The Journey – young scientists about climate

The Journey is a unique international Summer School of Talents, which is an advanced five week training programme designed and run for students, doctoral students and young professionals who treat the issue of climate change very seriously. The participants gain the appropriate tools which will make it possible for them to deal with widely understood climate changes and their influence on lives of people, animals and the state of  inanimate matter

– During the first four weeks they took part in many workshops, lectures and visits to places strongly connected with shaping climate changes and with managing and protecting the natural environment.And they also visited supervising and legislative institutions – says Halina Beń, a project supervisor, leader of an 80 person group, which worked in Wrocław for a week.She also adds – the participants gained necessary knowledge and skills regarding the rules of enterprise, business cooperation and marketing. During the project they initiated and developed innovative and unique business ideas, made new friends, and created a strong and dynamic team. The Journey is also offers the possibility of independent work on a business idea in the form of a business plan and verbal presentation – with help from professional coaches who have knowledge and experience. In Wrocław during the fifth week of the project, every team of 2-3 people presented their own business idea in the form of a comprehensive business plan and in the form of a professional 3-minute personal presentation in front of a commission evaluating the project. The commission included representatives from businesses, the banking sector and science. The groups with the best business ideas are invited to the next stage of the programme in order to develop the idea and transform it into a fully operational start-up.

Over 200 students from 46 countries took part in the Journey 2016 programme . They represent 50 different fields of science – from architecture and design to environmental engineering and geochemistry. – We see that the country of origin has an influence on the way the problems of climate change are perceived – says Doctor Małgorzata Korzeniowska, The Journey Education Manager, and she gives an example – the project of participants from theMongolian School focused on the problem of drought, as this country has huge desert areas. Our guests created a system of protection which makes it possible for trees to grow there.

As Doctor Korzeniowska says, a lot of the prepared projects were very surprising and incredibly interesting. – I was most impressed by the project which got a reward for the best business plan. It was an idea for preparing single use portions of soap and shampoo in a solid state, which could be fully disposed and could be taken for a journey – admits Małgorzata Korzeniowska.

– And in my opinion, the most spectacular idea was about building a village where everyone will live according to the rules of balanced development, so the roofs of the houses will be made of solar panels, the walls will be green, recycling will be something normal, and food will be grown only by the residents – adds Emanuela Kubicka the Climate-KIC educational programme manager.

For most of The Journey participants, the stay in Wrocław was their first visit to this part of Europe. They were positively impressed by Polish cuisine, and the quality of the scientific and city infrastructure.

kbk, hb