At the heart of the summer school “Negotiate your future! - Negotiating in the context of global climate challenges” is the World Climate Simulation, a globally proven simulation game developed by Climate Interactive and the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative. In a role-playing game lasting several days, students take on the roles of delegates from different countries and interest groups. Together, they negotiate a global climate agreement that is both ambitious and realistic. The simulation game is accompanied by the C-ROADS climate model, which visualizes the effects of political decisions on the global climate in real time.
The simulation is supplemented by interactive keynote speeches by international experts, moderated debriefings after the simulation units, and reflection exercises in which personal attitudes, role understandings, and negotiation strategies are critically questioned and further developed.
The summer school “Negotiate your future! - Negotiating in the context of global climate challenges” took place from September 15 to 19, with 18 students participating - 11 from Israel and 7 from Austria. In addition to their commitment and negotiating skills, they also demonstrated a great deal of perseverance.
Communication and negotiation skills were expanded and deepened, but the summer school also offered experiences that went beyond the seminar rooms: learning together and going on joint excursions promoted personal exchange, participants engaged in conversation across national borders, bridges were built between cultures, and new networks were formed - a complete success in many respects!