From October 15 to 17, 2024, scientists from all over the world gathered in the Indonesian city of Jogyakarta to exchange ideas and network. Dr. Monika Eigenstetter, professor at the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology at Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR), was also there. The focus of the meeting was the kick-off "Knowledge transfer from campus and into society and business" as part of the university partnerships and projects funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

With funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the DAAD supports university partnerships in subject areas that contribute to sustainable development in the sense of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) and to the development of efficient and cosmopolitan universities in the partner countries and in Germany.

The funded projects focus on the implementation of SDG goals, including the project "Partnership for Resilience and Sustainable Innovation in Management" (SDP PRIMe) by Prof. Dr. Monika Eigenstetter, Head of the A.U.G.E. Institute at HSNR. "The aim is to develop educational materials for transformation management in the so-called twin transition, the combination of digitalization and sustainability. To this end, the A.U.G.E. Institute is working closely with the Polytechnic Textile STTT Bandung and the Catholic University of Atma Jaya in Indonesia," says Eigenstetter.

Other DAAD projects have focused, for example, on the protection of biodiversity in forest management or the participation of marginalized people in their societies. Prof. Eigenstetter is enthusiastic about the diversity of the projects: "I feel part of a global community. It's great to meet so many inspiring people who are working together on sustainability projects. It's a privilege to be there."

After the conference, she visited the partner universities to continue working with the partners on the content and hold courses. A particular highlight was the visit to the company Kahatex near the city of Bandung, which actively recycles fibers and is already implementing the topic of sustainability in many processes. For example, the company replaces coal with waste products in palm oil production.

At the end of November, the Indonesian partners will travel to Germany for two weeks for a further exchange. Among other things, they will work on the study program modules before Indonesian students attend HSNR from 2025.