“I generally like the PED approach because it will become more and more important to care for existing settlement structures, in order to transform them into liveable, efficient and diverse districts. In our 2023 “test area” St. Pölten, i was super surprised and happy about the multiple changes in the “PED sense” that, over just a few years, happened both all over the city as well as in the municipal strategies. And among our students, it was proven another time that a mix of cultures and disciplines from three countries is a perfect match to deal with the topic! This success empowers us to go for further BIP PED courses.” Hartmut Dumke, TU Vienna, Austria |
“I can honestly say that working with students in this international and collaborative environment is by far the best part of my job as a university teacher. The 2023 PED course in St. Poelten was a great opportunity to engage with another cohort of students from Austria, Serbia and Slovakia and also to see how the PED concept is evolving, being the leitmotif of territorial development. This course has become a tradition for us and a mainstay in our course offer and hope to continue and grow in the upcoming years!” Milan Husar, STU Bratislava, Slovakia |
| “I really enjoyed working on this project with students from other countries. The different approaches – since we also came from different disciplines – were a bit of a challenge at first, but then they got us to our goal. The topic of positive energy districts is very current and working on it showed me what alternative options there are for generating energy.”Eva Bernhard, TU Vienna, Austria |
“Working on PED project was interesting and fun, as was seeing different perspectives on problem solving from different students. It is quite impossible to complete such a project and leave without new knowledge.” Peter Benko, STU Bratislava, Slovakia |
| “As an architectural Erasmus student, when I got the invitation of PED, I thought that might be helpful to learn another perspective to design and urban planning. I found out plenty of new notions and I discovered urban planners’ point of view in city scale. While building my academic career, it will be highly useful for me. Secondly, it was great to be hosted by St Pölten Municipality and to learn directly from professionals.”Seyma Sugozu, TU Wien, Austria |
“I definitely do not regret participating in this BIP mobility. The project was interesting just because it took place in two different cities, on campus and in the field, with other international students and with representatives of local public authorities. Thanks to our participation, we gained new experience in project management in the energy sector and spatial planning and in using new presentation tools.” Vilém Honysz, STU Bratislava, Slovakia |
“I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop; similar to Positive Energy Districts, it emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration and integration. It fostered discussions aimed at outlining implementable pathways to advance the energy transition and sustainable urban development. I can highly recommend the course!” Valentin Weber, TU Vienna, Austria |
“Participation in the PED course had many rewarding aspects. Firstly, you learn a lot through the practical approach of the course, enriched by specialist lectures and excursions. Furthermore, you get a picture of what solutions for energy-positive districts can look like. The application of a specific project idea on a local level helps to deepen this knowledge and in some cases to introduce your own innovative approaches. Last but not least, the setting is special. Developing a project together with students from other countries and with other approaches enhanced the results. It is highly recommended for anyone who appreciates such experiences.” Jerome Lang, TU Wien |
“Although positive energy districts are not within the scope of my scientific interests, I can say that I have gained a highly valuable and useful experience. Scientific work, especially during the active process of completing a doctoral dissertation, often necessitates a kind of ‘narrowing down’ your focus towards a specific topic and research procedures, as well as collaboration with a relatively small circle of people with similar interests. That being said, this course represents a refreshing change, offering a range of valuable knowledge as well as an opportunity to improve teamwork skills in an international environment.” Vladimir Popović, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Geography, Serbia |