Train the Trainer

Workshop in Gävle: Introduction to the participatory method

In May, Anna-Lena (HiWi from the Sustainability Office) and I were able to travel to Sweden to our partner university in Gävle to take part in the “Train the Trainer: Participatory Method”. Workshop. We spent two days learning what the Participatory Method is and how it can help our campus to grow better together. We were also trained to give the workshop ourselves to teach students and staff about the method and how to apply it on our campus.

In general, the PM is about how to design project planning for events, student initiatives or other activities at the university, such as construction measures or campus design, in a way that allows all affected groups to have a say in decision-making of the project design. It's not just about different needs and wishes, but also about taking into account everyone’s different ways of communicating and decision-making.

Strength in diversity

It was super interesting to see how differently the topics were approached from person to person, especially because we were a diverse group of students, university administration staff and professors of over nine different nationalities. It was great to see how quickly a strong group dynamic developed through good communication, and how much value was placed on the opinions and participation of us students (about half of the participants)!

Opportunities for OVGU: Shaping the campus together

I see great potential for this method at the OVGU. You often hear phrases from fellow students like " ugj, who came up with that?" when you pass acertain spot on campus. Sometimes the people who plan events and projects are disappointed that it wasn't as well received as they had hoped, or that the outreach is limited. Working with EU GREEN I also often notice that people ask themselves how to reach and address students and how the university can be geared towards their needs.

This is exactly where we can hopefully come in with the participatory method: Bringing together students, administration and academic staff, achieving collaborative project planning not just via the StuRa (student council), but in a more direct way. Having real exchange and leaving with the feeling that you were able to contribute and also get something out of it that suits everyone as well as possible.

My wish for the OVGU is that it becomes a university where everyone enjoys studying and working, feels heard and understood, and also has the opportunity to help shape the univeristy in the future. I see EU GREEN as a strong backbone for this, which is trying to bridge the gaps.

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