In the ERASMUS+ project “Shape2gether,” more than 20 academics and 35 students are collaborating toward the common goal of developing innovative teaching methods to better communicate important topics such as climate change and sustainability. The project participants come from seven European countries and bring a broad range of expertise, spanning spatial planning, climatology, and educational sciences to geomatics and remote sensing.  In addition to RUB, participating universities include TU Wien, Utrecht Universeit, the University of Turku, NTNU in Trondheim, the Universita ta Malta, and Palacký University Olomouc. Furthermore, the Finnish startup Seppo supported the project group by providing the necessary software for creating serious online games.

Over the course of this multi-year project, we have addressed topics such as “New Technologies,” “Sustainable Development,” and “Gamification” in three summer schools. At the end of the project, a new pan-European master’s program is to be developed that trains students to become “Agents of Change,” who can then use their broad knowledge to help raise awareness among others about issues related to climate change and sustainability.

The first summer school took place in Trondheim, Norway, where we explored VR/AR headsets and learned how to use them to create immersive worlds through which viewers can discover the consequences of climate change. In Malta, the focus was on sustainability—more specifically, on Education for Sustainable Development. We had the opportunity to visit many fascinating locations in Malta that covered a wide range of aspects and challenges related to the topic. Finally, the project group came here to Bochum, where we learned more about the structural transformation of the Ruhr Area and developed serious games centered on these themes.

In the end, we produced many exciting, interesting, and educational results that we’d love to share with you at our Share Event on May 6, 2026. Come by and try out the VR worlds, Story Maps, and games we’ve developed, while we’d be happy to tell you more about the project over snacks and drinks.

When?        06.05.26  starting at 5:00 p.m.
Where?       IA 1/123