Urban Campus 2014 Chengdu - Foundation Office China
Event Reports
In continuation of the first IdeaLab of the Urban Campus Chengdu project in March/April 2014, a second workshop took place from 12th to 14th June 2014 in Chengdu. It was supported by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Shanghai and the Shanghai based consultancy company Constellations International. In the meantime, the four project groups consisting of students from the Sichuan University and various local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had been working on the implementation of their project designs. During the three-day workshop, the groups presented the concepts they had developed. The aim of the workshop was to evaluate the implementation of the projects, to develop ideas further and to discuss challenges and problems.
The Team Happy recycling presented their project idea during a walk on the campus of Sichuan University. The participants were shown large waste collection places of the campus where the current system of waste disposal was discussed and proposals for its recycling were considered. To prevent that the previously separated waste ends up again in one garbage bin during the recycling process, the participants developed proposals such as the introduction of a better waste separation system and a plan for the disposal of the collected garbage.
The team Sustainable Citizen introduced their program proposal in a very creative manner: the participants took part in a “blind walk” in groups of two - one person accompanied a "blind" person – in which parts of the urban environment has been explored. The project would like to offer a platform for the urban population and wants to make the participants more actively engaging in public affairs. Trust and clear responsibility play an important role for a sustainable urban space.
During the first evening, SUN Yang, journalist and co-founder of the Shanghai Journal ECO NOMY, presented successful projects from the environmental sector. A Chengud based social media expert presented the communication strategy of his company and explained how to win a significant number of supporters of projects through social platforms such as WeChat and Weibo. Through this presentation the organizers wanted the participants to be encouraged to get external resources for their projects.
The team Sustainable Campus developed his original idea of a scientific survey on environmental behavior of students further on towards building a platform for events and an exchange of knowledge on “Green development”: an "Eco-Cafe" at Sichuan University. The exchange between different disciplines at the university is decisive for the success of this project.
The team Comsum'actors alliance presented its concept of a network of suppliers of organic products from the rural Sichuan for urban consumers. In preparation of the workshop, the team members had particularly dealt with the question of how a functioning market model might look like. A business model should be created from the perspective of rural producers, but at the same time, a stable network of urban consumers has to be assured. The team developed a business plan with the help of surveys and a detailed market analysis.
In the evening, the participants presented their project ideas to an external jury. The jury consisted of the German deputy consul general in Chengdu, Jens Kraus-Massé, Prof. Tang Ya (Sichuan University), Nicolai Peitersen (book author and project consultant) and other representatives of the city of Chengdu. Critical feedback and proposals will contribute much for the next steps of the projects.
During the closing session, the participants worked on their concrete implementation and on communication and financing strategies.
The KAS Shanghai and the partner Constellations continue to coach the participants of the Urban Campus Chengdu project.
