Course content.
Faced with climate change, loss of biodiversity, social inequalities, and associated changes in living conditions, we want to counteract this negative state with creativity and courage. Just as science can expose deficiencies, the arts and design can raise awareness of these issues, provoke them, and activate people. With a strong desire for positive and sustainable change, you will explore the complex interrelationships of sustainability and ecology, utilizing interdisciplinary and transcultural approaches to understand the challenges in local and global contexts. Based on this, you will learn to apply art and design theories and methods and implement this knowledge in your own practice in multifaceted ways – experimentally, speculatively, and transformatively.

In the first part of the programme, fundamentals of sustainability and ecology as well as interdisciplinary and transcultural methods will be taught. In the second part, you will deepen the acquired knowledge in project-oriented ways, either in “Alternative Futures” or “Critical Ecologies”.

Alternative Futures: Together with experts from the arts, design, and science, you will explore real and fictional worlds, reflecting on the tensions between utopias and dystopias. You will learn to engage with the topic of sustainability from a historical, holistic, and future-oriented perspective, in order to better understand the urgent challenges of the present and future and to design alternative futures.

Critical Ecologies: In intercultural teams, you will learn to approach ecological issues from diverse perspectives with students from the Shared Campus. You will develop a sensitivity to the importance of different cultural realities and influences. Together, we will analyze complex interrelationships of local and global ecological systems against the backdrop of diverse cultural traditions and develop artistic-design actions.

Skills acquired in the course.
–  Understanding sustainability and ecology in their diverse dimensions from multiple perspectives and acting interdisciplinarily;
–  Reflecting artistically and aesthetically on ecological, social, and economic phenomena against the backdrop of different cultural realities and perspectives;
–  Formulating your own questions about sustainability and ecology and implementing them artistically and aesthetically;
–  Promoting your critical, innovative thinking and applying it prototypically in specific contexts;
–  Positioning yourself with the acquired competencies in the working world and in new professional field

Admissions requirements.
The minor is aimed at students interested in the connection between ecological, social, economic, and cultural issues, who want to explore sustainability topics from an artistic and design perspective in an exploratory, speculative, and transformative way. In doing so, you will expand your interdisciplinary field of action and acquire the ability to consciously shape these areas.

Language skills required.
You need the following languages to take this minor:
–  German and English: to be able to follow a discussion
–  German and English: to actively participate in a verbal exchange
–  German and English: to understand a text
–  German or English: to write a text

Benefits of studying this minor.
The minor responds to discourses on sustainability in society, art, culture, and politics, examining historical foundations as well as innovative, forward-thinking trends. Both specializations include study trips.

The “Alternative Futures” specialization will spend one week in a specific region in Switzerland (costs of approx. 750 CHF to be considered) and develop visions for sustainable living environments.

In the “Critical Ecologies” specialization, a multi-week stay abroad in Asia with students from the partner universities of the Shared Campus is planned. To enable this cooperation, block weeks will be rescheduled. Students interested in this specialization must note the following: a) The costs for the stay (approx. 1200 CHF for transportation and accommodation) are to be borne by the students themselves. b) The course will be conducted in English. Good English skills are therefore required. c) The block weeks will be rescheduled as follows: 3 weeks free (20.01.–07.02.2025), 3 weeks abroad (10.02.–29.02.2025).

This minor can be consecutively continued in a similarly named “Advanced” minor (15 ECTS).

→ More information about this minor (PDF download)

At ZHdK, students choose a Major. In addition to this core subject, they can choose one or two Minors to deepen or expand their major skills and knowledge across various disciplines. This wide choice of courses is unique in Europe and enables students to develop and sharpen their individual profile.