Green Ideas: Sustainability and Environmental Practices

Green Ideas: Sustainability and Environmental Practices
Germany and Switzerland

Academic Field(s)
Engineering and Environmental Science
Destinations
Freiburg and Geneva

Duration
11 days
Accommodation
2- and 3-star hotels in Freiburg and Geneva

Sustainability is one of the most important and hotly debated topics of the 21^st century. It is a local and a global challenge alike. Learning how to address local sustainability issues is a good start for students who plan to positively affect change in the world.

During the program, students will visit Freiburg, located at the borders of the Black Forest, as well as Geneva. Freiburg promotes itself as Green city, especially in the areas of transportation, energy, waste management, land conservation, and green economics, while Geneva is home to many international organizations.

DAY 1
- Overnight flight to Zurich, Switzerland (group flight can be booked separately)
DAY 2-3: FREIBURG
Stay 4 nights at a 3-star hotel in Freiburg
- Arrival at Zurich Kloten Airport (ZRH)
- Check-in at the hotel and orientation session by your CEPA On-Site Coordinator
- Guided walking tour of Freiburg’s old part of town to see among others its brooklets (“Bächle”), the Cathedral, and the farmers’ market
- Welcome dinner at a German restaurant
- Guided walking tour of Vauban, a district of Freiburg which was built as a sustainable model. It was the first housing community in which all the homes produce a positive energy balance.
- Light lunch at a bistro with a sustainable concept located in Vauban
- Guided tour of the Heliotrope house, which is an environmentally friendly house. Like a sunflower, the house turns towards the sun to maximize gained solar energy throughout the day.
DAY 4-5: BLACK FOREST - OFFENBURG
- Guided bus tour of Freiamt, a Black Forest community that produces 200% of their electricity needs from renewable energies. You will visit, for example, a power turbine and a biogas plant.
- Enjoy some free time in the Black forest while visiting the waterfalls in Triberg. It is here where Germany’s highest waterfalls come down the mountains.
- Visit Peter Huber Kältemaschinen GmbH, leader for high-precision thermoregulation, to learn about their approaches regarding sustainable productions and solutions
- Visit an organic farm to learn about organic farming. On the farm you can see cows, pigs, and chickens. After a tour of the farm, enjoy a local “Vesper” with their products.

DAY 6: LAUSANNE - GENEVA
Stay 5 nights at a 2-star hotel in Geneva
- Guided tour of the Olympic Museum to learn about the implementation of event sustainability and environment protection in the context of the Olympic Games
- Check-in at the hotel and orientation session by your CEPA On-Site Coordinator
DAY 7-11: GENEVA
- Guided walking tour of Geneva to discover the city’s Old Town. Explore the area’s narrow streets with their shaded terraces, each one home to numerous treasures from Geneva’s history.
- Free afternoon in Geneva
- Free day to explore this Swiss Alpine region
- Visit the Sustainability Management School (SUMAS) to learn about their vision, academic programs, industry relations, and projects
- Visit the headquarters of WWF International to learn about the World Wildlife Fund’s conservation since their beginning in 1961 and the challenges they face today
- Guided tour of the United Nations Office at Geneva, which is housed at the Palais des Nations. During the tour, you will learn more about its history, tasks, and goals. Alternatively, visit to the World Trade Organization to learn about their goals regarding the environment, more precisely on how they promote a sustainable development protection and preservation of the environment.
- Visit the International Environment House for presentations, e.g. on the UN Environment Office and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainability
- Farewell dinner at a Swiss restaurant
- Departure from Geneva Airport (GVA)

What’s included in this sample itinerary:
Academic and professional excursions with special presentations • cultural excursions and field trips with local, bilingual guides • entrance fees and reservations • accommodation in 2- and 3-star hotels (twin rooms for students; single room for the faculty) • daily breakfast • welcome and farewell dinner • 1 additional group lunch and 1 additional group dinner • local transportation by private bus as needed • public transportation passes in Freiburg and Geneva (included in hotel bookings) • on-site coordinator during excursions • orientation sessions • time to study, instruct, and explore

Program fee starting at € 1,860 per participant based on a group size of 20

Program fee starting at € 2,080 per participant based on a group size of 15
All program fees are calculated to include participation of one accompanying faculty or group leader.
Prices are based on a minimum number of 15 or 20 paying participants.
The actual quote for a tailored program will vary depending on different factors, for example: the actual program dates, the final participant number, the duration of the program, the visits and excursions included, as well as varying exchange rates