Table of contents

1. 1. Dates
   2. Program
   3. Topics and key questions of each Lab
   4. Requirements for participation
   5. How and when can you register?
   6. Who can you contact if you have questions?

The TUD Global Citizenship Lab is the mandatory introductory course of the TUD Global Citizenship Certificate (short: GCC) in the Knowledge module, which is offered every semester.

It is also a joint offer in collaboration with the Center for Teacher Education, School and Vocational Education Research (ZLSB) as part of the state initiative ESD SDG 4 - Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in university teacher training in Saxony, supported by Engagement Global with funds from the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Dates

The TUD Global Citizenship Lab will be offered each semester. It is up to you to schedule your attendance. However, we recommend that you attend the event at the beginning of your participation in the GCC program in order to get a good orientation and to join a supportive network of like-minded and committed people from TU Dresden and local civil society.

Program

Below you will find an overview of the program items, input providers and formats that await you at the next Global Citizenship Lab.

Friday, January 17, 2025:

• Welcome by the GCC team and information on the program
• Greeting from the CTIO (Vice-Rector for Internationalization) or the Head of the International Office
• Session 1: DIY - HOW TO ... become a Global Citizen (with Maria Nelz and Peter Che Nfon)

You are a global citizen – but you’re not quite aware of it yet? You´re looking for a manual on how to activate your Global Citizen mindset? Then this workshop is the right choice for you! Together we will be exploring whether Global Citizenship is only about the frontiers in our mind, or physical and territorial borders as well. We will delve into our colonial history, and reflect on colonial patterns of thinking and how they have shaped our minds until the present-time.
One of our focuses is decolonisation: How can we liberate ourselves from colonial power structures and their narratives about the world? With the methods of Theatre of the Oppressed (Augsto Boal), we are going to unveil oppression and create space for taking action through mindful practice. You will actively tackle global injustices and learn some tools for making a change in the world. By the end of this workshop, you will take away global mindfulness and practical strategies on your journey to become a global citizen.
Peter Che Nfon is the founder of Sustainable Actions Afrika, a non-profit NGO dedicated to promoting education for sustainable development through glocalized actions. Next to his several years of teaching experience, he also works as an anti-black racism trainer. Maria Nelz, a tropical forester by profession and a human by passion, coordinates a Dresden-based NGO (aha – anders handeln e.V.) committed to facilitating Education for Sustainable Development through local cooperations.

• Break

• Session 2, Part I: Scientific skepticism using the example of climate change denial (with Dr. Sebastian Schellhammer)

Despite the scientific consensus, climate change denial is experiencing a new high. It can be seen as a prototype for an intensifying science skepticism, in which disinformation and conspiracy theories distort the findings of scientific research. This does not only undermine a fact-based discourse, but it also delays necessary political decisions and is exploited by populist parties. Using the example of climate change denial, we are going to analyze the fundamental principles of science skepticism and develop strategies for debunking disinformation. Additionally, we will be discussing representative arguments, and simultaneously perceive the emotional components that are often connected with disinformation.
Sebastian Schellhammer is a group leader at the Institute of Applied Physics at TU Dresden. He has been tackling climate change denial for 15 years – e.g. as speaker and advisor at schools on the subject “Saxony in climate change”. He is currently contributing to various courses with his interactive lectures on climate physics and climate change denial, which has granted him a nomination for the TU Dresden Teaching Award.

• Lunch break

• Session 2, Part II: Scientific skepticism using the example of climate change denial (with Dr. Sebastian Schellhammer)

• Break

• Session 3: Anti-discrimination, intersectionality and diversity in the context of global mindfulness (with Lei Meng and Hàochéng Lóu)

How would you react if a international fellow student hardly speaks during a group discussion? Could you imagine dating an Asian-looking woman? What about an Asian-looking man? Can you picture how a visually impaired person crosses a street without traffic lights?
What is your understanding of stereotypes, discrimination, racism, intersectionality, gender competence, and diversity? How do these phenomena shape your campus life? What does it mean to you to be or become a "global citizen"? What role does mindfulness play in this process?

In this workshop, we will explore fundamental definitions and theories on discrimination, diversity, and intersectionality. Based on this, we would guide you while reflecting critically on your own biases, privileges and experienced discrimination. Together, we will develop concrete ideas and strategies to integrate diversity as well as an intersectional perspective into the everyday university life. The goal of this workshop is to raise your awareness of these topics, and to create practical solutions that you can implement concretely to foster an inclusive and valuing environment during your studies.
Hàochéng Lóu specializes in intercultural communication and competence; he is an anti-racism advisor at the Association of Migrant Organizations in Eastern Germany.
Lei Meng practices as educational advisor for diversity, intersectionality, and anti-discrimination at the Gender Competence Center Saxony, with a Master's degree in Transcultural Studies from the University of Bremen.

• Break

• Session 4: A Guide to TUD Global Citizenship Certificate (with the GCC team)

Saturday, January 18, 2025:

• Introductory words to day 2 of the Global Citizenship Lab

• Session 1: "All-connectedness": Cultivating the living harmony between humans, humanity and nature with the intercultural heritage of Qigong (with Nataliya Urban)

According to the ancient Far Eastern teaching of qigong, our body is intelligent, and so is the whole universe. Everything is connected by means of this vital intelligence and omnipresent exchange of energy and information. Proof for this concept may also be found in modern quantum physics research (like quantum weird phenomena, macroscopic entanglement, etc.). This workshop, however, does not elaborate on the abstract theorems of modern sciences; rather it deals with the simple and tangible basics of health and wellbeing, on an individual, social and global level.
Qigong can be defined as the art of regulation of the body, energy and consciousness. Originating in the ancient times, today it seems more forward-thinking than ever. In qigong we do not only aim to learn different movements, breathing exercises or meditations, first and foremost we strive to see ourselves (microcosm) as a part of the Universe (macrocosm).
Qigong instructor Nataliya Urban was born and grew up in the Urals, on the border between Europe and Asia. At the age of 16, she began with the wholehearted practice of Zhong Yuan Qigong, an ancient qigong tradition.

• Break

• Session 2: Authentic Connections: A Mindfulness Experience at the Global Citizenship Lab (with Fatema Darbar, Zanthea Chulio)

In our fast-paced, globalized world, authenticity often gets pushed aside. Introductions usually follow a predictable pattern: What’s your name? Where are you from? What do you do? But do these labels capture who you truly are? Or are they simply masks to help others place you into familiar boxes?
Imagine an immersive experience where we can set aside these identities and connect on a human-to-human level. In an intercultural environment, this kind of connection is especially powerful. Despite our different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, we can create a bond that transcends these boundaries and celebrates our shared humanity.
During the Authentic Connections workshop: In just a few minutes, you may uncover new aspects of who you really are and feel a closeness to others that goes beyond words. If you’re ready to explore authenticity in a refreshing, transformative way, we invite you to join us.
Fatema Darbar is the founder of InterLokal Social Hub (interlokal.net) in Dresden, a safe space --Social Hub for genuine connection and community. Alongside Zanthea Chulio, who has over 13 years of experience in corporate social engagement and large-scale project evaluation, she has honed her skills in workshop facilitation and education development.

• Lunch break

• Session 3: Health for Future Dresden: Health needs climate protection (discussion with Sina Lehmann and Charlotte Großkopf, among others)

What does the climate crisis have to do with our health? Health for Future Dresden is a group of people who have been working on this question since March 2020. We provide information about the local and global links between climate and health, make political demands to protect climate and health and work to reduce the ecological footprint of the health sector.

• Lunch break

• Session 4: Banda Comunale - Music and commitment to respect, diversity and solidarity

Banda Comunale is a collective of musicians from Syria, Palestine, Italy, Israel, Russia, Poland, Catalonia, Iraq and Germany. Since 2001, when the project was founded, the group has been committed to fighting prejudices and right-wing ideas as well as promoting open-mindedness and integration. The power of diversity and community inspires their musical work. Banda Comunale aims to reinterpret local music in order to counteract discrimination and resentment. Their repertoire includes rhythm, body percussion, vocals and electronic loops and sounds. For more than six years, the members of Banda Comunale have also been spreading their mission at schools and daycare centers throughout Saxony.
Michal Tomaszewski is a founding member of Banda Comunale and is responsible for its public relations, networking and funding applications.

• Break

• Session 5: Final exercise, reflection round & feedback

The review and impressions of the last TUD Global Citizenship Lab in SoSe 2024 can be found here.

Topics and key questions of each Lab

• What is Global Citizenship Education (GCED)?
• Why is it relevant for my future?
• What does SDG 4 exactely mean in terms of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all?
• Why should I contribute to achieving this goal?
• How to become or be a global citizen in this challenging, highly interconnected, and crisis-ridden time?
• What opportunities, challenges, networks, realities, and creative spaces can I embrace if I get involved?
• As a prospective graduate of the TUD – a global university with strong local roots – how can I acquire the knowledge, experiences, mindset, and skill set of a global citizen in addition to my academic studies?

• We will reflect on and explore these questions together in the TUD Global Citizenship Lab, with input and insights from numerous partners, experts, and activists of both academia and civil society.

  Methodology and languages

  In addition to knowledge acquisition in a cognitive way, the lab focuses on social-emotional learning in the group, sharing of experiences, and experiential learning (e.g. gardening for sustainability, cooking together with rescued food). The participants and experts will learn from each other. A wide range of opportunities to get involved will be demonstrated through authentic insights into practice. At the end of the two-day event, participants will draw up their roadmap for becoming a global citizen, supported by a committed community of like-minded people.

  The event will be conducted at a multilingual level in German and English, complemented by additional languages of the participants.

  Credit for TUD Global Citizenship Certificate

  By successfully participating in the TUD Global Citizenship Lab, participants will accomplish a central component of the certificate program.
  
  We recommend that participants register for the GCC program right away. After the registration, the GCC modules can be completed at your own pace during your undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral studies.

Requirements for participation

The event is open to all enrolled TUD students, including doctoral and exchange students. Student teachers are also welcome!No previous knowledge is necessary. Participants should bring openness and curiosity towards Global Citizenship Education and social engagement as well as the willingness to learn respectfully and at eye level with peers and experts, to reflect and to test what they have learned through practical exercises.Registration for the TUD Global Citizenship Certificate certification program is desirable. However, participation in the program is not a prerequisite for taking part in the Global Citizenship Lab.

How and when can you register?

Registration for the TUD Global Citizenship Lab is currently done via studium generale. There you will also find the link to register for the event via OPAL.

If all places (max. 30) are already taken, you can be put on the waiting list for the course in the next semester. Please get in touch with GCC team at TU Dresden.

Would you like to become part of an engaged global community and earn the TUD Global Citizenship Certificate? Then register for the program here!

Who can you contact if you have questions?

If you have any questions about the program or need help with registration, you can contact the TU Dresden GCC team. We will be happy to help and support you!