Strathmore University Students in Austria for Biomimicry Project

The Strathmore university students were in Austria for a week in April for the third part of their project with the FH Burgenland. Ten Students from Strathmore together with 2 of their professors took part in the program.

Under the project dubbed, Biomimicry, Strathmore University in Nairobi Kenya together with the FH Burgenland from Eisenstadt Austria came together to create solutions that use solutions from nature to solve current environmental challenges. The Biomimicry concept looks at processes in nature then creates machinery that imitates these processes e.g. the solar tree and the Sunny Eye. 

The solar tree has solar panels  attached to a “stem” and are set up like the leaves of a tree.

The project that started last year, 2013, focuses on efficient generation of solar energy and water supply. The Sunny Eye is a motor built from waste and generates power from the sun.”With it, you can charge a cell phone”, the Austrian student Susanne Luttenberger explained.

During their visit to Austria, the students got to present their results under the SSCoLab (Summer Semester Collaboration/Co-Laboratory “Sommer Semester Kollaboration”) program. The students also got a chance to enjoy their visit with trips to Rust, the Neusiedler Lake, a waste water treatment plant in Vienna and even a visit to the Servus TV where they were guests on the TM Wissen Show.

The partnership started in September 2013

The aims of the project are:

• Learning technological processes involved in water distribution (Wasserversorgung (Wassergewinnung, -speicherung, – transport, -aufbereitung)
• Learning Project management and innovation management methods
• Learning how to work in International and interdisciplinary teams

The project was funded by both universities as well as the “Harambee Africa International” Verein. “Harambee Africa International” was initiated by Eva Berkes who is also the brains behind the partnership between the two institutions.

The last segment of the program runs next semester, Winter Semester 2014/15.