RCE Euroregion Tyrol - 2018

CASE – Competencies for A Sustainable Socio Economic Development
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
CASE – Competencies for A Sustainable Socio Economic Development
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Euroregion Tyrol
Contributing organization(s) : 
RCE Euregio Tyrol, Terra Institute
Free University of Bolzano
RCE Vienna, Vienna University of Economics and Business
Wiener Stadtwerke
Boku, University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
RCE West Sweden, University of Gothenburg
Ekocentrum Gothenburg
University of Vechta
University of Brno
Environment Center Kapraluv
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
RCE Vienna (Lead partner)
Organizational Affiliation: 
Vienna University of Economics and Business
E-mail: 
office@rce-vienna.at
Name: 
RCE Euregio Tyrol (Partner in Italy)
Organizational Affiliation: 
Terra Institute
E-mail: 
j.bernhardt@terra-institute.eu
Format of project: 
PowerPoint
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Web link: 
www.case-ka.eu
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
UN Sustainability Development Goals
At what level is the policy operating?: 
International
Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development
At what level is the policy operating?: 
International
ET 2020
At what level is the policy operating?: 
International
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Europe
Country: 
Austria
Czech Republic
Germany
Italy
Sweden
Address of focal point institution for project: 
Lead partner: RCE Vienna, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Welthandelsplatz 1, A- 1020 Vienna
Partner in Italy: RCE Euregio Tyrol, Terra Institute, Saebenertorgasse 2/2, I-39042 Brixen, Bressanone
Ecosystem(s):
Mountain, Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Higher
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Five European regions were involved in the project. This included the mixture of older and newer EU countries, which brought together different perspectives on sustainability, entrepreneurship and collaboration. Also, the
diversity of smaller and bigger countries, with more or less experience in implementing environmental and sustainability goals, has created diverse perspectives in our working sessions and supported us in new ways of thinking and communicating. All this has led to a particular focus on intensifying the transnational multi-stakeholder network and thus contributing on the European dimension. The composition of the consortium was chosen with respect to Europe’s diversity in terms of environmental specifics, economic realities and educational systems and derived from that preconditions for education for Sustainability-driven Entrepreneurship.
Contents
Status: 
Completed
Period: 
January, 2015 to December, 2017
Rationale: 
Society is facing well-known ecological and socio-economic problems. Subsequent sustainability issues such as climate change demand new mindsets and competencies for academics and entrepreneurs which can be described as the demand for a sustainable economic development. Consequently, we need to provide new problem focused ways of inter- and trans-disciplinary teaching and learning which must also stimulate a sustainable socio-economic development. For higher education, this means that we have to focus on the development of new curricula which help to develop fundamental competencies in areas such as sustainability driven entrepreneurship, environmental management and policies and eco-innovations. This new accentuation of our universities must be accompanied by a stronger and methodological sound integration of business partners in the development of such new curricula.
Objectives: 
The CASE project addresses the need for new ways of teaching and learning methods as well as a strong cooperation between higher education and business to foster competencies for a sustainable socio-economic development in general and new forms of sustainability-driven enterprises in particular.

CASE aims at changing the EU landscape of higher education institutions towards a stronger accentuation on new inter- and transdisciplinary ways of teaching and learning as well as sustainable entrepreneurial education, increasing university-business cooperation, new university spin-offs and start-ups in the area of sustainability-driven entrepreneurship.

CASE was developed on a European level but with strong involvement of regional partners. The outcomes, in terms of courses and tools will be implemented again with regional partners and stakeholders.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Needs analysis: Based on a qualitative research approach, in order to bring together perspectives of enterprises and universities concerning future collaboration as a possible starting-point for a long-lasting multi-stakeholder network, we created a needs analysis that summarizes concrete needs and necessary competencies for sustainability-driven entrepreneurship.
Joint Master Programme: Building on the insights from the needs analysis CASE established the framework and basic elements of a new Joint Master Programme on “Sustainability-driven Entrepreneurship” for European universities. Here six sustainability-oriented thematic blocks are linked to a corresponding pedagogical framework.
Pilot Testing: Nine innovative cooperation formats based on twenty-one university courses were tested and evaluated addressing topics and methods important to foster competencies for sustainability-driven entrepreneurship.
Knowledge Platform: The CASE Knowledge Platform has been designed to translate major outcomes of CASE into practical, user-friendly information and animated short videos. It provides inspiring good practices and tools for collaboration between universities and partners from business and civil society.
Practical cooperation guide: The practical cooperation guide features 9 cooperation formats showing concrete benefits, success factors and challenges during implementation phases.
CASE Sustainability Performance & Competencies Tool: The Sustainability Performance and the Sustainability Competencies Tool are also available open access on the knowledge platform. Further, templates for research diaries or partnership contracts support implementation of straightforward university-business cooperation.
Project examples: 25 examples of Service Learning projects, Entrepreneurial projects, Social entrepreneurship projects and Eco-social design projects implemented in the five project regions are presented at the knowledge platform.
Size of academic audience: 
Over our project website and the websites of our partner about 10.000 users reached. In conferences and meetings about 800 learners (students, teachers, employees from business) reached. Through pilot courses 139 students, 23 teachers and 52 coop partners
Results: 
1. Needs analysis on competencies for sustainable entrepreneurship
2. Joint Master Program for Sustainable Entrepreneurship
3. Pilots: 21 evaluated pilot courses in 5 European regions
4. Practical cooperation guide
5. Sustainability Performance Tool – online tool
6. Sustainability Competencies Tool – online tool
7. Publications: 13 publications
More details you will find on our website www.case-ka.eu
Lessons learned: 
Factors of success:
- Our common vision: to create new ways of teaching and learning to change our world into a more sustainable one.
- Diversity in partnership: partners from universities and enterprises, from different countries with different implementation levels of sustainability.
- Build up a strong partnership, which works together also beyond the project; a new Erasmus project, focusing distinctively on SDGs is already submitted

Challenges:
- Ambitious goals which were hardly to achieve in the given project time
- Interlink and translate the rationales of business world and academia
- Integrate ESD in daily business of enterprises
- Formal requirements and bureaucracy in implementing a new master program
Key messages: 
Global sustainability challenges require for new competencies, in terms of mindsets, knowledge and skills.
Akquiring these competencies calls for new formats of transdisciplinary and collaborative learning.
The project CASE provides a joint master program which answers to these needs and provides a learning environment that is based on a transdisciplinary multi-stakeholder network.
Funding: 
The project was funded by the Erasmus Plus Program - Knowledge Alliances
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Direct
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Direct
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Indirect
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Indirect
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Indirect
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Direct
Theme
Curriculum Development 
Direct
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Building capacities of educators and trainers 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Indirect
Update: 
No