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Technology Department
HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule
Germany
Working Paper
No. 7/2021
First People-and-Planet-Conference 2020
Activities and Outlook
Authors:
Ronald Deckert, Tom Okot
April 12th, 2021
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Abstract
We are currently rumbling through unprecedented situations, whereby people’s lives are at stake
because of the COVID-19 global pandemic and economies are crumbling. These conditions further
widen the concern of sustainable development and the digitalization spree of things (IoT).
Thus, the ULACIT-HFH intercontinental partnership was initiated with a conference theme entitled
“First People-and-Planet-Conference”. To providing research, innovative student experiences and
academic based solutions to the unprecedented challenges currently facing both growing and
developed economies.
Content
1. Introduction Page 2
2. Context Page 2
3. Conference Topics 2020 Page 3
4. Summary and Outlook Page 3
Literature Page 4
Imprint Page 4
1. Introduction
In the year 2020 HFH and ULACIT laid the foundations for co-operation activities connected with the
First People-and-Planet-Conference, November 21st, 2020. The documentation (slides, recording) can
be found here:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/prof-dr-ronald-deckert-56480338_first-people-
andplanetconferencehfhulacit-activity-6736003379585179648-55Bh/
The objective of the conference is to develop a framework of ideas, that may guide in direction of
future co-operation activities with sustainable effects for ULACIT and HFH and related to urgent fields
of action connected with steps on the way into the Anthropocene as emerging age on planet Earth.
2. Context
The world is entering an emerging new age called Anthropocene strongly related to thoughts of
sustainable development especially connected with digitalization (WBGU 2019) as well as some kind
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of trilemma based on climate-change mitigation, food security and the conservation of biological
diversity (WBGU 2020). Action is required and this is reflected in #TheQuestion on page 5 here:
https://www2.slideshare.net/ProfDrRonaldDeckert/first-people-
andplanetconferencehfhulacit2020preview
We are currently in the 4th industrial revolution with unprecedented challenges affecting human,
economic, environmental, and social capital. However, we can use technology to counteract at least a
few of these challenges. But, we need to have in mind the risks and side effects of technologies like
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and we need to act with foresight and attention to important considerations
like the Big Five of a desirable development of artificial intelligence (Deckert & Meyer 2020).
Additionally, Covid-19 and its global effects, the collateral damages on the global economy and health
sector, seem quite irriversible at least on a short term. The World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects
2020, envisions a more than 5% contraction in global GDP in 2020 (World Bank 2021).
3. Conference Topics
The conference culminated 4 research topics. These were jointly collaborated with MBA students from
ULACIT and partly together with Industrial Engineering students from HFH in terms of literature review,
data collection and analysis. It is key to mention as well that all the 4 research articles have been
submitted for publishing. These were the conference topics:
1. Industry 4.0: Costa Rica’s State-Of-The-Art in relation to Technology and Value Addition
2. Sustainable Rural Tourism Management: Upgrading eco-friendly and self-sustainable hotels in
Costa Rica
3. Potential of renewable energy production: An assessment of Costa Rica’s decarbonization plan
4. Mobility and connectivity: challenges in both rural and urban Costa Rican communities
These days, in addition the Covid-19 pandemic, that could have been expected as can be seen here
http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/17/120/1712051.pdf, challenges worldwide economies,
processes, and systems. Moreover, this situation introduced the opportunity of challenging the status
quo by thinking outside the box and re-design the processes and system to create a new way of doing
things.
4. Summary and Outlook
This ULACIT-HFH partnership is a transcontinental bridge providing research, innovative student
experiences and academic based solutions to the unprecedented challenges currently facing both
growing and developed economies. We believe that applying a collaborative institutional framework
focussing at challenges in the emerging Anthropocene goes along with the potential of redefining the
way our students carry out solution design, prototyping, and change processes successfully in the
future addressing chances and risks properly.
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In the 21st-Century more and more thoughts,
experiences, and tools around connectivistic
learning are emerging underlaid by Connectivism
as suggested theoretical framework that
followed theoretical ideas around Behaviorism,
Cognitivism and Constructivism in the 20th-
Century (Siemens 2006; Campbell & Schwier
2014). Having this in mind the future co-
operation activities of HFH and ULACIT possibly
will be found in some kind of portfolio:
Doing a People-and-Planet-Conference online
regularly could be a kernel activity to focus on
the goals of the co-operation.
Literature
Campbell, K.; Schwier, R. A. (2014): Major movements in instructional design. In O. Zawacki-Richter & T.
Anderson (Hrsg.), Online distance education (S. 345–380). Athabasca University Press.
https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781927356623.01 [24.01.2021]
Deckert, R.; Meyer, E. (2020). Digitalisierung und Künstliche Intelligenz – Kooperation von Menschen und
Maschinen aktiv gestalten. Wiesbaden: Springer.
Siemens, G. (2006): Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. The Distance, 15(1), 1, 14–18.
https://www.academia.edu/2856996/The_Distance [24.01.2021]
WBGU – German Advisory Council on Global Change (2019): Towards Our Common Digital Future. Flagship
Report. Berlin: WBGU. URL:
https://www.wbgu.de/fileadmin/user_upload/wbgu/publikationen/hauptgutachten/hg2019/pdf/wbgu_
hg2019_en.pdf [24.01.2021]
WBGU – German Advisory Council on Global Change (2020): Rethinking Land in the Anthropocene: from
Separation to Integration. Summary. Berlin: WBGU. URL:
https://www.wbgu.de/fileadmin/user_upload/wbgu/publikationen/hauptgutachten/hg2020/pdf/WBGU
_HG2020_ZF_en.pdf [24.01.2021]
World Bank (2021): Global Economic Prospects Slow Growth, Policy Challenges. In World Bank publication
(Issue January). The World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/global-economic-prospects
Imprint
The contributions to the discussion are published by the technology department of the HFH ·
Hamburger Fern-Hochschule represented by the Dean.
Citation:
Deckert, R.; Okot, T. (2021): First People-and-Planet-Conference 2020 – Activities and Outlook. Working Paper.
Technology Department, HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule, ISSN 2629-5482, No. 7/2021. URL:
https://digitale-skripte.hfh-fernstudium.de/diskussionsbeitraege/
Previous Publications:
Deckert, R.; Hötter, J. (2020): Künstliche Intelligenz – Die vor uns liegenden Herausforderungen annehmen.
Diskussionsbeiträge Fachbereich Technik, HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule, ISSN 2629-5482, Nr. 6/2020.
URL: https://digitale-skripte.hfh-fernstudium.de/diskussionsbeitraege/
Figure 1: Co-operation Activities Framework
Topics Methodology
Digitalisation Sustainability
Climate Change
Biodiversity
Transport
Energy
Nutrition
Artificial Intelligence
Industry 4.0
People-and-
Planet Con-
ference
Tools for
connectivistic
learning
Sustainability
action supported by
research
…
…
Evolvement
of personal
strengths
…
…
Tourism
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Deckert, R.; Günther, A.; Metz, M. (2019): Strategische Mensch-Maschine-Partnerschaft – Begriffs- und
Bedeutungskategorien ausgehend von Digitalisierung, nachhaltiger Entwicklung und weiteren Kontexten.
Diskussionsbeiträge Fachbereich Technik, HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule, ISSN 2629-5482, Nr. 5/2019.
URL: https://digitale-skripte.hfh-fernstudium.de/diskussionsbeitraege/
Deckert, R.; Günther, A.; Metz, M. (2019): Interaktives #Lerndesign innovativ gestalten - Verknüpfungen von
Online- und Präsenz-Lehr-/Lernelementen mit Lehr-/Lerntext. Diskussionsbeiträge Fachbereich Technik, HFH
· Hamburger Fern-Hochschule, ISSN 2629-5482, Nr. 4/2019. URL: https://digitale-skripte.hfh-
fernstudium.de/diskussionsbeitraege/
Deckert, R.; Permien, T.; Kettani, O. (2018): Unterstützung der Entscheidung für ein Ecological Securities
(EcoSecs)-Portfolio durch automatisierte Abbildung von Wirkungs- und Kostengrößen mittels HTML5 – Ein
Prototyp als Anwendungsbeispiel zu Strategischer Mensch-Maschine-Partnerschaft. Diskussionsbeiträge
Fachbereich Technik, HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule, ISSN 2629-5482, Nr. 3/2018. URL: https://digitale-
skripte.hfh-fernstudium.de/diskussionsbeitraege/
Deckert, R.; Günther, A.; Metz. M. (2018): Die Big Five der Flexibilität im (Fern-)Studium: Zeit, Ort, Inhalt,
Methode und Struktur. Ein Beitrag zur Systematisierung. Diskussionsbeiträge Fachbereich Technik, HFH ·
Hamburger Fern-Hochschule, ISSN 2629-5482, Nr. 2/2018. URL: https://digitale-skripte.hfh-
fernstudium.de/diskussionsbeitraege/
Deckert, R.; Günther, A. (2018): Anforderungen an das Studium in Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen: Kompetenzen und
aktuelle Entwicklungen aus Sicht von Studierenden der HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule – Bachelor- und
Masterebene im Vergleich. Diskussionsbeiträge Fachbereich Technik, HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule,
ISSN 2629-5482, Nr. 1/2018. URL: https://digitale-skripte.hfh-fernstudium.de/diskussionsbeitraege/
