The transdisciplinary module "BTU4future" has been running since summer semester 2022 - open to all students who want to engage with climate protection and sustainable development in a very practical way!

In the summer semester 2025, the focus will be on cultural sustainability and the critical reflection of different cultures of remembrance: a place will be created around the Women's Place for Bililee Ajiamé Machbuba at BTU to reflect on different perspectives on (colonial) history and, in particular, to highlight marginalised perspectives and decolonise cultures of remembrance. This year we are cooperating with FrauenOrte Brandenburg. The module will be led by guest lecturer and artist Patricia Vester.

The module (13710) consists of online and face-to-face sessions and includes several excursions in Cottbus. The module will be held in English or German as required.

First session: Tuesday (15.04.2025) 14:00 - 17:00 Online:https://b-tu.webex.com/meet/btu4future

All further information on Moodle

About the guest lecturer Patricia Vester

This year, the BTU4Future module will feature the artist Patricia Vester as a guest lecturer. Patricia Vester, born in Potsdam, is an artist, illustrator, author, diversity trainer and activist for BIPoC (Black, Indigenous People of Colour). She is a consultant on colonial contexts and museum practice, as well as a developer of racism-critical art and cultural education. She is committed to decolonial learning, offers process support and develops artistic-creative teaching methods. Her work supports Black communities and socio-political projects and aims to make marginalised perspectives visible. In 2023, she published the workbook "gelebt - Das kurze Leben der Bilillee Ajiamè Machbuba", in which she explores the life of Bilillee Ajiamé Machbuba from an Afro-German perspective, who was enslaved and deported to Germany in the 19th century.

Core idea and objective

At the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, research is being conducted in various disciplines on climate protection as well as sustainable development. Whether the project of sustainable development succeeds, however, depends not least on whether the manifold interconnections of climate change and social injustice are understood in their complexity. This requires suitable teaching formats that illuminate the problem of the climate crisis as an interdisciplinary cross-cutting issue and translate it into concrete knowledge for action.

The teaching project "BTU4future - Climate Protection Participatively" develops an innovative didactic concept that bundles inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives and competencies and encourages, supports and actively involves the broadest possible student body as central shapers of sustainable development.

I will recommend this module to other students because of the active project work and the chance to help shape the university. It would be desirable if more projects and modules of this kind were offered at the university."(Course participant from the winter semester 2022/ 23)

In order to strengthen participation and practical relevance, a project workshop was set up: students should be motivated to discover their own creative spaces and to develop educational and action formats co-creatively in small groups. The aim of the project workshop is for students to develop a critical understanding of universities as actors/locations for sustainable development and then to conceive and implement their own climate protection project ideas.

"The topics of the lecture series are very diverse and people from different courses are motivated to work together on something." (Course participant from summer semester 2022)

I met a lot of cool students with whom it was possible to implement a good idea." (Course participant from summer semester 2022)

Our local practice partners:

• BTU's Information, Communication and Media Center (IKMZ/MMZ)
• Fridays for Future Cottbus
• Architects for Future Cottbus
• Fablab Cottbus
• Network of open workshops
• Green University Group StuRa