions for incorporating sustainability into the concept of ISPs.
Pfranger, Samuel & Benedetto, Matteo, 2021
Art der Arbeit Bachelor Thesis
Auftraggebende FHNW School of Business
Betreuende Dozierende Siegenthaler, Anja
Keywords Sustainability, Internationalization, CO2 Emissions, Student Mobility, International Student Projects
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To maintain the competitive advantage given by the ISPs, the FHNW is dependent on student mobility and internationalization. On the other hand, being sustainable gained global importance in recent years and as the expectations on corporate responsibility increases, companies and institutions across all industries are recognizing the need to act on sustainability. This raises the question of whether sending over 100 students abroad each year is justifiable from a sustainability perspective or not. The FHNWs strategy needs to adapt on time to the rising importance of sustainability.
In a first step, the terms sustainability and internationalization and related concepts were assessed in form of a literature review. Secondly, qualitative interviews with experts from the FHNW, federal and other educational institutions were conducted. Based on the findings from primary and secondary research, scenarios were created and potential solution approaches were developed. Moreover, first feedback on the suggested measures was collected from the ISP's key stakeholder group, the students, resulting in a recommendation for action for the FHNW by the project team.
Based on the findings from primary and secondary research, scenarios were developed, and potential solution approaches were identified. Thereby, the focus was placed on how to maintain or increase the learning impact, while minimizing the negative effect the projects have on the environment, for example in form of CO2 emissions. As a result, a total of nine measures grouped into four categories are proposed to improve the sustainability aspect of the ISPs. The findings from the primary research indicate that internationalization and experiential learning, cannot be replaced by online solutions. However, another argument put forward suggests that a verifiable impact must be given to justify travelling. This impact can be social, cultural, professional or contributing to real projects on-site. Also, the question is raised whether the education sector is the right place to implement regulations for example in form of travel restrictions. The quantitative survey does not only include positive feedback on the suggested measures but also indicates that sustainability is an important topic among students and that they are willing to actively contribute to sustainable development.
Studiengang: Business Administration International Management (Bachelor)
Vertraulichkeit: öffentlich