5th annual Vienna Workshop for Sustainable Development at MU
November 26, 2015
MODUL University hosted the 5th annual Vienna Workshop for Sustainable Development (VWSD) on November 26th, a student-led initiative to bring together PhD and Doctoral students working in sustainability research from universities in Vienna.
Participants representing a wide range of disciplines had the opportunity to present their research to the assembled group, with a question and feedback round. Research presentations and discussions primarily addressed the environmental, social, economic, and institutional aspects of sustainability, as well as the challenges of sustainability research.
For the day’s highlight, Professor Tony Pereira, Fullbright scholar from UCLA currently based in Palermo, illuminated sustainability challenges from an engineering perspective in his guest lecture.
Lastly, a panel discussion featuring MODUL University Professors Dr. Sabine Sedlacek and Dr. Ivo Ponocny, contemplated the relative importance of institutional and individual (psychological/behavioral) barriers to sustainability implementation in the search for synergies and strategies.
The event was organized by Kristof Tomej, Researcher and Lecturer at the Department of Tourism and Service Management, and David Leonard, Researcher and Lecturer at the Department of Public Governance and Sustainable Development, both of whom are students in the PhD in Business and Socioeconomic Sciences at MU.
‘’The VWSD is organized by PhD students for PhD students, therefore it is quite informal. Nevertheless, it allows for a very honest and deep discussion of each other’s research projects’’, says Kristof. ‘’Peer-review is a common practice in modern science, and in this workshop PhD students have a chance to present their ideas to an external audience for the first time, and receive valuable feedback which consequently enriches and improves the quality of their research. Participants come from very diverse scientific disciplines, and that gives a very refreshing experience of extending the scientific discussion beyond the limits of your own discipline.’’
The organizers would like to thank Professor Pereira, Dr. Sedlacek, Dr. Ponocny, and all the participants for a successful and thought-provoking workshop!
