1. Mireia de Mingo, Didac Ferrer-Balas
Copernicus Conference
15 September 2004, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Network education for sustainability based on environmental values of a technological campus. The ITINERA project
Mireia de Mingo, Didac Ferrer-Balas
Thecnical University of Catalonia (UPC)

2. UPC 7 campus in the Barcelona (Spain) area
Baix Llobregat Campus
Agro-food engineering
Telecommunications engineering
7 campus in the Barcelona (Spain) area
15 schools/faculties (+ 7 associate schools/faculties)
40 departments
Technical education
(engineering, architecture, maths, telecommunications, ...)
31,000 students / 3,500 staff

3. UPC 2nd Environment Plan (2002-2005)1
EDUCATION
ITINERA
1.1. Curriculum greening
1.2. New environmental grades
1.3. Environmental post-graduates
4.1. Internal and external environmental communication 2
RESEARCH AND PHD
UNIVERISTY LIFE AND CAMPUS 3
4.2. University in a global context
3.1. Waste Management
2.1. Pluridisiplinar projects of environmental research
4.3. Coordination and monitoring of the Plan
3.2. Green building
2.2. Project: Laboratori REAL
3.3. Sustainable transport
2.3. Refernce PhD in Environment 4
COORDINATION &
I COMMUNICATION
3.4. Environmental cooperation

4. Description of ITINERA
An environmental educational itinerary on the Baix Llobregat Campus
The university students are trained by means of a free elective subject
The university students become environmental volunteers and guide secondary school students on the tour
Objectives:
Make university students aware of the
existing values on the campus
Make secondary school students more concerned for the environment

5. The value of linking-initiatives
An integral environmental approach as strategy for catalysing the curriculum greening process
Training
Research
Campus life
Communication
Emblematic projects oriented to the community can promote:
Student participation
Work in network

6. The opportunity of the Baix Llobregat Campus
Located in an area of a great ecological importance
It forms part of the Llobregat Delta, the 3rd largest
wet ecosystem in Catalonia
It has suffered a significant degradation as a result
of human activity (dissapearence of 97% of the deltaic
surface)
UPC took as a commitment to reduce the environmental impact arising of the new Campus construction by:
Introducing environmental criteria in the new buildings design
Developing the guidelines to be followed during the construction of the Campus
Promoting research projects to seek solutions to
environmental problems on the Campus
Creating educative actions as an example for the
community

7. Linking-initiatives in the Baix Llobregat Campus
TRAINING
RESEARC H
CAMPUS LIFE
COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION
Research projects
ITINERA
Environ. Criteria Buildings
Curriculum greening
Waste management
Energy efficiency
Environmental itinineray

8. The environmental itinerary
12 environmental points of interest are identified
Environmental design of the campus
The human footprint on the Llobregat Delta
The campus, just one more stage in the water cycle
The campus within the ecosystem
The other inhabitants of the campus. Birds and other vertebrates
The campus vegetation
Use of solar energy in the buildings
Access to the campus. The need for sustainable mobility
A reduction in the energy consumption of the buildings
Measures involving the use of water
on the campus
The campus in the waste cycle

9. The pilot scheme 2003-2004 Free elective subject
20 hours, 10 of theory and 10 of practice
Contents included participation and volunteer work concepts, environmental aspects of the campus and the environment: water, energy, fauna, flora, wastes, mobility
20 students enrolled (10 of agro-food, 10 of telecommunications)
Guided visits
1 secondary school of the municipality, with 100 secondary school students
20 university students (volunteers)

10. Actors involved in the network

11. Efects arising from the ITINERA project
The “waterfall” effect of the training activity: a multipliplying effect on each of the collectives involved:
university teaching staff
to learn more about the environmental reality of the campus
to cooperate in projects related to campus greening between both schools
university students
to create a feeling of identity with their campus
to be aware of the responsibility in their professional future
secondary school students
to create an awareness of environmental issues

12. Efects arising from the ITINERA project
A model of innovative and effective communication/awareness
The transmission of contents by the university students to the secondary school students took place using an:
Informal, imprecise and open language
Informal nonverbal communication
For this reason the secondary school students
Felt comfortable to ask and comment and dialogues took place between university students and secondary school students
As a result positive attitudes towards a change in their:
Daily habits (use of car)
Concern for the environment

13. Efects arising from the ITINERA project
Networking as a model of cooperation
Networking can foster the identification of opportunities for cooperation between different actors:
University's schools
University students
Environmental Plan office
Program for Voluntary Work and Solidarity
Castelldefels town council
Secondary school
The ITINERA project promotes the identification of the university community and others groups of interest with the territory

14. Efects arising from the ITINERA project
The barriers of a project based on voluntary work
ITINERA is only operative over a specific period of time
The guides are university students without experience
BUT this formula provides several benefits
The university students play an important role (they are also trainers). Generate an added value in the education of university students
Create bonds with local schools and educational institutions
Establish a contact between university students and secondary school students

15. Conclusions ITINERA has supposed:
The launching of an environmental itinerary
The creation of a new subject related to the campus
The promotion of multidisciplinary work (agro-food engineering and telecommunications)
Environmental awareness of different groups of interest
A reinforcement of the UPC responsibility for sustainability as an educational institution
Linking-initiatives such as ITINERA can become a tool for
Influencing the campus decision-makers
Fostering the participation of the university community
Bringing to light the environmental values of a campus

16. EESD 2004 International Conference
Engineering Education in Sustainable Development International Conference
Barcelona, October 2004
Objective:
Creation of the HE-Business-Society collaboration framework for the promotion of engineering education towards SD
Meeting point of stakeholders
Researchers and Educators
Industry and professional associations
Public administration
NGOs – civil society
Students
More info:

17. Thank you very much for your attention www.upc.edu/mediambient mireia.de.mingo@upc.es