Syllabus for Sustainable Economic Futures: Nature, Equity and Community

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• summarise and reason on central theories, concepts, definitions regarding sustainable economic systems in relation to contemporary and future sustainability challenges;
• account for and critically relate to how different economic sustainable systems can be designed and realised at different levels and by different actors;
• from an interdisciplinary system perspective account for the ecological, economic and social conditions and the foundations of a sustainable economic system;
• apply an ethical and justice perspective on practical issues concerning the design and implementation of future sustainable economic systems;
• evaluate and analyse the consequences of various proposals for future economic systems in a larger sustainability context;
• communicate in writing and orally questions concerning sustainable economic systems;
• initiate, plan, implement and evaluate a delimited project work within the course area.

Content

The course covers a broad theoretical, conceptual and definition orientation where various inter- and multidisciplinary research areas within ecological economics and environmental economics, as well as theoretical orientations, aim to exemplify how sustainable economic systems at different levels can be designed and implemented by different actors. This orientation also links issues related to future economic systems with the global sustainability goals and other frameworks for sustainable development. The course then goes on to deepen the discussion and shed light on the ecological, resource-based, social and cultural conditions and the foundations for a sustainable and equitable future economic system. This process combines system thinking and an interdisciplinary understanding of how these conditions and foundations are connected and interact. The consequences of various future, sustainable economic systems are also being investigated and analysed. The course's many perspectives, questions and discussions give the student a wide range of areas to focus on in the project work.

Instruction

The teaching consists of lectures, seminars and workshops. The lectures are given by guest lecturers from various academic disciplines and relevant areas of society. Ample opportunities are provided for active student participation and critical reflection. Participation in seminars and workshops is compulsory. Non-compulsory study visits or equivalent may occur.

Assessment

The student is examined through written preparation for (4 credits) and active participation in seminars and workshops (3 credits), and through written documentation (7 credits) and oral presentation (1 credit) of a project.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Other directives

Active participation is reassessed through a re-seminar. If a student after having been offered a re-seminar still does not meet the requirements to pass the active participation elements the examiner can choose reassessment by another method.