“Seeds of Change” was the motto of the teaching retreat, which brought together over 90 students, lecturers and professors. The aim was to strategically develop the Master’s programmes: topics ranged from the planned “USYS seminar” to the range of elective and/or minors on offer, internships and the reorganisation of the Master’s thesis.
Building ownership: A curriculum that belongs to everyone
“We have a rough structure and a clear idea of the milestones,” said Bruno Studer, Director of Studies in Agricultural Sciences, explaining the status of the project. “I am interested in hearing what students, lecturers and professors think about the individual aspects of the Master’s programmes.” Andrea Carminati, Director of Studies in Environmental Sciences, emphasized the importance of participation in the further decision-making process. “The new degree programmes should belong to the students, lecturers and all staff. That’s why we want to gather as many different opinions and ideas as possible.”
Differences are data
The department’s educational developers, Anouk N’Guyen and Manuel Sudau, pointed out that although there is agreement on the basic idea, the details are assessed differently. The challenge, they commented, is to bring everyone along while creating an innovative, adaptive and inspiring study programme for the next fifteen years. Instead of viewing differing perspectives as a hurdle, they consider them valuable input: essential data for making robust, well‑grounded decisions.