METHOD OF THE PROGRAM

The Teaching Program follows the classical scientific investigation in three steps: Hypothesis or Question, Test or Experiment, Thesis or Theory (Result).

First Step: In order to  get to know each other personally and to learn about the different approaches of the academic discplines the faculty members will introduced themselves and their academic discipline by asking the relevant and so often un-asked fundamental questions and methodological approaches to come to answers with regard tot he six topics mentioned above. If possible, they should relate the six topics to each other.

Second Step: The Summer School will follow not a top-down teaching method where students would be the objects of education, but it should be a oriject-opriented workshop of mutual questioning and learning. Since only few days are at our disposal we cannot go out into such real fields of agriculture, traffic and energy production but have to enivsage these fields virtually. So students will chose beforehand (so that we have an even distribution) one oft he four areas (a-d) as a virtual field work and apply the knowledge and strategies gained in the 6 areass mentioned above in order to suggest realistic and practicable strategies, motivations and applicable solutions in the four areas. Ansthropological, economic, psychological, educational, religious concerns etc. shall all be dealt with and integrated into a holisitc approach. In this period oft he program students will work in stable groups for a couple of days with rotating faculty mentoring the virtual projects during the process.

Third Step: The „Projects“ will be presented (papers pre-distributed, power point) in the plenary. Here, the focus shall be on new strategies for understanding the 6 fields on the basis oft he groups work. So all presentations of projects should link their practical „projects“ worked out in the groups with some (perhaps not all) oft he 6 Interdisciplinary Areas in ordert o make as contribution to more comprehensive theories and to practical solutions at the same time. Suggestions and objections from other groups will be discussed in detail. Both theoretical consistency and realistic applicability are important criteria for an evaluation of the suggestions.

Finally students will write a thesis with a more specified title taken out oft he area they have been working with in their group. In ordert o find a proper topic thy shall approach one oft he faculty members as a mentor. He/she shall discuss the topic and strategy for writing the paper with the student. The findings and insights from the plenary discussions (third step) shall be carefully considered. The paper shall be presented after 3 months first to the mentor for evaluation and shall be made available later online for all the participants oft he Summer School.