The Summer School Sustainability in the Middle East (SMILE) aims at offering a unique platform for advanced bachelor and master students to delve into pressing issues surrounding sustainability in the region, gaining a comprehensive and nuanced perspective from professionals and scholars from different fields.
Category:
Incubator Grant
University:
University of Bern
Period:
2024-2027
The Summer School Sustainability in the Middle East (SMILE) aims at offering a unique platform for advanced bachelor and master students to delve into pressing issues surrounding sustainability in the region, gaining a comprehensive and nuanced perspective from professionals and scholars from different fields. The intensive, transdisciplinary, and interdisciplinary five-day program will take place in Bern in summer 2025 and explore the topic of sustainable development focusing on three main areas: education, social inequalities, and environmental challenges.
SMILE will facilitate the integration of sustainability across various study programs and will stand out due to its unique transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach, integrating perspectives from Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Digital Humanities, Anthropology, History, and Geography.
Program content and structure
Day 1: Sustainability in the Middle East
Introduction to the three key areas of the Summer School, followed by interactive sessions with organizations from Switzerland and beyond, showcasing the impact of their work in sustainability.
Day 2: Education - Access to Knowledge and Digitalization
Investigation of the role of education in sustainable development in the Middle East
Focus on access to knowledge and the impact of digitalization.
Day 3: Reducing Inequalities - Gender Inclusion and Societal Transformations
Examination of gender inclusion from a socio-legal perspective.
Exploration of broader societal transformations and debates to reduce inequalities and forster more inclusive communities.
Day 4: Environmental Issues - Land and Water
Analysis of environmental challenges, including land degradation and water scarcity.
Discussion on sustainable management strategies for land and water.
Day 5: Challenge-based learning/project work
Participants and Stakeholders
Coordinator
University of Bern
Other Partner Institutions
- Ghent University
- University of Göttingen
Team Composition:
Prof. Dr. Nijmi Edres (University of Bern)
Prof. Dr. Aymon Kreil (Ghent University)
Prof. Dr. Riem Spielhaus (University of Göttingen)
Objectives
At the end of this course, students will be able to critically analyze sustainability challenges specific to the Middle East and evaluate initiatives from regional and international organizations addressing the three core issues of the course: education, social inequalities, and environmental challenges. For example, they will be able to assess the influence of digitalization on access to education and knowledge dissemination and assess strategies to foster gender inclusion and reduce societal inequalities. Additionally, students will be able to investigate environmental challenges such as land degradation and water scarcity. Through challenge-based project work, they will develop the ability to collaborate, think critically, and apply innovative approaches to real-world sustainability problems.
Contact
Contact persons
Prof. Dr. Nijmi Edres, Assistant Professor, Co-Director of Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies