HEROES Podcast Episode 1: How Can Crowdsourced Data Be Leveraged for Sustainable Tourism?

The HEROES European University Alliance has launched its official podcast, opening a new channel for stories, voices, and ideas from across our nine partner universities.

The first episode was recorded on location during a HEROES Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) hosted by Deggendorf Institute of Technology at the Bayerischer Wald National Park in Germany.

Around 30 students from partner universities spent a week working in interdisciplinary teams, using design thinking to develop sustainability solutions for the park and its visitors.

Hosted by Theresa Kock, the episode features Prof. Florian Wahl (Deggendorf Institute of Technology), Lucian — an industrial engineering management student from Fontys University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), and Gina — an international communication and media student from Thomas More University of Applied Sciences (Belgium). Together they discuss what challenge-based learning looks like in practice, how students from different countries and disciplines build trust and collaboration in just a few days, and how one team ended up designing tactile forest signs for children too young to read.

“Just try it out. It’s a lot of fun. It’s very rewarding,” says Prof. Wahl, sharing his message to colleagues considering a BIP of their own.

This BIP is part of a five-year challenge-based learning series organised by partners from Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. After editions in Finland and Germany, the next ones will take place in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Listen and watch:

🎧 Spotify

🎙️ Spreaker

📺 YouTube