International summer school at WUT

Participants of the Summer School in the University of Warsaw Library gardens, photo by Piotr Szczepański
From 1-31 July 2024, Warsaw University of Technology, in cooperation with Aachen University of Technology and Universitat Politècnica de València, organised the 3rd edition of the interdisciplinary international summer school ENHANCE BLUE-GREEN-IN CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMER SCHOOL 2024.
This year, the focus was on nature-based solutions to climate change issues. Points of reference were the water cycle and the role of greenery. Students observed Warsaw from the point of view of the impact of the metropolitan ecosystem on the local community. The organisational side of the event was coordinated by the staff of the Centre for International Cooperation - Anna Smulska and Piotr Szczepański.
The summer school was conducted in English and consisted of three parts. In the first online part (1-2 and 11 July), students were introduced to nature-based solutions and the topic of waste management. Workshops were led by mentors from WUT and invited guests from ENHANCE partner universities: Verônica Garcia Donoso, PhD and Caner Telli, MA from the RWTH Aachen University of Technology, and Prof. Javier Rodrigo Ilarri from Universitat Politècnica de València and by Monika Konrad and Agnieszka Kowalewska, PhD from Department of Architecture and Spatial Development City of Warsaw who presented the role of blue and green infrastructure in Warsaw's spatial development.
The second part of the summer school (15-19 July) took place in Warsaw. It was led by a team of mentors from the Warsaw University of Technology comprising: Mariusz Kaleta from the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Anna Cudny and Artur Jerzy Filip from the Faculty of Architecture, Anna Rolewicz-Kalińska from the Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Katarzyna Bargieł from the Cartography Department at the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography.
The first day was an organisational day. The second day included field activities - a guided ship cruise on the Vistula River and a visit to the gardens of the University of Warsaw Library with Barbara Siedlicka, manager of the University Library Gardens. The activities were aimed at observing climate change and solutions to climate problems in the context of the Warsaw metropolis. An important element of the second day of the summer school was a study visit to the Jazdów Open Studio, located in one of the Finnish houses in Osiedle Jazdów, run by the Academic Association of the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology, where Mateusz Potempski - a student of the Faculty of Architecture and host of the studio - talked about the daily operation of the studio and its history and role and importance of Jazdów for Warsaw and its residents primarily in the context of climate change.
On the third day, the class was taught by Prof Javier Rodrigo Ilarri, a researcher at at the Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering Department of the Universitat Politècnica de València. They were devoted to the most interesting solutions used in waste management.
Day four was dedicated to prototyping and testing the teams' ideas.
On the last day of the residential part, students gave an update on their group presentations and took part in a quiz on Warsaw.
In the third part of the summer school (online, 22-26 July), students worked on group projects in the form of films. The students gave their final project presentations on 31 July 2024.
The summer school was attended by 21 students from 5 universities of the ENHANCE Alliance from 4 countries. Students were awarded 4 ECTS credits for their participation in the summer school.
The mentoring team from the Warsaw University of Technology summarised the summer school as follows:
– This year, the summer school participants demonstrated great commitment and a desire to deepen their knowledge of climate change. They actively worked in interdisciplinary groups, searching for the best solutions for their identified problems. Students analyzed problems through the prism of the communities they belong to, which was an important element of personal perception of the problems of climate change. During their stay in Warsaw, they also had the opportunity to experience what an urban heat island feels like. We are impressed by the open-mindedness, serious approach to tasks and positive energy that the participants brought to the summer school this year.
Below are the testimonials of the students - participants in this year's summer school:
– Attending the Summer School in Warszawa was a game-changer! Warm people, enriching experiences, and nourishing knowledge made it unforgettable. I tackled problems in new ways and hit exciting milestones. Plus, the cultural exchange with classmates and locals opened up fresh perspectives and endless possibilities. Best decision ever! – Nitisha Sai Kiran Srikurmam, RWTH Aachen
– One of the biggest benefits I gained from participating in the summer school at WUT was the opportunity to network and increase my awareness about various topics in sustainability. I particularly enjoyed the group work and interactive exercises, which facilitated a hands-on learning experience and enhanced my collaboration skills. Additionally, I was impressed by Poland, particularly Warsaw, which I found to be a dynamic city with beautiful parks and good public transportation – Ege Kandemir, NTNU Trondheim
– Our project was on the wider topic "Urban heat island effect" and how can we tackle urban heat islands to create more climate resilient cities. We came up with the solution of "Urban gardens" and explored how urban gardens can help lower the temperatures and why they are relevant now more than ever. (...) I got to work with the interdisciplinary team and learnt new ways to think about a problem and find a solution for it. More specifically, how to narrow down a wider problem into a more specific one and then work on it – Ibtsam Saeed, RWTH Aachen
– I am enrolled at RWTH Aachen for my master's in Management and Engineering in Production Systems (MME-PS). I previously attended summer school at Chalmers University and was aware of the fantastic opportunities the Enhance Alliance Institute provided. Climate change is a topic that everyone is aware of, but we still see its adverse effects. To provide my invaluable contribution to the topic, I planned to attend the Summer School organized by the Warsaw University of Technology. The week was filled with learning lessons, workshops, and social activities. It was a fantastic experience with students throughout the different Enhance Alliance colleges. It was my first time in Poland, and I experienced the Warm, welcoming nature of students, Teachers, and administrative staff. The summer school was well-planned and organized, including essential and required activities. I never realized the vastness of this topic, but I finally worked with my team, "Climate Enhancers," on a project to promote sustainable fashion. We aim to make people aware of the amount of water they are wearing, i.e., how much water was used to manufacture the clothes they are currently wearing. I hope our group efforts will be milestones in tackling the adverse impact. I recommend students attend this summer school to learn, explore, and contribute – Phulchand Saraswati, RWTH Aachen