Implementing Sustainability in Life Sciences Technologies Education: Integrative Research on Collaborative Application of the 6Rs in Practical Study Projects
Herzig, Susanne (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025123038998
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025123038998
Tiivistelmä
This thesis introduces a conceptual framework designed to embed sustainability into life sciences technologies education by integrating the 6Rs principles (Repair, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce, Refuse, Rethink) with collaborative strategies between academia and industry. It demonstrates how applying the 6Rs can reduce resource consumption and waste while enhancing students’ practical skills and fostering interdisciplinary problem-solving within the curriculum.
Phase 1 applied a systematic literature review of 19 peer-reviewed studies on sustainability integration in higher education, life sciences technologies programs, and academia-industry collaboration. These sources examined how principles such as the 6Rs can be embedded into curricula and laboratory practices to promote resource efficiency and systemic change. The review mapped stakeholder roles, identified challenges and highlighted opportunities for collaboration, informing the development of a visual conceptual framework. Phase 2 tested the framework’s applicability through two implementation studies in Switzerland, involving three students, two professors, and two industry representatives. Data were collected via observations, collaborative reflections, and feedback interviews, and triangulated to ensure validity.
The thesis comprises a theoretical background, methodology, results from both phases, and a discussion reflecting findings against existing research. It concludes with actionable recommendations for embedding sustainability into curricula and fostering structured academia-industry partnerships. Both phases revealed that active collaboration among stakeholders is essential for sustainable integration of the 6Rs principles. Results highlight the potential of the 6Rs to bridge the gap between theory and practice, offering benefits for students, institutions, and future employers.
Phase 1 applied a systematic literature review of 19 peer-reviewed studies on sustainability integration in higher education, life sciences technologies programs, and academia-industry collaboration. These sources examined how principles such as the 6Rs can be embedded into curricula and laboratory practices to promote resource efficiency and systemic change. The review mapped stakeholder roles, identified challenges and highlighted opportunities for collaboration, informing the development of a visual conceptual framework. Phase 2 tested the framework’s applicability through two implementation studies in Switzerland, involving three students, two professors, and two industry representatives. Data were collected via observations, collaborative reflections, and feedback interviews, and triangulated to ensure validity.
The thesis comprises a theoretical background, methodology, results from both phases, and a discussion reflecting findings against existing research. It concludes with actionable recommendations for embedding sustainability into curricula and fostering structured academia-industry partnerships. Both phases revealed that active collaboration among stakeholders is essential for sustainable integration of the 6Rs principles. Results highlight the potential of the 6Rs to bridge the gap between theory and practice, offering benefits for students, institutions, and future employers.