Interdisziplinäre Lehre: Meeting Global Challenges
Rethinking resources
Innovations to secure Europe's future
Registration
The registration takes place via RWTH Online and is possible from March 1st until April 25th. Further information about the registration process can be found in our FAQ.
All students can register for one module. You can specify two preferences. Please use the numbers “1” and “2”. If you have not been assigned a place in the project after the end of the assignment and are still interested in participating, please contact sibel.yildirim[@]ipw.rwth-aachen.de directly.
(If you have any problems with the registration or with RWTHonline, please contact Mrs. Sibel Yildirim (IPW), also stating your matriculation number: sibel.yildirim@ipw.rwth-aachen.de)
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Academic Responsibility
Division of Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Engineering
Chair and Institute for Advanced Mining Technologies
Holder of the Chair of “Technology and Society” at the Human Technology Center at RWTH Aachen University
Director of the Käte Hamburger International Center „Research Cultures“
Spokesperson of the HumTec, RWTH Aachen University
Rector’s Delegate for the Leonardo Project at the HumTec,
RWTH Aachen University
Contact Person
Sina Spiegelsperger, M.Sc.
Schedulue
Start
29.04.2025
Time
Tuesday, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Place
S12 C.A.R.L.
Contents
Raw materials are part of our everyday lives in a self-evident way, but the sustainable procurement and use of these resources is a challenge. Contemporary societies have entered into a wide-ranging and complex dependency on raw materials. The secure supply of raw materials, as well as secure access to raw materials, is therefore rightly seen as a major challenge. Furthermore, the development of a new world order raises particularly acute questions about the secure and sustainable supply of raw materials.
Against this background, the crucial question arises: whether and, if so, how can Europe become independent of raw materials? The answer to this question depends on many factors, which we will explore in the module. These include, in particular, the complex dependencies involved in the extraction and use of raw materials, the criticality of raw materials, challenges to a secure supply of raw materials and, of course, the question of the sustainability of selected paths of raw material supply.
In order to make the strategic aspects of this topic tangible, the module is conducted in the form of a simulation game.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students are able to…
- … describe the importance of sustainable raw material extraction and explain the role of domestic mining against the background of a secure supply of raw materials.
- … describe different types of raw material extraction and distinguish them from each other on the basis of their respective requirements and framework conditions.
- develop the social embedding of raw material extraction as a relevant question in a subject-specific way.
- discuss the background and elements of a raw materials strategy and put the raw materials strategy and other key points of the Federal Government’s raw materials policy into context.
- know and describe the interdependencies of various factors (economic, ecological, social) and be able to apply them to specific examples.
- reflect on the strategic questions of resource dependency in transformation processes.
- understand the dynamics and framework conditions of debates in public-political spaces.
- practise role-taking and consider forms of self- and external positioning in the process.
Program
29.04.2025
13.05.2025,
20.05.2025 and 27.05.2025
Exemplarische Akteursperspektiven.
An drei aufeinander folgenden Terminen werden aus Sicht relevanter Akteure (Industrie, Staat und Zivilgesellschaft) deren Strategieperspektiven auf das Thema Rohstoffpolitik herausgearbeitet.
12.06.2025 and 13.06.2025
Strategy workshop
In the context of a two-day strategy workshop, the various stakeholders work on a joint raw materials policy strategy. The focus here is on the secure supply of metal raw materials in Germany/Europe.
24.06.2025
Parliamentary evening and summary:
Strategies for German and European raw materials policy
Procedure/Working method
Depending on the course of studies, module and examination, credit points can be achieved through participation. If you would like to take an exam, please make sure beforehand how you can get credit for it in your degree program. Of course, you can also take exams without receiving curricular credit for them. Visit our FAQs for more information.
Certificate
Participation (0 CP, certificate of attendance): for participating in the pitch at the parliamentary evening,
Protocol with critical reflection (2 CP, ungraded),
Term paper / essay 8-10 pages (4 CP)
