Archives: Courses

A colorful palette of challenges and problems characterizes the current situation in the so-called “human-animal society” – What are we observing? How do animals live in zoos? What are the current conflicts? Unusual wild animals are conquering the city, laboratory animals in animal experiments are used for health purposes, anonymous farm animals are the basis of our diet; we develop a very personal relationship with pets and some animals are also used in the psychotherapy of human behavioral disorders. The list goes on, but one thing is clear: we love some animals and kill others. This apparently divided relationship with animals in our society leaves many ethical questions unanswered: Are we allowed to use them or even kill them? If so, which ones and how? Do animals have a right to life? Or should we even grant higher animals some kind of right of co-determination, as some believe?
The basic principles developed by all participants will be presented in presentations and discussed interactively in practical exercises, e.g. working groups. The preliminary meeting serves to present the program, distribute and coordinate the presentations and working topics.
There will be a zoo excursion with a guided tour to Krefeld Zoo. The excursion is obligatory!

Green UniverCity – the idea is already in the name: Cities and their universities should become “greener”. There are already many creative and unconventional approaches to this, from the sponge city to the sharing economy.
We question why sustainability has become a central issue of our time and how we need to fundamentally rethink the following areas in order to bring about change: Mobility, Greening and Biodiversity, Social Justice, Climate Impact Adaptation and Energy, and Land Management.
In this seminar, students learn about the fields of action of sustainable urban and university development and then prepare a short group presentation on one of the fields of action.
On two mornings each, there will also be an insight into the practical work of active initiatives that are committed to greater sustainability at the UDE.
Finally, students will write an essay, the topic of which can either be based on the previous presentation or chosen independently.

The course is interdisciplinary and touches on many scientific fields: Agronomy, demography, history, geology, economics, political science and climatology. Specifically, the following content is planned:
– The Neolithic Revolution as the first energy revolution in history
– The Industrial Revolution (preconditions, effects)
– The limits to growth and the discussions of the 1970s
– The Brundtland Report and the concept of sustainability
– The Rio process and the Kyoto Protocol
– Sustainability and climate protection in implementation. The rocky road to the Paris climate protection agreement
– Measuring the consumption of nature: ecological footprint and co.
– Marion King Hubbert and peak oil
– Depletable energy sources: peak coal, peak gas, peak uranium
– Agriculture under pressure: peak soil, peak water and peak phosphorus
– Opportunities and limits of renewable energies
– The transportation of tomorrow – which technology will prevail?
– Circular economy – more than just recycling
– Sufficiency and cultural change
– A way out of the post-growth economy?

Climate change, climate crisis, sustainability – these terms are omnipresent in everyday (university) life. But what are these topics about? What makes development sustainable? The basic seminar of the “Education for Sustainable Development” certificate answers these questions. The result is a basis for a well-founded and structured approach to topics that students encounter in the sustainability discourse. For historical context, the course begins with the milestones of global engagement with climate change and sustainability. In addition to the presentation and discussion of basic concepts, theories and literature, topics such as climate impact adaptation, behavioral research and climate communication are also covered.

The increasing mechanization and digitalization of all areas of society raises questions about the social causes and consequences of these processes, but also about the designability and controllability of technological development. As human and technical actors become increasingly intertwined, both can only be comprehensively understood by jointly considering a technical and social perspective. Not least in the course of new forms of autonomous technology, the interactions between the two elements must therefore be understood and analyzed as a socio-technical system.
After an introduction to the perspective of socio-technical research, technology acceptance and trust in autonomous technology will be treated as essential concepts and starting points for further analysis. This seminar will focus on three central aspects of increasing technologization and digitalization. Firstly, the increasing generation, accumulation and processing of large amounts of data (big data) in the context of increased use of digital services in everyday life will be examined. Secondly, current technological trends in the economy and society are examined using the example of a changing world of work (Industry 4.0, cyber-physical systems). Economic and individual opportunities and risks play a central role in both aspects. Economic and individual opportunities and risks play a central role in both aspects. Thirdly, concepts of socio-technical change are dealt with, which show potential design options, for example for the energy or transport transition (electromobility).

The seminar gives students of all disciplines the opportunity to deal with issues at the interface between engineering and social sciences. They will be able to assess the interactions between humans and technology and utilize them for their respective specialist perspective. They are thus able to classify the technical and social challenges of increasing mechanization and to meet them accordingly.

In order for our social and economic systems to exist in the long term and be viable for the future, they must be designed with sustainability in mind. A distinction is made between three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, ecological and social sustainability. However, developments are often one-sidedly sustainable, i.e. they come at the expense of the other two dimensions of sustainability. This also applies to many economic innovations, which are designed and evaluated in organizations primarily with a view to increasing efficiency and market success in the short term.
However, economic and social players are increasingly confronted with the challenge of producing innovations in the context of competitive pressure and flexibility while at the same time acting sustainably. It is becoming increasingly clear that an integrative perspective of sustainability and innovation is beneficial and can bring the dimensions of sustainable development into balance, provided that all three sustainability dimensions are given equal consideration in the development of innovation from the outset. Successful practical examples provide an insight into the successful combination of innovation and sustainable development.

Bearing responsibility yes, but who, for what and for what reason? Such key questions are the focus of this interdisciplinary lecture. It deals in particular with ethical principles, illustrated by examples from social practice that are important for students of science and technology. A broad spectrum of responsible knowledge for our society is presented. Theoretical principles and practical examples are discussed together competently, critically and creatively.

Course contents:

1. ROS characterization. ROS definition, characterization of molecular oxygen, characterization of ROS, classification according to electron configuration and formation. ROS formation, excited form of molecular oxygen, type II reaction, decomposition of peroxides (dioxetane and tetroxide), reduced form of molecular oxygen, reduction of molecular oxygen (one-electron and two-electron reduction), oxidation of water (one-electron and two-electron oxidation). ROS scavenging, scavenging of excited form of molecular oxygen (physical and chemical), scavenging of reduced form of molecular oxygen (non-enzymatic and enzymatic scavenging). ROS reaction, characterization of biomacromolecule oxidation, radical-induced oxidation of biomacromolecule, radical-induced oxidation of amino acid and lipids, radical-induced oxidation of bases, non-radical-induced oxidation of biomacromolecule, non-radical-induced oxidation of amino acid and lipids, non-radical-induced oxidation of bases.

2. ROS formation. ROS formation by energy transfer, type II reaction (skin photosensitizers and chlorophylls), decomposition of peroxides (dioxetane and tetroxide), ROS formation by electron transport, superoxide anion radical in mitochondria, chloroplasts, plasma membranes, microbodies and endoplasmic reticulum, hydrogen peroxide in mitochondria, chloroplasts, plasma membranes, hydroxyl radical (free and bound metals).

3. Antioxidant defense system. Non-enzymatic antioxidant, bilirubin, lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, uric acid, melanin, glutathione, ascorbate, alfa-tocopherol, carotenoids. Enzymatic antioxidant, Superoxide dismutase, types of SOD, peroxidases, types of peroxidases.

4. Oxidative damage of biomolecules. Radical-induced oxidative damage to biomolecules, oxidation of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids by hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion radical, non-radical-induced oxidative damage of biomolecules, oxidation of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids by singlet oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.

5. Oxidative damage to biomolecules and cells. Oxidative damage to biomolecules, oxidative damage to nuclei acid, lipid peroxidation, oxidative damage to proteins, cellular responds to oxidative stress (proliferation, adaptation, cell damage, cell death).

6. Molecular mechanisms of free radical production in disease. Arteriosclerosis, diabetes, ischaemia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, cancer (cell cycle and free radicals, carcinogens, oxidative stress and chemotherapy).

7. Spectroscopic ROS detection. EPR spin-trapping spectroscopy (superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen). Detection of ROS by absorption and emission methods (superoxide anion radical, singlet oxygen and hydrogen peroxide).