Building a Green Future

Cal State East Bay’s emphasis on sustainability and renewable energy education is going global this summer.

A group of engineering students from the university Duoc UC in Chile is spending two weeks at the Hayward campus learning about local sustainability efforts and learning some “green” ideas they can bring home.

This two-week program, which is typically taught over the course of a semester, provides them with an opportunity to understand the fundamentals of sustainability, learn about high impact sustainable construction practices and develop methods to implement such practices in Chile said Cristian Gaedicke, associate professor of engineering. 

“The program focuses on technical, communication and teamwork skills. Students develop a final course project, business plan and proposal to implement some of the sustainable practices they see during the workshop, in Chile," he said.

Gaedicke, a native of Chile, teaches the workshop in Spanish.

While there are some seminars, much of the program is hands-on. There are visits to sustainable companies and projects including two construction sites in San Francisco, PG&E’s Energy Center and Richmond’s Sun Power. The group will also visit places that are relevant from a construction and architectural point of view such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Transamerica Tower and Piers.

The group uses public transportation for the site visits, further instilling the message of sustainability.

There’s also time to experience college life and American culture. The students, who mostly commute to their campus in Chile, are staying in the dorms at Cal State East Bay and get to interact with the students here.