Challenges of Sustainable Development

This summer (2013) I attended a summer academy called Challenges of Sustainable Development, provided by the Sendzimir Foundation in a city named Torun in Poland. The participants were students and professionals with diverse backgrounds from different countries.  

The motto of the Sendzimir Foundation, “learning by doing,” illustrates exactly what happened during these three weeks. We, the participants, realized two practical projects – a local project that was about revitalization of a small partly untended area of a park in Torun, and a business project consisting in the promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) among companies. We had the chance to meet with different stakeholders - regional administration, NGOs, local companies, and citizens. Based on the provided information and opinions, we constructed our reports, which also contained additional research, suggestions and new tools for analyzing the problems. Apart from the projects, every day we had lectures and workshops by instructors and practitioners from different backgrounds and countries, which was very useful because sustainable development is a huge topic and we were able to see it from different perspectives. The main subjects related to sustainable development we covered were ecosystem services, economics of sustainability, systems thinking, natural resources management, sustainable water management in cities, ethics and values. The course was very intensive and demanding, but we also had fun playing different games and exploring the Polish culture.     

The major take-away from the Academy for me was the group work experience. As we spent most of the time together,  we were able to take our team relations to a very deep level and get some very useful insights on teamwork in general. The instructors encouraged us to discuss problems within our groups, identify the different roles of the members and how to use them to our advantage in the process of work. 

Another thing that I liked about the Academy was that we were given freedom for every task that we were assigned.  The instructors adopted a non-interventionist approach – they were very helpful and always there for us, but we were the ones who had to take decisions on organize the execution of our work. At first, it felt scary but eventually I realized how this approach boosted creativity and made us aware of the responsibility for the decisions we took. A spirit of collaboration, instead of competition, developed among the participants, and this was definitely the atmosphere I would like to feel when I work in the future.  

I am truly thankful to the organizers and everyone else involved in this academy. The Foundation provides a great start for young people who want to pursue a career related to sustainable development and helps them develop connections with professionals. The Summer Academy takes place every summer in different cities in Poland and it is a great opportunity for everyone interested in sustainability and its applications for businesses, politics, natural sciences, or just for everyday life.

By Katerina Bozhinova

The Sendzimir Foundation webpage: http://www.sendzimir.org.pl/