Overordnede kursusmål
This course aims to not only develop an understanding of the notion
of sustainability, but also to equip students with the skills
needed to analyze and evaluate how policy development and business
practices can contribute to transitions towards sustainable living.
The course will further train students in project design and
management; time management during a self-directed project; and the
understanding of transdisciplinarity and evaluation of differences
and benefits of multi- and inter-disciplinarity.
Læringsmål
En studerende, der fuldt ud har opfyldt kursets mål, vil kunne:
- Analyze the social and historical context of current
sustainability frameworks
- Evaluate differences between corporate social responsibility
and shared value creation
- Synthesize information and integrate data and observations to
evaluate complex ideas using system thinking
- Analyze global data sources and evaluate how they can inform
business and governance decisions to develop sustainability
solutions
- Evaluate current and proposed sustainability solutions with a
particular focus on digitalization
- Relate the contributions of a scientific or technical
discipline to transitions towards sustainable living
- Determine how a scientific or technical discipline interacts
with others to yield new insights about sustainability
- Evaluate how sciences and technology can contribute to circular
economies
Kursusindhold
This course will take a transdisciplinary approach to develop the
understanding of key sustainability concepts and review techniques
and approaches available to navigate natural resource exploitation
towards sustainability. The course will focus on global
sustainability challenges and solutions, particularly concentrating
on examples from marine systems and the blue economy.
We will discuss the different notions of sustainability, and learn
how individual worldviews shape the global public debate and policy
developments. We will take a system approach to discuss key drivers
of sustainability in human-nature coupled systems and discuss how
sustainability can be measured, and strategies developed to achieve
it, in both public and private sectors. Finally, we will discuss
quantitative governance approaches to meet sustainability targets
and how digitization innovations can help both governments and
businesses contribute to sustainability transitions.
This course will take a co-learning approach centered on
problem-based investigations of key concepts. Students will
conceive a project in the first week centered on finding a solution
to a sustainability challenge, develop it in the second week and
implement it in the third. These project phases will be supported
by tutoring and co-learning sessions. Through these tasks, you will
work in groups across disciplines and develop interpersonal skills
with a focus on problem-solving.
All data handling sessions will be using the R language. However,
for students proficient in other languages, exercises can be
implemented in the language of their choice with support in Python,
C++, Fortran, and Matlab.
Course structure:
Week 1 - Understanding sustainability
- Global sustainability discourse;
- Sustainability in the private sector: from Corporate Social
responsibility to Creating Shared Value
- The Anthropocene and primary planetary boundaries
- The Circular Economy
- Natural resource exploitation patterns
Students will develop project ideas and design learning plan to
achieve it (either in groups or individually). Student-led case
studies on business plans and national implementation of global
sustainability strategies.
Week 2 - Measuring sustainability
- socioecological approaches to human-nature coupled systems
- socioecological system state and dynamics
- conflicts and synergies in Sustainability Goals
Students will design their project. Further co-learning sessions on
Sustainability business mapping; International statistics and
global imaging; and Designing data products
Week 3 - Sustainability transitions
- Policy innovations to integrate social, economic and
environmental governance
- value creation in socioecological systems
- Establishing new markets
Students will implement their projects + present them in class.
Further co-learning sessions on Sustainability Goals 2030-2045;
Blockchain - traceability and beyond, and Project-specific
troubleshooting.
Sidst opdateret
16. maj, 2024