02 May 2011

Kick-off meeting Global Water WG

Paris, France May 2011

Participants in the workshop: Tiina Laurila, Naoko Nagakawa, Kaisa Klemola,

Martin Beeh, Georg-Christof Bertsch, Marja Seliger, Maurille Larivière, Marie Coirié, Simone Buche-Pinsard, Dick Kleingeld

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Keynote/Moderation: Georg-Christof Bertsch, water & design vision for education

Presentation 1: Marja Seliger, visualizing complex climate change facts

Presentation 2: Kaisa Klemola, Water and Toxicology

Presentation 3.1: Marie Coirié, Singapore water project

Presentation 3.2: Simone Buche-Pinsard, Singapore water project

Discussion: Water & Design in design curricula

Brainstorming: Water & Design in design curriculum

Brainstorming about integration of the water-topic into design-curricula:

We agreed upon

A: due to the complex nature of water applying mixed groups along the entire educational path

B: all along the path playing on the ambiguity of the topic in its aesthetic and political terms

C: always focus on practical outcome in terms of design

>> Teach children to value water/to save water/to have fun with water

(to be refined as a proposal to primary and secondary schools until 2012.)

1st year possible topics:

Workshop on beauty of water

Water as something pleasant to have fun with.

Multidisciplinary workshop with biologists and / or water engineers

snow + water + steam-workshop

Building of snow castles in order to understand the statics of snow

Lecture on the physical presence of water on Earth and global water-distribution

Lecture on virtual water / agricultural use of water

Water circle in nature / what is your deal in this circle?

Emotional relation of humans with water, water in the human body

Ask your grandparents about their use of water and daily practise

The battle against water (weather extremes, rising sea level)

2nd year /undergrad possible topics:

Cultural history of mankind with water (technical achievements, pollution)

Religions and spiritual meanings and use of water

Analysing the water use in products and materials, research along the supply chain

Design, engineering and water

Water supply to the under-privileged, water supply in areas with water scarcity

Water as a way of transport, water-logistics

water-economy, world water market, water industries

Water politics, trans-border hydrostrategical conflicts

Global vs local production in terms of water use

Life cycle thinking and water

Master/postgrad:

Bigger projects on the abovementioned topics

International projects on the abovementioned topics

Researching on little known factors like toxicology in relation with products