Education as the key to sustainable occupational safety: Prof. Dr. Schumacher's contribution at the A+A International Congress
At the renowned international congress A+A, a leading event for safety and health at work in Düsseldorf, Prof. Dr Rudolf Schumachers, Head of the Quality, Environment, Safety and Hygiene degree programme, gave a highly acclaimed lecture in English on the topic of "Quality, Environment, Safety and Hygiene: Interdisciplinary Expertise for Sustainable and Socially-Responsible Enterprises".
His contribution formed a core element of the session "Higher education as the key to training the next generation of OSH professionals - a dialogue between continents", which was organised under the auspices of the European Network Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health (ENETOSH) and in cooperation with OSHAfrica.
The Bachelor's degree programme "Quality, Environment, Safety and Hygiene, B. Sc.", which was presented at this event, specifically addresses the growing demand for qualified specialists in a dynamic and highly competitive global market. The study programme emphasises the integration of sustainability principles, in particular UN Sustainable Development Goal 8 (decent work and sustainable economic development), into higher education and prepares students for the challenges in areas such as sustainable production, high safety standards and advanced environmental practices.The study programme comprises six semesters and an additional practical semester in companies, which means that many Bachelor's theses are written directly in cooperation with industry. The flexible study concept offers both full-time and part-time study options and enables students to deepen their knowledge individually and shape their own career path. Prof Schumachers' appearance at the A+A congress underlines the importance he attaches to training experts in the fields of quality, environment, safety and hygiene. Professor Schumachers also took part in an important panel discussion.
During the congress, speakers from Europe and Africa presented examples of study programmes in disciplines relevant to occupational health and safety. Prof Lotta Dellve from the University of Gothenburg and Prof Dingani Moyo from the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe shed light on the development of occupational health and safety professions in their regions. The three-hour event provided a platform for university lecturers and subject matter experts to discuss the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals into university education programmes. This discussion covered curricular, didactic and institutional aspects and aimed to prepare future experts in the fields of occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, occupational safety and public health to improve working conditions in their countries and promote sustainable development.
The Quality, Environment, Safety and Hygiene programme represents an important step towards a more sustainable and socially responsible future in which higher education plays a central role in shaping social and environmental responsibility.
