Introduction

hochschule 21 was founded in 2004 as a private University of Applied Sciences. We are located in the Hanseatic City of Buxtehude within the greater Hamburg Metropolitan Area and the wider region of the “Elbe- Weser-Dreieck”. Buxtehude, which has received the German Sustainability Award 2021, embraces the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and integrates them into the municipal level using them as a compass for strategic development.

Our university fits seamlessly into the city’s commitment to sustainability. Since 1875, architects and civil engineers have been educated in Buxtehude with academic standards. For decades, the public University of Applied Sciences has been in the same place. In 2004 the university, which was rich in tradition, was forced to close down and the time was ready to try something new. The private University of applied sciences was put on a broader footing with the areas of civil and technical engineering and health professions. Today, about 1200 students study at hochschule 21.

A focus on application

Since we focus on application-oriented courses, our students are well-prepared for their professional lives in their respective fields. Over the years, we have also successfully established a research focus in these areas as well as focusing on creating an interdisciplinary approach. The key aim is to enhance and support the transfer of knowledge between our distinct areas of expertise. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 companies endorse the philosophy of hochschule 21 and train dual students in Buxtehude. Duality in our health sciences courses means studying at hochschule 21 and joining a vocational training scheme at one of the training schools of our cooperating partners.

Interprofessional collaboration

The topics of sustainability and climate are anchored in all curricula. A new challenge for us now is interprofessional networking. In projects and research work, students are to contribute their knowledge jointly. The students then transfer the results to the respective companies, where they can be modified and implemented. The evaluations by the companies then have an influence on the teaching at the university. Through this integrative approach, we also hope to achieve more sustainable knowledge management. A recent initiative connecting interprofessional teaching and dedication to sustainability is ProSa – Project Ideas for Sustainability. In this elective module, which is open for all students at hochschule 21, small interprofessional groups of up to six students develop ideas under the topic “climate and sustainability”. Relevance and applicability of the project ideas are discussed with representatives of the Hanseatic City of Buxtehude. Thus, this module is not only a good example of one of many activities in sustainability development but also shows the positioning of the hochschule 21 within the local community.

Sustainability across the physiotherapy curriculum

Looking especially at the physiotherapy course, sustainability, planetary health, and global health are embedded in the curriculum in different modules. This starts early in the first semester when the students get to know the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) with the natural and the cultivated environment as influencing factors. The ICF and the bio-psycho-social approach integrating all relevant influences accompanies the students throughout the seven semesters. In higher semesters, students take an intersectional perspective in Gender and Diversity where the six primary dimensions of diversity with its relevance for the physiotherapy are discussed. The students have the opportunity to think outside of the box and their familiar life experiences looking at global health and challenges people have to face worldwide in the light of sustainability and health.