The Honours course entitled "Communicating sustainability in an intercultural context" closed on the 15th May with a workshop at Erasmus Sustainability Food Lab. The 24 students presented their research findings in the final session. Throughout this 10-week course, students conducted empirical research by comparing public perceptions towards sustainability in the Netherlands and in China. The students collected both qualitative and quantitative first-hand data through interviews and a survey.
While reflecting on this course, the students agreed on its great value, combining education innovation with clear societal relevance. They shared that the honors course helped them realize what the limitations of Western approaches to sustainability are. Students also told that they became aware of the urgency to go past stereotypes and learn best practices from other countries to collaborate and solve this global issue together.
The honors course is a joint project developed by Dr. Mélodine Sommier (ESHCC), Dr. Yijing Wang (ESHCC), and Dr. Ana Vasques (EUC). It received a grant from the central EUR and the Center for Learning and Innovation (CLI). 85 students from the whole University applied and 24 were selected. The class included students with a variety of backgrounds and coming from seven different faculties (i.e. Erasmus School of History Culture and Communication (ESHCC), Erasmus University College (EUC), Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (ESSB), Erasmus School of Economics (ECE), Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPHIL), Erasmus School of Law (ESL), and Rotterdam School of Management (RSM).
