Participation of students in the project Valorbio

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the case of the Valorbio research project, in which students of different high-level programs were involved in the experimental work and in the dissemination of results in collaboration with the research team. Design/methodology/approach The inclusion in higher education curricula of content related to the sustainable development should be a preferred mechanism for the dissemination of good practices of sustainability. Another equally important way to achieve this is to involve students in research projects that seek solutions to the societal challenges related to sustainable growth. The Valorbio project aims to meet the needs for treating and reusing wastewater and solid waste. Its main goal was the development of modular systems for wastewater treatment based on constructed wetlands, exploring the possibility of the treatment systems being composed of solid waste and by-products from significant industrial sectors. Findings The students’ contribution to the research work was relevant and simultaneously allowed them to acquire skills on sustainable development. Additionally, the students contributed to the dissemination of the results. The Valorbio project can thus be considered a successful application of the concept of project-based learning (PBL), as a way to include sustainability issues content in the higher education curricula. Originality/value The applied experimental work had an original approach regarding the equipment design, the waste materials valuation, as well as the integration of waste treatment processes in the circular economy paradigm. This paper is the first reported PBL experience involving students of short-cycle technical–professional programs in partnership with first and second-level students and a research team.

Application of Circular Economy Techniques for Design and Development of Products through Collaborative Project-Based Learning for Industrial Engineer Teaching

“…Only five documents were obtained. Of these documents, four corresponded to conference papers [33,[41][42][43], and just one is an article [10]. Thus, the analysis and description of project-based learning initiatives in the field of the circular economy is a challenge for the scientific community.…”

“…The participation of all actors-government entities, private companies, civil society, non-governmental organizations, etc.-is required to achieve the SDGs [2,3,5,6]. In this sense, universities can play a dynamic role in order to dynamize the SDGs' attainment [5,[7][8][9] and promote sustainability [10][11][12].…”

Sustainable Production of Reclaimed Water by Constructed Wetlands for Combined Irrigation and Microalgae Cultivation Applications

“…Urban-type wastewater after secondary pretreatment was subjected to tertiary treatment by a pilot-scale CW filled with a mix of solid waste from significant Portuguese industrial sectors, namely, fragmented residues from Moleanos limestone extraction and processing activities, coal slags from coal power plants, and cork granulates, a waste from cork-processing industries. The pilot-scale CW was developed under the Valorbio research project [41]. Details on the design and experimental setup of the modular-type pilot-scale CW, characteristics of the solid waste used as filling media, and the main results obtained are described elsewhere [42][43][44][45].…”

“…Sustainable growth and related issues have been selected as the core content of IPT's mission, driving all academic initiatives and being the core for new curricular contents and research projects. As an example, the Valorbio project, with several research activities developed under project-based learning [41], and its ongoing continuation projects (SmarterCW and CW4GreenerCities) focus on sustainable development issues such as freshwater protection, solid waste and nutrient recovery, and renewable energy sources. In addition, those projects aim to improve the participation of students and involve the academic community through its connection to curricular programs and life on the campus.…”

Educating for transitions: ecovillages as transdisciplinary sustainability “classrooms”

“…The first aspect is consensually seen as highly important for transdisciplinary approaches to education and relates to the collaboration between scientific and non-scientific actors. Many of these approaches are based on research or learning projects that are not limited to the academic domain, but reflect on the relationship between science and society, involving multiple disciplines and stakeholders in the co-production of knowledge (Rotmans, 2005; van Kerkhoff, 2005) and in finding solutions to real-world problems (Rotmans, 2005; Mateus et al , 2020). They connect students to people and situations outside the university, allowing them to “experience the true complexity of local situations and become aware of the range of knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to deal with these situations” (Lieblein et al , 2012, p. 29).…”