46 SDG 14 Life Below Water – Goslyn

Group Reflection

At first, our team was motivated and we had great conversations between each other. In a way, we all were amazed how we were talking to people from different parts of the world (Canada, South Africa and Spain). From the cross-cultural experience we learned mainly three things. First, there are shared beliefs, values, and assumptions of different cultures and these influence behaviors and communication between each other. Second, we have become more tolerant to the differences (in that context we have created global connections): the immersion in another culture leads to identity transformation, fostering a greater global identity and interconnectedness with host cultures and nations. Thirdly, we had complete social success due to the fact that we could explore how educational, social, and emotional success differs widely across countries.
The learning during our courses were the basis of the more difficult concepts or assignments we had to do. In particular, the SDG’s and the cross-cultural differences. Also, the clarifications on how to write the poster and where to post it were really useful.

The work, at the beginning, was really well distributed. At first, Nipul was the one that always took the screenshots and the recordings. In the beginning, we all described the firm that we considered that could be interesting. We decided together that the firm of Talia was the best option and the business that we wanted to do. Talia had some problems in doing the interview. What happened next was a surprise for all the components of the group because in the meeting we had to talk on how to do the story and the poster Talia told us that he changed the company. As a group, we had to adapt and investigate from 0 on that Canadian company. The deadline of the poster and the story was arriving and, as a group, we didn’t work well at all. Núria had to do the story on its own (Talia helped in some questions but had some personal issues so she couldn’t do much). In addition, Myriam had to do the poster on its own (Nipul made a poster proposal but it didn’t meet the criteria of the Condensated Document of the AIM2Flourish). So, unfortunately, we cannot say that we worked as a team in the most important part of the project.
At the beginning the communication worked well. But as time went through it was precarious. And, as we well know, if communication does not exist any kind of human relationship can exist.

Individual Reflections

Myriam: Initially, when my teacher mentioned that we would be collaborating with international individuals, I found it to be a fantastic idea. I had never engaged in such a project before, and truthfully, I was very excited about the prospect. Initially, I didn’t quite grasp the concept, but as we started having online meetings with students from other universities, I managed to comprehend the entire project. The fact that we didn’t all speak the same language didn’t pose any issue; on the contrary, we were able to communicate flawlessly. Moreover, it compelled us to converse solely in English because often, when interacting with people who speak our native language, it significantly alters the dynamic. Furthermore, the company we worked on seemed to have an incredibly innovative product capable of separating grease residues from water, thus preventing pollution of rivers and seas. Originally, our designated company was different, but due to management issues, we had to switch at the last moment. Both companies shared the goal of preserving the planet and minimizing environmental harm.
My peers were exceptionally kind throughout, and they were almost always present in the meetings. My group mate, Nipul, made a concerted effort to assist with screen recordings and screenshots, for which I am immensely grateful. However, it became noticeable that as the weeks went by, my colleagues from Africa and Canada were starting to become less involved. This was partly due to the progressive increase in the difficulty of our tasks. The last-minute company change added some complexity, and time was becoming a pressing concern.
Due to connectivity issues, we received the interview with the company very late, which significantly delayed our work. My university colleague, Núria, and I had to handle the poster and the story together since we realized that if we wanted to meet the deadline set by the instructors, we had to get to work. In this regard, I wished everyone had collaborated more, but distance played a decisive role in this setback.
There could have been much better cohesion within the group, but being from various different universities didn’t aid in that. Despite this, I’ve enjoyed the project, although I would suggest that instead of having two individuals from each university, it might be better to have three from one university and three from another, as it could greatly enhance cohesion. Additionally, Google Classroom didn’t seem like a convenient platform for keeping track of deadlines or submitting documents.
After all the work done, I’m very grateful for this experience that the university has provided me.

Núria: Aim2flourish assignment has been such an intriguing experience. When our teacher told us during class that we had to do this project, I felt so enthusiastic about the idea. I have always been a very social person, so the fact of working with people from other countries appealed to me a great deal. I was very curious about the accents from other countries and their daily routine, it was a great way of getting to know other cultures. We were able to successfully schedule a weekly meeting. It was easy to communicate, thus the language barrier was not an impediment to work at all. During the calls, it was so pleasant to hear Canadian people speak perfect English, that made me look forward to my internship with more willingness. My mate Nipul was very helpful as he always handled the screenshots and the screen recording. We did have a little bit of trouble as at the last minute we had to change the company we were making the project about; however, we were able to solve that issue without much harm. I found the new company, Goslyn Environmental Services, quite interesting and eye-catching. This project was great as my group, and I was able to learn a lot about companies that really look after the preservation of the planet. This machine, designed and constructed by Goslyn company, was able to separate fats, solids, grease, and oil from the water, so once the clean water was poured into the ocean, it would not contaminate the environment and the animals. I have never heard about this innovation,
but I strongly believe that this will only positively affect the world. The assignment allowed me to have a 180-degree turn in the way of thinking about a business and about myself. On the one hand, I know that companies have an impact on society. But it wasn’t until I dug deeper that I realized that there is always a large-scale impression. Not only does Goslyn benefit the workers and owners, but also it positively affects the environment. At the time of elaborating the story and the poster, we divided the group into separate parts so that each member of the team could contribute a bit, this way it would make the work easy and manageable for all the group. However, as days passed by, Myriam, my mate from Pamplona, and I, had to contribute a great deal more than the rest of the team if we wanted to make sure that all the work was completed and submitted on time. Besides this last inconvenience, I can certainly affirm that this project has enabled me to get to know one side of myself that I did not know about, for which I am very pleased. I will definitely focus my career trajectory in a more conscious way. I have verified that what they say is true: “you can make a difference”.

Ntere: As an individual who enjoys challenges, I was excited and a bit intimidated when I found myself among the students from my institution who were set to be the first to join and grow through the COIL experience. The idea of working towards a common goal with people I had never met and possibly would never meet seemed impractical, however the aura that was present during our first meeting silenced all the doubts I had about this assignment becoming an epic fail. Meeting with my group members left me at ease, seeing how we were able to draw on each other’s strengths and exposure without making each other feel less than was truly an incredible experience. This being my first COIL assignment was not at all a walk in the park for me, I experienced a lot of confusion along the way which to some extent made me want to become timid when it came to sharing my ideas and becoming an asset to my team members however I am grateful to how receptive they were when it came to assisting me in understanding better without making me feel bad for my lack of understanding this indeed helped with building my character. I learned that in as much as my group members and I came from different cultural backgrounds and times zones our willingness to adopt, accommodate one another, collaborate and respect one another made it possible for us to see beyond our differences which helped us to see what we could create together. This encouraged us as group members to volunteer for roles we felt best aligned with our strengths.

Nipul: With the extraction of the earth’s resources tripling since 1970, and with global material use expected to double by 2060 (United 2019), promoting sustainability and the implementation of sustainable practices is becoming increasingly more important. Thankfully, firms and consumers are beginning to realize the impacts their operational routines and consumption habits have on the health of the planet and by extension the longevity of human civilization. Students are beginning to learn more about the actions firms are taking and (thanks to the reach of the internet and social media) can promote and praise businesses taking action in sustaining the health of our planet and its resources and pressure those whose environmental cost cannot be reasonably justified. Thanks to the COIL experience offered by Aim2Flourish, our group was able to interview and document Goslyn Environmental Services; a Canadian firm leading the industry of safe grease collection and disposal, aligning their operations with 5 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. After learning about their innovation and its
benefits to sustainability, our international group created a poster promoting it, which was later posted onto a metaverse where hundreds of other students from around the world can learn about it and their mission. In conducting the interview and creating the poster, a lot of work had to be done in a tight, busy timeframe. However, our group was able to get over challenges of time zones and language barriers yielding on-time submission of group deliverables. Our member’s grouped all the work that had to be done and each member volunteered to do a separate part, and at the end we would cohesively put together each component. If a member had a time conflict with another important event, another member would take the initiative to make sure their part was covered for. Some other issues did arise with the design of the experience, especially with the way submissions were handled via Google Classroom but we were able to work through them.
To sum up, the COIL experience was very insightful and intriguing. The international group experience was what made the project unique and the dedication and discipline of our team members is what made the experience flow much better than what some other teams may have experienced.
United Nations (2019, April 3). We’re gobbling up the Earth’s resources at an unsustainable rate. United Nation – Environment Programme.
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/were-gobbling-earths-resources-unsustainable-rate .

MandIondlo: I was introduced by my supervisor into this program. I was so nervous at first however this group was very welcoming and patient. Sometimes I would have problems with load shedding. This would prevent me from joining some meetings, however they were kind enough to reschedule the meeting for me to be a part of it. Despite having time differences the group would find the suitable time that accommodates everyone. Overall I’ve had a wonderful experience and I’ve also learnt how various companies around the world align themselves with the SDGs. I am really grateful to be part of this program because it allowed me to work with international students and gain knowledge. Having the best group made things a lot easy for me.