Global Maker Education Symposium

The Global Maker Education Symposium offers a glimpse into our latest educational project, in which we explore collaborative making as a solution to global challenges. With Global Maker Education, we’re breaking down barriers and forging new alliances.

It’s time to expand our network.

Show & Tell
We present the results of Global Maker Education.

Bubble-Check
Exciting insights from representatives of the three bubbles (makers/development policy organizations/education) by Abdul Rop, Matthias Schoiswohl-Szwajor, and Susanne Loher.

Abdul Rop

In his keynote address, artist Abdul Rop describes his journey from self-taught work with scrap materials to experimental printing techniques and the development of his own tools and machines. As part of the Kairos Imagination Safari collective, he explores how art can transform waste into valuable resources through collaborative processes. A central focus is the workshop at GRAND GARAGE, where we will work together to combine recycled plastic in sheet form with traditional craftsmanship and industrial recycling. By treating plastic waste with the same care as wood, the process transforms from simple disposal into a creative form of appreciation. The presentation reflects the results of the workshop and illustrates how local, circular systems can open up new perspectives for climate responsibility. This approach demonstrates that art and recycling are not abstract concepts, but active ways to shape our environment.

Matthias Schoizwohl-Szwajor

At the University of Education Lower Austria, “making” represents a didactic-methodological approach that combines technological practice, material competence, and school development. The presentation introduces key initiatives: the OpenLab, the university course “Making in Schools—Interdisciplinary and Action-Oriented,” and the emerging Plastic Lab as a critical-making setting. The focus is not on the isolated use of digital fabrication such as 3D printing, but rather on its thoughtful integration into learning and organizational processes. Making links technical skills with questions about materials, sustainability, and collaboration, and supports schools in innovation and identity-building processes.

Susanne Loher

Global citizenship education empowers people to see themselves as part of a global society—and to take responsibility as a result: for themselves, for one another, and for the planet. It is not just about taking action, but also about understanding: recognizing connections, questioning familiar norms, broadening one’s horizons, and placing global perspectives alongside local and national narratives. “Citizenship” focuses on active shaping; inspiring courage, fostering hope, and strengthening the capacity for action are central concerns. “Global Citizenship” connects local action with a global context. Because sustainable change requires both: the courage to act and the reflection on whether we are addressing the right issues. This complements Maker Education well, as was evident in the Südwind project “Food Rescue” on food waste—a joint project with makers.

Networking with Impact
Educators meet tech enthusiasts. Makers meet NGO representatives.

Venue: GRAND GARAGE Lounge, 2.OG

To help us prepare for the event, please register at least two days in advance.

Information about the speakers at the Bubble Check:

Abdul Rob is an active founding member of the artist collective Kairos Imagination Safari. The collective explores the intersection of art, ecological resilience, and speculative future-making, using imaginative visions and critical design approaches to address ecological and social challenges in East Africa. Their work has been exhibited at Milan Design Week, Nairobi Design Week, and the UN Headquarters.

Matthias Schoiswohl-Szwajor studied at the University of Applied Arts and trained at Dominikus Guggenberger’s Inventor’s Workshop. He develops and creates interactive objects for the arts and culture sector. As a teacher of technology and design, he advocates for the subject as an interface for action-oriented and interdisciplinary instruction, combining analog and digital technologies. At the University of Education Lower Austria, he works in the field of technology and design-making, and also at the Academy of Fine Arts in the teacher training program for “Technology and Design.”

Susanne Loher earned her degree and teaching certification (Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese) at the University of Salzburg. Her career has included extended stays abroad, including in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. Since 2000, she has worked at Südwind in Upper Austria in the field of education and outreach. She is the regional office director and head of the Südwind Library, as well as the coordinator of educational projects and courses (the “Global Learning” graduate program at the University of Education Upper Austria, and the “Think Global, Act Global” course at bifeb). Since 2020, she has served as the Austria-wide coordinator of Südwind’s education division.