Research Brief- Dr. Saraswat’s Research on Education for Sustainability

The IGCS actively contributes to the exchange of knowledge by facilitating collaboration between students and researchers, aiming to generate innovative solutions for sustainability. It is a research hub dedicated to addressing pressing sustainability challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. Research is one of the core pillars of IGCS and is reflected in a wide array of our activities and events. The centre’s research involves collaborations with various esteemed institutions across Germany and India.

Today, we are excited to present a research brief from our alumni, offering insights into the key areas where our efforts are focused. Dr. Smriti Saraswat was our exchange student who had their exchange period between 08. July 2024 until 08. August 2024 at the Department of Architectural Theory, RWTH Aachen University, Germany under Prof. Axel Sowa. Their home institution is the department of Architecture and Planning at Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India and their home supervisor was IGCS’ Research Associate Dr. Christoph Woiwode. Their research was on the topic of ‘Higher Education Collaborations for Developing Framework for Vibrant Villages and Sustainable Communities in the Himalayan and Alpen Regions.’

Dr. Saraswat’s research, focuses on creating a collaborative framework for sustainable communities in the mountainous Himalayan and Alpen regions. The study addresses the challenge of urbanization by promoting rural revitalization through partnerships, specifically under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG-11 (sustainable communities) and SDG-17 (global partnerships). By fostering international collaboration among stakeholders in India, Germany, Nepal, and Bhutan, Smriti’s concept paper proposes strategies to harness local knowledge and resilience practices in these regions, thereby building frameworks for “vibrant villages” and sustainable, self-reliant communities.

You can read the full scholarship report here: