Sustainability Learning Labs in Small Island Developing States: A Case Study of the Seychelles

The teaching component is widely lacking in the discussion of real-world laboratories. We introduce a sustainability learning lab, where students both profit from this platform and also contribute to the success of the lab.

In the discussion of real-world laboratories, the teaching component is widely lacking. We address this by introducing a prototype of a sustainability learning lab (SLL) in the global South using a case study of the Seychelles as an example. In 2015 the Transdisciplinarity Lab (TdLab) of ETH Zurich initiated a long-term collaboration with the University of Seychelles (UniSey) and the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change (MEECC). Teaching activities include transdisciplinary case studies (tdCS) for students from UniSey and ETH, alternated with courses for UniSey only. BSc and MSc theses as well as internships complement these. In 2016 the TdLab, UniSey and MEECC jointly decided to focus on solid waste in a tdCS that engaged 18 ETH and 18 UniSey students with diverse backgrounds. This collaborative approach in a real-world setting with students from different cultures and engaging with a broad range of stakeholders is promising. Students managed to bring novel observations and insights to the surface. Thus, students both profit from this learning platform and also contribute substantially to the further development of the SLL.