The YES course is a pioneering concept in education for sustainable development for university students all around the world. Each two week course brings together a multicultural and multidisciplinary group of 40 participants to discuss the challenges of sustainable development in a unique setting. The large diversity of cultures, languages and disciplines and the opportunity to work together with other outstanding students and esteemed international faculty make the YES environment an enriching and unforgettable learning experience.
More information on the course and the faculty involved is available in the YES brochure:
click here for General BrochureYES Courses General Information Movie
Over the last 10 years the following courses have been held around the world:
YES Braunwald, Switzerland / July and August, 2001 – 2009
15 courses in partnership with AGS, MIT, University of Tokyo, ETH Zurich and Chalmers University
YES Latin America, Costa Rica / September 2005
1 course in partnership with INCAE Business School and CATIE
YES Central and Eastern Europe, Slovakia and Austria / September 2006 – 2008
3 courses in partnership with the Technical University of Vienna
YES Africa, Kenya / November 2007
1 course in partnership with UNEP
YES Japan / March 2007 – 2009
3 courses in partnership with Hosei University
More information on the international alumni from the YES program is available at: www.yesalumni.ethz.ch
YES Alumni Special Courses
In recent years a focus has been placed on further leveraging the international network of high potential alumni students that emerge from the YES training programs. At the end of 2007 an online social networking platform was launched to facilitate online interaction and knowledge sharing among the group for issues related to sustainable development. The next milestone was to begin hosting specialized follow up courses for YES Alumni students.
The goal of such courses is to provide opportunities for continued learning that builds on the valuable knowledge and skills gained in the YES course and the individual experiences the participants have had since attending the course. The concept was to hold courses focusing on one concrete topic while providing training in valuable skills such as project development and management, fundraising, cross cultural communication and working in multidisciplinary teams.
The first of these Alumni courses was launched in November 2008 in the Sinai desert in Egypt, on the topic of “Water and Sustainability”. Hosted in partnership with the Wadi Environmental Science Center (WESC), an Egyptian NGO, the program brought together 17 YES Alumni to live and learn together in a Bedouin Eco-lodge in the middle of the Sinai Desert. The course included workshops, group work, field trips, work with the local community and project development. Further programs on diverse topics are planned for the future, so check this page for the newest course offerings.
Course Offerings – Apply Now!
The following applications for courses are now open:
Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES)
Braunwald, Switzerland
Course I: 4th June – 21st June 2010
Course II: 2nd July – 19th July 2010
Application Deadline:
Course I: 27th March 2010
Course II: 10th Apirl 2010
Join us at YES at the unique settings the Swiss Alpine resort Braunwald
Details on the course and how to apply are available in the flyer:
YES Braunwald Switzerland 2010
The application form can be downloaded here:
YES Braunwald Switzerland 2010 Application form
The YES 2009/2010 courses are made possible through the kind support of:
AVINA Stiftung
HOSEI University
UBS Stiftung für Soziales und Ausbildung
Stiftung Drittes Millenium
Kanton Glarus
Kontaktgruppe für Forschungsfragen – KGF (Ciba, Roche, Novartis, Merck Serono and Syngenta)
Sat, Mar 20, 2010
Events, Opportunities