Linking Asian and European Universities for the Implementation of Sustainable Technology

The European Union’s Asia-link program, which is part of the European-aid-office, funded a project entitled ’Linking Universities in Asia and Europe in Implementing Sustainable Technology to SMEs’.  The program ran from 2003 to 2006.

Partner universities

•   The University of Borås (UB)

•   Gadjah Mada University (UGM)

•   The University of Reading (Reading)

Objectives

Overall objectives

·        Enhancing student and teacher mobility

·        Upgrade skills of teaching staff and students at European and Asian Universities

·        Implement knowledge with sustainable technology

·        Transfer knowledge and technology to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises)

·        Open links between universities and SMEs in Asia and Europe

Specific objectives

·        Develop a curriculum at three co-operating Asian and European universities on ’Implementation of Sustainable Technology’ at the Masters level

·        Development and implementing distance teaching to educate students located in Asia and Europe

·        Establish methods for academic credit transfer and mutual degree recognition

·        Implementation of student knowledge to society and SMEs

Implementation

June 2003 – August 2004

o       Curriculum development

o       Initiate credit transfer and mutual degree recognition

o       Purchase and test distance learning equipment

o       Educate teachers in distance learning methods

September 2004 – June 2005

Masters program year 1

First semester – introductory courses:

12 students at UB and 5 at UGM

§        Sustainability (given by UB – distance to UGM)

§        Information Management (given by UB – distance to UGM)

§        Energy Management (given by Reading – distance to all students)

§        Environmental Management (given by UGM – distance to UB)

Second semester – specialisation courses:

Students on location at UB, UGM or Reading

§        Entrepreneurship for sustainable technology (UB)

§        Chemical processes (UGM)

§        Renewable energy (Reading)

July 2005 – May 2006

Masters program year 2

§        Students perform project work (in developing countries with SMEs)

§        Three reading courses

§        Students graduate in May 2006.

Assistance for project identification from

Ø     Intermediate Technology Development Group, Ltd., UK

Ø     Centre for Sustainability Driven Company Development, Sweden

Ø     Earthwatch Institute, USA

Ø     1420 Foundation (Spencer Jourdain)