Alongside teaching and student mobility, research also plays a vital role in the DAAD–Partnerships-SDG Project: “Implementation of the SDGs: A Comparative Approach in India, Nepal, and Germany.” Academic publications address not only advancements in law related to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals but also the adoption of innovative teaching methods to support them.
An example is the chapter “Using Collage as an Art-Based Pedagogical Tool to Reduce Inequalities in Multicultural Environments”, written by Dr. Ruth Areli García-León and published in the book “The Power of Arts-Based Pedagogies: Transforming Mindsets to Shape Our Future” edited by Ekaterina Ivanova, Isabel Rimanoczy, and Divya Singhal. It relates the use of collage as an art-based pedagogical method for developing intercultural competences and reducing prejudices, using the case of an activity conducted with German, Indian, and Nepali students participating in the DAAD-Partnership project at the BELS within the course Consumer Behavior.
The chapter shows how using collage as an art-based pedagogy enhances the development of three of Rimanoczy’s Sustainability Mindset Principles: reflection, self-awareness, and an understanding of interconnections. During all phases of the activity, students reflect when selecting the images they wish to use to create a collage about their own culture, both individually and as a group, but also when learning about other cultures. They talk about their own culture and hear about others' cultures, which helps them become self-aware of their beliefs, assumptions, and motivations, recognizing what is important to them and how these values are rooted in their cultures. They understand how this shapes their environment, the places they inhabit, their relationships with others, and their goals. At the same time, they realize that amid all these differences, there is interconnectedness. Despite borders, religions, and perceptions, we are all interconnected, sharing the same world and hoping to achieve goals such as happiness, well-being, and a better environment and society for everyone. By enhancing students’ intercultural skills and mutual understanding of cultural differences, this art-based pedagogical tool helps to advance SDG 10: Reduced inequalities within and among countries.
More information about this chapter can be found here. (external link, opens in a new window)