3rd European Forum
on Ethics and Science for the Environment
October 12 - 14, 2008, Toruñ Poland
III Forum nt. Etyki i Nauki na rzecz Œrodowiska
12 - 14 paŸdziernika 2008, Toruñ
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Memorandum of Understanding
“Ethics and Science for the Environment” (ESforE)/Cheesefondue Group
Ad-hoc Meeting, Bayreuth, 10-12 January 2007
Sustainability is the key word for the future global development; its implementation is first of all a matter of education and research. This is the principal responsibility of universities towards society, of its students, professors and its supportive and administrative structures. This should be done in an integrative and mutually responsible manner, involving all other sectors of society. It is also a chance for universities to gain wider recognition and relevance towards society.
Education and research with the goal to develop sustainability models must place the needs of the human beings and its natural environment into the centre, individually, as society, and in their environments. This means that both aspects of human life are regarded, i.e. its materialistic, scientific-technical needs as well as its cultural, socio-psychological, and emotional-spiritual conditions. While intellectual ways of cognition are well developed in academic curricula, intuitive ways are largely undeveloped although they are equally important [Edgar Morin: Les sept fondations de l`éducation du futur; Unesco 1999]. The fostering of such capabilities is also recognised as an important step towards a new cycle of economic growth. Thus, the traditional gap between the material and spiritual realities of the human being and his/her environment needs to be bridged, in the educational institutions as well as in society at large. Educational institutions at all levels, including the universities, should accept the challenge, initiate the necessary evolution, and develop appropriate ethical guidelines, under participation of society as a whole, of industry, and of cultural, social and religious communities.
This is an enormous task which should be assumed by institutions which have sufficient freedom from short-term, factional interests, such as the universities. The universities of Ferrara and Bayreuth are well prepared to explore of such a vision; they are similar in scientific scope and mission, at the same time sufficiently different and thus compatible in their curricula. Ferrara is one of the oldest universities in Europe, Bayreuth one of the youngest; Ferrara is a classical university with the faculties typical for a traditional academic structure, while Bayreuth has a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary curricula. In environmental studies, Ferrara offers an environmental management curriculum (Mastem) under participation of the local industry (Basell Ferrara), while Bayreuth has strong standing in environmental sciences, together with an interdisciplinary research centre (BayCEER, Bayreuth Centre of Ecological and Environmental Research). Both universities are located in cities of comparable size and regional importance, with a similar industrial, socio-economic and cultural background. This suggests that the municipalities together with selected industrial partners should participate in an integrated effort.
To achieve this goal, a formal agreement among universities shall be drafted, extended to municipalities and industrial partners, towards joint efforts to develop guidelines for new types of curricula. As a first step, the establishment of joint graduate teaching and research programmes with mutual visits and exchange of teaching staff are envisaged, to be financed by national and international funding agencies, under participation of municipalities and industrial partners. As a next step, the involvement of other European universities is intended; currently, representatives from Innsbruck, Burgos and Torun have expressed the desire to participate in the Cheesefondue initiative.
Bayreuth, 11 Jan 07
