Tag: Sustainable Development

New Project for IGCS Focus Area Landuse

Posted on by in Lan Use / Rural and Urban Development, News

Focus Area Landuse introduces ARiSE Chennai – Agroecology, Resilience, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship.

IGCS announces an exciting Focus Area Landuse, Urban/Rural Development project. Funded with Rs. 20 Lakhs under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by our partner company Solverminds Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Chennai. This 18-month-long project addresses one of humanity’s key grand challenges at the interface of rapid urbanization, particularly, how to make food production and consumption more sustainable, secure, just, and resilient.

Together with our partner organisation, Chennai Resilience Centre, we are looking forward to implementing the overarching objective of the project, which is to develop a strategic vision of peri/urban agroecology for the metropolitan region of Chennai that enhances climate risk resilience and sustainable development through an entrepreneurial approach, with the longer-term vision to create an urban food council. This project further builds on previous research in the Peri-Cene project by the IGCS Landuse area, which identified agroecology as a high-potential, sustainable, adaptive development pathway to address climate change and disaster risks.

Decorative Image: Focus Area Landuse

Furthermore, the workshop “Exploring Food System Transformation in the Chennai Region” laid the seeds for creating a stakeholder network. Additionally, this was built on a research collaboration with Die Agronauten, Freiburg, in Germany, including a co-authored IGCS Research Brief outlining several recommendations.

Contact IGCS’ Dr. Christoph Woiwode (woiwode@igcs-chennai.org) for further information.

About IGCS Cooperation

IGCS is a source of inspiration and skills for proactive sustainability transformation in research and teaching activities. The sustainable use of resources in times of climate change and forthcoming societal challenges is a pressing task. The centre offers valuable human capital and solutions for various global challenges. It equips international talents from German and Indian universities. It collaborates with companies and NGOs to accept this challenge. IGCS welcomes liaison with new partners to tackle the present global challenges together.

Prof. Dr. Elisa T. Bertuzzo conducts exchange research at IIT Madras on Peripheralisation and Translocalisation amidst the Pandemic

Posted on by in News

IGCS-fellow Prof. Dr. Elisa T. Bertuzzo, affiliated with the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts conducted their research on the project theme of “Peripheralisation in an Age of Translocalisation” under the IGCS focus area of Land Use / Rural and Urban Development at the IIT Madras, Chennai, India from December 2021 to February 2022. Despite the pandemic and travel restrictions, they were able to conduct fieldwork in Chennai. Their work focused on the field of Urban/Migration Studies and (Visual) Anthropology, particularly in the understanding of collective negotiation, sharing and co-use of space, political organization, and solidarity that determine the production of space in peri-urban zones.

You can read more about her experiences in our latest edition of IGCS Experience Reports, which you can also download below:

IGCS Experience Report- Prof. Dr. Elisa T. Bertuzzo, 2023Download

Are you interested in research on sustainability issues? The Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS) awards scholarships to students and researchers whose projects on sustainability issues benefit from a research exchange to India or Germany. Our research fellows receive a one-time travel fund in addition to a monthly scholarship. The scholarship provides travel and living expenses according to DAAD funding rates, as a rule. The Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS) offers scholarships to help you achieve your academic and professional goals.

Learn more about scholarship opportunities.

Nandhini Duraimurugan’s Sediment Transport Study Published in ISH Journal

Posted on by in News, Research

The IGCS team is thrilled to share that Nandhini Duraimurugan, recipient of the IGCS research grant for 2023, has successfully published their research article titled “Field investigation of suspended sediment transport study in the Kandla Creek, Gujarat, India” in the ISH Journal of Hydraulics. This achievement is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and innovative contributions to the scientific community. We are honored to have been a part of their journey. Congratulations, Nandhini

You can find the link to the article here.

IGCS Summer School 2023 in Berlin, Germany

Posted on by in News, Summer & Winter School

Summer School 2023

The Integration of Renewable Energies into a Power Grid – A Key Contribution towards a Carbon Neutral Society

Date: 24 July to 04 August 2023

Venue: Technical University in Berlin, Germany

IGCS Summer School 2023, Berlin
IGCS Summer School 2023 Information Flyer

Objective

Achieving net-zero emissions, mitigating climate change, preventing the excessive depletion of natural resources, and reducing waste are major challenges the world is facing today. The energy sector is of particular importance in meeting these challenges.

Nowadays, the primary targets and concerns worldwide are energy transition, clean energy, sustainable energy, and energy security. Based on the three main trends shaping the current and future global energy landscape – decarbonization, decentralization, and digitalization – the integration of renewable energy systems into the existing power grid represents a key challenge for an innovative and viable solution towards a carbon-neutral future.

The energy system of the future must be achieved through sustainable management of natural resources, ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns, developing energy infrastructure and technologies, and raising political and social awareness to contribute to this overall system development.

This year IGCS Summer School focuses mainly on the technical aspects of integrating different renewable energy sources into the existing power grid as an innovative and potential solution towards a sustainable and clean energy future. The economic, environmental, and social aspects of this system will also be discussed during the school. It brings together students from Indian and German institutions, who will jointly and interactively develop their skills with the following learning outcomes:

  • developing a fundamental and holistic understanding of the technical aspects of integrating different renewable energy sources into the existing power grid
  • identifying the technical challenges that must be overcome to integrate a high proportion of renewable energy into the existing grid, such as developing infrastructure and technology, coordinating power generation from multiple sources, balancing power supply and demand, advancing grid storage options, and increasing energy flexibility.
  • identifying the main challenges and outstanding issues related to the implementation of renewable energy resources from economic, environmental, and social perspectives.
  • proposing innovative solutions and strategies to implement renewable resources on a large scale.

Schedule

This Summer School will run for twelve days from July 24th until August 4th 2023 and will consist of lectures, group works, panel discussions, excursions and intercultural exchanges.

The Summer School will be held as a physical event at the Technical University in Berlin, Germany.

Participants

The course is open to German* and Indian Master’s and PhD. Students. Knowledge of sustainability topics in the field of energy is of advantage. The number of participants is limited to 30 (15 German /15 Indian).

Selected participants from German universities will receive a mobility scholarship.

Selected participants from Indian universities will receive a mobility scholarship as well as a scholarship to cover living expenses during School.

IGCS is covering the costs of stay for all participants and will provide lunch on the weekdays.

*Non-German students and university graduates can apply if they are enrolled in the course of study at a German university to obtain a degree at a German university. For more information check DAAD-Website: Bewerbungen um ein Stipendium (German only).

Application

Interested students may apply through the 2023 Application Form. The application deadline is 01st of May 2023. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

The link is open from 31st of March – 1st of May 2023(7 PM CET/10:30 PM IST). You will need to register first before you enter the actual form. You can switch between German and English. Please read the instructions carefully, including the help notes attached to many entry boxes.

Please prepare the following documents to be uploaded through the form:

  1. CV
  2. Transcript of records of last completed semester/graduation certificate.
  3. Letter of recommendation from an academic supervisor. It should state your academic and personal qualifications for participation in the IGCS Summer School.
  4. Enrolment certificate of your University
  5. Passport Copy
  6. Motivation Letter

Positive results will be announced in the beginning of May. We kindly ask you to refrain from inquiries about the application status in the meantime. You will be informed if you are not accepted and your data will be deleted.

Students may be eligible to receive credit points for their participation in the IGCS Summer School. Please check with your home institution.

Contact

Please contact project coordinator Lisa van Aalst or Dr. Anna Uffmann if you have any questions.

Organizers

IGCS Area Coordinators for Energy, Prof. Dr. Frank Behrendt (Technical University Berlin), Prof. Dr. Krishna Vasudevan (Indian Institute of Technology Madras), and Dr. Khulud Alsouleman (Technical University Berlin).

Katchupedu Nook Celebrates First Achievements

Posted on by in Lan Use / Rural and Urban Development

On the outskirts of Chennai, the IGCS’s land-use area project, Katchipedu Nook, celebrated its first show of achievements by the young learners of a deprived community on Sunday, 27th November. The kids moderated the program and were supported by the two Nook Managers, Sona and Venkateshan, demonstrating documentary shooting and editing, dressing table carpentry, and piano play, among other things. Sustainable practices were also showcased through recycling, reuse and upcycling in coconut-shell jewellery, crochet bag making, and a drum set made entirely from plastic waste. The produce was sold with their brandmark stickers, “Katchipedu Nook”, demonstrating the kids’ entrepreneurial spirit!

Katchupedu Nook Celebrates First Achievements in 2022
Katchupedu Nook Celebrates First Achievements in 2022
Katchupedu Nook Celebrates First Achievements in 2022
Katchupedu Nook Celebrates First Achievements in 2022
Katchupedu Nook Celebrates First Achievements in 2022
Katchupedu Nook Celebrates First Achievements in 2022
Katchupedu Nook Celebrates First Achievements in 2022

The Nook is a self-learning and skill development centre where individuals can redefine and design education for themselves. The space provides a conducive environment to foster curiosity, innovation, problem-solving and critical thinking. To interact and promote self-learning, learners embark on projects where they set goals and do tangible projects to be showcased at the end of the goal cycle.

Congratulations to the team, and many thanks for a great and fun-filled show!

IGCS participates in K-Show in Düsseldorf

Posted on by in News

This week the IGCS Project coordinators visited the K-Show in Düsseldorf, Germany. The K-Show is the World’s biggest trade fair for plastics and rubber. Focus topics were Circular Economy, Digitalisation and Climate Protection.

IGCS emphasises the importance of collaborations with industries to address sustainability through joint initiatives. It was beautiful to engage with companies from India and Germany on a mission towards #Sustainability & #circulareconomy.

Lisa Van Aalst, IGCS Project Coordinator, Visits Chennai India

Posted on by in News

The IGCS team in Germany had the opportunity to visit IIT Madras in Chennai last month, where they were engaged in research and exchange teaching programs. Lisa Van Aalst, IGCS Project Coordinator at RWTH Aachen University, shares their experience in Chennai:

IGCS Team in Chennai
IGCS Team in Chennai

“After more than two years of working remotely, I finally had the chance to visit the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras campus, on a project management visit with the Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS).

Together with the IGCS Postdocs Christoph Woiwode, Daniel Rosado, and Khulud Alsouleman, we have had fruitful meetings strategizing on joint research projects addressing the Urban Water-Food-Energy-Waste Nexus in the Perumbakkam resettlement area as well as introducing hybrid teaching modules at IIT Madras in the field of sustainability.

Besides finally meeting face-to-face with our IGCS colleagues, we have also had the chance to interact with new faces and met our wonderful colleagues from DAAD India to discuss scholarship opportunities for Indian students and researchers.

IGCS Team In Chennai

In New Delhi, I had the chance to meet with RWTH Head India Office Benjamin Pfrang. Together with the Goethe Institut Indien and the German Embassy in New Delhi, we attended the inauguration of the Mayoor Public School Noida as a PASCH school. This initiative connects more than 2,000 schools worldwide where the German language is particularly important.“

Do you want to conduct your research with IGCS and our focus areas? We offer research grants to students interested in the field of sustainability. Visit our Grants page for more information.

Dr. Khulud Alsouleman, IGCS Post-doc, Visits Chennai India

Posted on by in News

The IGCS team in Germany had the opportunity to visit IIT Madras in Chennai last month, where they were engaged in research and exchange teaching programs. Dr. Khulud Alsouleman, IGCS post-doc in the area of Sustainable Use and Management of Energy and from the Technical University Berlin, shares the premise of their work in Chennai:

Image

“It was an enriching experience to be close to the students in IITM, to deliver and discuss some important topics In Biomass conversion technologies. During my stay at IITM, I conducted some laboratory analysis in the chemical engineering department related to an initial project idea with Prof. Vinu (waste management Indian coordinator), to enhance the research cooperation not only between the Indian and German partners, but also between the IGCS areas.”

The IGCS Team in Chennai, India
Dr. Alsouleman in IIT Madras

Do you want to conduct your research with IGCS and our focus areas? We offer research grants to students interested in the field of sustainability. Visit our Grants page for more information.

Dr. Daniel Rosado, IGCS Post-doc, Visits Chennai India

Posted on by in Uncategorized

The IGCS team in Germany had the opportunity to visit IIT Madras in Chennai last month where they were engaged in research and exchange teaching programs. Dr. Daniel Rosado, IGCS post-doc in the area of Sustainable Water Management and from Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel shares the premise of his work in Chennai:

“Unplanned urbanization can have negative effects on the environment. At the IGCS we investigate how the lakes of Chennai, India, are affected by this uncontrolled urbanization and we look for ways to improve this situation.”

Do you want to conduct your research with IGCS and our focus areas? We offer research grants to students interested in the field of sustainability. Visit our Grants page for more information.