Sustainable Partnerships: DAAD Mission of the University of Kassel to Argentina

At the end of August 2024, a delegation from the University of Kassel undertook a DAAD Fact Finding Mission titled "DEGAS - Developing German-Argentinean cooperation on circular socio-ecological Systems" to Argentina. The purpose was to explore and solidify cooperation opportunities with the Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN) in Bariloche and El Bolsón, as well as the Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) in Buenos Aires.

Prof. Dr. Susanne Ritzmann from the Department of Sustainable Product Design at the Kunsthochschule represented the Kassel Institute during this visit. Her focus was on deepening and exploring collaborations in the areas of material innovations, social design, and alternative reuse and recycling practices in design and architecture. An intensive exchange developed with Argentine colleagues from UNSAM about possibilities for joint learning and research. Particularly in the field of design research, promising starting points for joint projects emerged, incorporating different perspectives and application examples from the Global North and South.

Another focus of the discussions was on the further development of micro-teaching units on the mentioned topics (e.g., upcycling). The delegation returned with concrete ideas for future collaborations and a deeper understanding of the research landscape in Argentina. This Fact Finding Mission lays the foundation for a promising academic partnership between the University of Kassel and the Argentine universities.

Concrete plans in the area of teaching include a double degree...