Author(s)

M. Sotoudeh & W. Peissl

Abstract

Technical universities are influenced by social values related to the need for technological development and education. In return they influence society through the generation of knowledge, educating engineers, and interaction with the local community and international organizations, as well as through consumption of natural resources and generation of waste and emissions. They influence cities in their neighbourhoods, even if they are sometimes not strongly socially integrated into them. This presentation will discuss the requirements for the integration of technical universities into cities from the perspective of sustainable development. The contribution will include a discussion of the role of technical universities for future technological development depending on the needs and requirements of society. The contribution includes three main functions of universities, namely teaching, research and management. Keywords: cultural sustainability, participative methods, citizen visions, quality management of universities. 1 Introduction Technical universities have different opportunities to follow strategies for sustainable development and to be integrated into sustainable cities. Two main streams could be based on cultural versus ecological sustainability: Debates on technological advancement in sustainable development exhibit both technical and socio-economic dimensions. They lead to very different understandings of the role of engineering. Numerous interpretations of sustainable development exist which take into account different objects to be sustained by various means to achieve sustainability.

Keywords

cultural sustainability, participative methods, citizen visions, quality management of universities