Conference Agenda

Project-based learning at universities of applied sciences has traditionally been shaped by tasks set by industry or defined by lecturers. However, against a backdrop of technological and societal transformations, the requirements for the engineering profession are evolving. In addition to technical expertise, greater emphasis is placed on social responsibility, ethical reflection, and a stronger orientation toward societal needs. To meet these requirements, an approach that combines technical learning with civic engagement through service learning is gaining in importance.

At Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, an innovative format is being developed within the ‘Zukunftsagentur Nachhaltigkeit’ (ZuNa) that generates project ideas through direct dialogue with citizens. In public spaces, conversations on sustainability topics are conducted, during which societal concerns are collected and translated into student projects. Central to this approach is the personal exchange between students and community partners, enabling students to understand individual life situations and to contextualize technical challenges within real-world social settings.

The democracy-enhancing potential of this approach is illustrated by a project initiated through a conversation with a woman with a progressive neurodegenerative disease who uses a wheelchair. As she is unable to hold her head upright, she expressed the need for an automated, adjustable headrest to improve her social participation. In close collaboration, a student and the client developed a concept for an individually adjustable solution.

The ongoing dialogue became a key learning space, fostering empathy, perspective-taking, and critical reflection on the societal implications of technical decisions. This approach is grounded in Dewey’s pragmatist learning theory.

During the project, legal challenges emerged, particularly regarding liability and the testing of prototypes. Addressing these challenges required expanding the scope beyond the local context and led to a collaboration within the European university alliance INGENIUM. This highlights the importance of European cooperation in current societal contexts, as it enables the exchange of expertise and perspectives across national boundaries and strengthens a shared understanding of democratic values and responsibility.

This underscores the importance of European cooperation in the current social context, as it facilitates the exchange of expertise across national borders and strengthens a shared understanding of democratic values. Students develop not only technical expertise but also key democratic skills, including engaging with diversity, negotiating perspectives, and experiencing self-efficacy. This example shows that combining project-based service learning with European cooperation can effectively promote democracy education in technical higher education.