From 27 February to 5 March 2022, BHAK / BHAS International Business School Linz in Austria hosted the third mobility within the Erasmus + KA2 project of the school partnership "Together in Environmental Solutions Learning Activities" (TESLA). In addition to the host school, students and teachers of the Technical School, Požega (coordinator) from Croatia, Gymnasium "Coriolan Brediceanu" from Lugoj, Romania and Kanepi Gümnaasium, Estonia also participated the mobility. The aim of the learning activities was to make students aware of the aspects of environmental protection, to explore what they can do in order to find technical solutions that could achieve results in environmental problems.
On the first day and after the grand opening and performance of "Ode to Joy" in German and English, international students’ groups were formed. They presented their works which were made according to the BBC program on "People fixing the world".
A guided tour of the cultural and historical sights of Linz followed. During the tour, international groups collected information on the sights which had been assigned to them to prepare related articles. Among them were: the cathedral (near the school), the governor's palace, the castle, the Martinskirche - the oldest church in Linz, the park along the Danube and the concert hall, the main square with a plague pillar and Roman inscription stone, the old town hall, Schillerplatz with a monument to Friedrich von Schiller, the Musical Theater and the Wall of Peace and Human Rights at Friedensplatz, erected on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Linz as a provincial town.
On the second day, two workshops were held. At the first workshop, students learned how to plant and process cotton for it to become fabric. They talked about problems related to the whole process (e.g. child labour in cotton fields, inadequate equipment in factories, use of harmful pesticides). They were given the opportunity to make a cotton rope themselves.
The second workshop discussed the consumption of water needed for food processing in factories. Through the game, the students determined how much water was needed to get a certain processed product. They discussed what is being grown in poor countries and what is the attitude towards workers. In both workshops, in addition to various educational games, the impact on the environment was considered.
On the third day, participants visited Voestalpine in Linz, which conducts intensive research into the production of high-quality steel using low- and zero-emission production processes such as hydrogen-based carbon-neutral technology. The Voestalpine Group is a global pioneer in environmental protection, and the hosts provided an interesting lecture on the plan for the future, the production of harmful gases and the changes that will have been achieved by 2050. The company has a museum through which participants in a guided tour were informed about its production. Due to the large area covered by the company, a bus tour followed.
The afternoon was spent walking to Pöstlingberg, a popular tourist destination with a viewing platform over the city, on a 539-meter-high hill on the left bank of the Danube. This was followed by a visit to Grottenbahn, the world of dwarfs and fairy tales with a kite ride. The small-format view of the main square in Linz at the turn of the century takes visitors back to the old days. The side streets presented scenes from famous fairy tales. In the evening, students participated in bowling.
On the fourth day, the participants visited Tabakfabrik - once a tobacco factory, today a successful creative centre. It offers work spaces for more than 1,700 people in 250 different companies, organizations and unique event spaces. Tabakfabrik Linz should be developed into a beacon of the creative economy of Upper Austria.
The afternoon was spent touring the oldest city in Austria - Enns. Many parts of the city walls can be seen in this medieval city. The city tower is the starting point for many discoveries and legends about Enns.
The last day of mobility in Austria participants visited the Ars Electronica Center which, in collaboration with artists, scientists, technologists, designers, developers, entrepreneurs and activists from around the world, deals with the central issues of our future. The focus is on new technologies and how they are changing the way we live and work together. The center has become a creative ecosystem that enjoys a worldwide reputation.
Our hosts organized ceremonial distribution of certificates at the school. We thank the host school for the hospitality and excellent organization of the meeting in Linz. We thank all the partners for their cooperation.
The TESLA project is co-financed by the European Union's Erasmus + program. The next mobility will take place in early May 2022 in Estonia.
