“Towards a Smart and Sustainable World” Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) block week took place in March 2025 in University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL University of Applied Sciences Diepenbeek). The students of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts participated in this block week. Obada Alchabi, a EuroMPM-IT student from FH Dortmund, shared with us his experience about this BIP.
Simply put: An experience of a lifetime.
“It started with arriving on Sunday in the city of Hasselt, where surprises began. For a small city, it had lots of attractions to visit, such as the Japanese Garden and the Harbor. On the first day of the program, we received a comprehensive overview of the week and got a chance to say hi to chill and easygoing fellow participants and students before engaging in two lectures from industry pioneers about the latest updates in water purification and treatment technologies— transforming the future with a hint of technical knowledge that never bothered—and packaging innovations to reduce our impact on the planet. Before the tour of the campus started, we were introduced to the latest research being developed at the university labs, ending with a city game that successfully managed to form a unique bond between the team.
The organization covered every aspect of our stay, from transportation to lunch during the week, along with fun activities to keep us engaged and eager to grasp more information. In the following days, the lectures kept our enthusiasm at its peak, covering important daily life concerns about energy, mobility, and our role in the change, alongside potential solutions that are evolving even as you read this. Closer to the end of the week, we learned about new technologies like the soldier fly to process waste and the importance of recycling plastic before concluding the week with either a presentation on one of the topics or participation in a “fishbowl discussion,” where we discussed a variety of topics related to the week and shared our personal perspectives.
Finally, I would say the week was well-organized and thoroughly planned, whether in terms of the lecture topics, administrative aspects, or social activities.”
