Transcultural exchange of sustainability know-how

Associated persons Michael Jungmeier, Daniel Zollner, Stefanie Weiglhofer
Clients proVISION – Research programme for nature and society
Regions Nepal
Year 2009

Modern protected areas, such as biosphere parks, national parks, etc. are model regions for sustainable development. They are platforms for the people within a region (regional networking competence) and at the same time they interact with each other, are in contact and exchange experience (supra-regional networking competence). Hence, they are learning sites for know-how in sustainability. A course on management of protected areas is now to serve as an example and basis to explore how and under what conditions knowledge about sustainability can be transferred on a trans-regional and trans-cultural basis. To this end, the knowledge transfer between the Alpine region (Klagenfurt University) and the Himalaya-Hindu Kush region (Kathmandu University) will be examined. The questions to be discussed will include how sustainability concepts developed in the European, Alpine area can be transferred to another location and how this knowledge can be transferred to other cultures. And vice versa, of course. The project is to examine cultural aspects and requirements with regard to management and governance, and the economy of knowledge transfer. It is planned to publish the findings and outcomes in a manifesto, the “Charta of Klagenfurt”.