On November 19, 2024, more than 300 participants worldwide attended the 10th ProGlobe (International) Student Virtual Conference, among which 21 participants were from SZTU BusinessSchool. Dean Professor Dr.Holger Haldenwang from BS SZTU delivered a welcome speech chat to inspire students to think about the conference's theme and encourage them to actively explore effective ways of sustainable development and build a better future together. An ESG expert from the industry, Ms. Duan Xinkai (Managing Director, EcoPivot)delivered a keynote speech on ESG in China to highlight China's sustainable development and discussed how Chinese companies could find the right path through innovation.
Representative student teams from China, Germany, Portugal, Canada, and the U.S. presented their ProGlobe projects at the conference and answered questions from the audience. Their topics were on sustainable development in, areas such as water, energy, transportation, waste, food, and inclusivity. All teams have also made cross-country comparisons to point out the existing challenges and possible directions for future sustainable development.
ProGlobe is led by the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein Sieg, University of Applied Sciences, Fanshawe College, Middle Tennessee State University, the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu in Portugal, and Shenzhen Technology University. It celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. As China's only designated university, we officially joined the program in 2024. The program advisories Associate Professor Dr.Hao Chen, Business School, and the students participating this year are 20 undergraduate students from the 2022 International Business––International Human Resource Management degree program. ProGlobe is held once a year.
Based on the requirements of the ProGlobe project, students from all over the world form teams to work on sustainable development topics they are interested in, carry out transnational research, collect data and information through literature review, field research, field experiments, transnational interviews and other forms for in-depth analysis, explore the characteristics, opportunities, and challenges of sustainable development in their respective countries, and point out the possible directions of future growth. The student team's research results are compiled into a booklet every year.
This year, 20 undergraduate students from our school formed five research teams and worked on the following topics: water resources, transportation, waste disposal, food, and inclusivity. Their research results were presented in the form of posters and abstracts. By conducting interviews with foreign students, they learn about differences and similarities between cultures, exchange insights on sustainable development issues, and share Chinese stories. Through such experiences, they can improve cross-cultural communication skills, enhance confidence, and broaden their horizons.
Photo 1. PosterPortfolio(SZTU teams, from left to right: transportation, water resources, garbage disposal, food, and inclusivity)
The members of the Transportation Team, Miss XiaoqingLv,Miss MeihuiLi, Miss Ruotong Lin, and Miss Yueli Yao, presented at the virtual conference. They shared their findings on how transportation in China develops with a focus on green development and how direct and indirect policies influence companies’ innovation in the field.
By participating in the ProGlobe program, students can focus on key sustainability issues, participate in discussions on global issues, share their discoveries, learn about the world, and share China Stories with their peers all over the world. The students who participated have rated the program high and shared constructive comments/suggestions for future events. It was a rewarding and unforgettable experience for faculty advisors and students who participated in the project and conference.
ProGlobe—Digital Project-Based Learning: Promoting the Global Exchange of Ideas on Sustainable Goals, Practices, and Cultural Diversity is an international collaboration among Hochschule Bonn-Rhein Sieg, University of Applied Sciences, Germany, Fanshawe College, Canada, Middle Tennessee State University, U.S.A., Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal, and Shenzhen Technology University Business School, China. It aims to encourage communication among all five countries to raise awareness of the impact of environmental and social issues. In this project, students evaluate, discuss, and reflect on their sustainable practices. It offers students the opportunity to work in a global context and to understand global issues from different cultural perspectives, working against misconceptions and generalizations.
The Program’s vision is to offer a platform for learning and collaborating with different students around the world to share ideas on relevant global topics while working together on a joint interdisciplinary project that aims to create knowledge and foster global diversity. The program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and has been awarded the European Commission's "European Language Label for Innovative Initiatives in Language Teaching and Learning".
Author: ZHANG Zetao
Editor: CHEN Hao
