Study sustainability

Sustainability is a focus of the courses offered at the University of Kassel - and this focus is currently being massively expanded. Prof. Dr. René Matzdorf is Vice President for Studies and Teaching and is driving forward the introduction of new degree courses. In this interview, he explains the reasons for this and how it benefits students.

We see it in the news every day: We cannot continue to exploit the world and pollute the environment like this, our planet can no longer cope with it. Something has to change, and fast. Many young people are aware of this. What does the University of Kassel offer them?

Since it was founded, the University of Kassel has dealt with sustainability issues in many of its degree courses. Now it is going one step further and is planning new courses that prepare students to help shape the transformation to a sustainable world. The demand for qualified specialists is enormous, both regionally and globally - in companies and institutions.

There are already several degree courses in Kassel in the field of environment and sustainability. What is new about the planned courses?

There will be a new Bachelor's degree that deals with the sustainability goals of the United Nations, the so-called SDGs. We have just established the Kassel Institute for Sustainability and brought new academics to Kassel who are top in this field both nationally and internationally. In addition to this Bachelor's degree program "Sustainability Sciences - Sustainability Studies" we want to enrich numerous degree courses with an accompanying study component that deals intensively with sustainability goals for one or two semesters: i.e. business law plus sustainability, electrical engineering plus sustainability and so on. Students are thus prepared to act more consciously and sustainably in their subject and can later act as experts for necessary transformations in companies and institutions. It will be possible to study these specialist courses with or without the integrated sustainability studies. If they are integrated, the course takes a little longer, but has great added value. No other university in Germany offers all of this.

When can I enrol on these courses?

The new minor in Sustainability Studies will be available on our combined Bachelor's degree courses from the winter semester 2024/25. In the following year, i.e. 2025/26, the Bachelor's degree program "Sustainability Sciences - Sustainability Studies" and the specialist courses with integrated sustainability studies will start. By the time the first students graduate with a Bachelor's degree, we also want to develop one (or more) Master's degree programs that prepare students for research on sustainability topics, paving the way for a doctorate at the new Kassel Institute for Sustainability.

Interview: Sebastian Mense, Press Officer
Status: early 2024