Reflections from the nZEBRA Summer School in Hamburg
The nZEBRA Summer School, held in Hamburg as part of the Erasmus+ project, brought together master's students from across Europe for an intensive learning experience focused on climate-neutral buildings and advanced simulation tools. Following the in-person session, students were invited to evaluate the programme — and the results offer valuable insights into both the strengths and opportunities for improvement.
Overall Satisfaction & Room for Improvement
The majority of students expressed high satisfaction with the course content and delivery:
- 83% were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the knowledge gained
- 87% rated the instructors’ performance as excellent or good
- 78% stated that the course met their expectations
- A strong 74% agreed that the final week in Hamburg added clear value to the learning experience
Students particularly appreciated the hands-on elements, the friendly atmosphere, and the chance to connect with peers and instructors from across disciplines and countries.
While the academic content was well received, several students pointed out areas for improvement:
- Late access to course materials and lack of a unified course overview created confusion
- Assignments were often too large to complete within the available time
- Inconsistent module structures and lack of coordination across instructors made it harder to follow
- Some students suggested a clear opening session and earlier communication about the online phase
- Others proposed extending the summer school to two weeks, or staggering module workloads
These insights underline the need for stronger coordination, earlier communication, and more manageable pacing in future editions.
Highlights from the Students' Comments
“I really enjoyed the seminar! The people were amazing—so friendly and supportive.”
“The topics were relevant and advanced. I gained valuable experience with simulation tools.”
What's next?
The nZEBRA consortium takes this feedback seriously and will use it to enhance the course structure, coordination, and communication in future iterations. The goal remains to provide a high-quality, collaborative learning programme that prepares students to tackle the challenges of sustainable building design and energy transition.
