Christine Svensson 

Master of Science in Sustainable Design

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design

 

My bachelor study in Industrial Design has been based on a problem-solving learning approach where project work is paramount. The tasks have been focused on collaborations with various companies, which has lead me to work with Unicef among others. Besides my undergraduate study I was assigned to Engineers Without Borders in Denmark. As a volunteer, I was part of the development of a help to self-help project with clean drinking water in Uganda. My time as a volunteer in Engineers without borders has given me the experience to think about innovative solutions to create a product with the use of few resources.

 

I began my current study in Sustainable Design with a vision of creating competencies in sustainable products and systems. The first year of the program has taught me how to stage and implement sustainable transition processes in several different contexts, for example in urban scales.

 

Before starting my undergraduate at Aalborg University I spent 6 months in Tanzania. I lived and worked at an orphanage where I participated in the daily work and taught lessons in the school connected to the orphanage. At the same time I learned to use my skills for innovative proposals for new initiatives. Working in a place which greatly differs culturally from what I was used to taught me how to engage with people who have other skills and mindsets than I do.

Michala Mathiesen 

Master of Science in Sustainable Design

Bachelor of Science in Digital Media and Design

 

While studying Sustainable Design I have focused on how to creatively involve users and other relevant people in the projects I have worked with. During my first semester I did a project on waste sorting and recycling, which lead to involving a variety of different actors such as students, faculty and administration as well as municipality employees and waste management companies.

 

During my second semester I worked with Christine and others in a project on how to improve communication about death between family members in Denmark. This was a challenging subject to address, which forced me to consider my role in design projects in general and how to engage with people without causing harm.

 

I have previously studied one year in the US as part of my bachelor degree and lived and worked in South Korea as an English tutor and volunteer for Jeonju International Film Festival. I enjoy working with many cultures and finding solutions to conflicting interests, which has been a key lesson from both my trips.

 

After this project in Colombia I hope to be better prepared for working with similar projects concerning social, environmental and economic sustainability where locals, NGOs, municipalities and other officials, companies and more are involved.