Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Learning outcomes

At the completion of the course the student should

- have a wide and interdisciplinary understanding of the field of environment and development studies and the concept of sustainable development;

- have a good ability to analyse, assess and critically examine research as well as improved oral and written presentation skills;

- have a deepened knowledge in the specific perspectives of the course's modules.

1. The Global Economy

At the completion of the course the student should be able to give an interdisciplinary account of

- the role of economics in the issues of environment and development;

- the global economic system;

- ethical and philosophical perspectives on economic issues within the environment and development field;

- global economic institutions, world trade and globalisation;

- historic perspectives on economic thinking and development;

- the basic assumptions, explanations and suggestions on solutions to issues of environment and development that different economic theories represent and propose;

- different ways of measuring and evaluating development, poverty and welfare;

- the role and social responsibility of corporations and businesses on a global arena;

- different views on the connection between economic growth and sustainable development.

2. Global Environmental History

At the completion of the course the student should

- be able to give an account of historic environmental processes;

- be able to give an account of past societies' and cultures' view of and relationship to nature;

- be able to reflect in a historic sense, and relate the past to the present;

- give an account of the environmental issues and the environmental discourse of the 19th and 20th century.

3. Climate, Energy and Society

At the completion of the course the student should

- have an interdisciplinary understanding of the issues of climate change and energy from a sustainability perspective;

- be able to give a description of how the climate system is affected by our society and how climate change affects society in different regions and within different sectors;

- be able to give a description the global energy system of today and changes in supply and demand in the near future;

- be able to give examples of different climate and energy scenarios for the future;

- be able to give an account of and critically analyse and asses different proposed solutions to the issues of climate change and energy depletion;

- be able to argument for and against the argumentation of researchers as well as other actors in the climate change and energy debate.

Content

Contents/modules:

The course Sustainable Development A consists of three mandatory modules.

1) The Global Economy, 15 credits

The module starts out by introducing historic perspectives on economic thinking, economic theory and economic development. A focus is set on providing the students with a basic knowledge of neoclassical theory, environmental economics and ecological economics. Views of the relationship between man and nature is set into the context of economic theories, and related to the issues of measuring and evaluating, the relationship between economic growth and the environment, as well as the impact of our consumptive society. Different dimensions and connections between development and under-development, poverty and wealth are highlighted. Global economic institutions, world trade, business approaches, globalisation and social responsibility are also studied.

2)Global Environmental History, 7.5 credits

The module addresses the environmental history of the world. A focus is put on studying historic societies' and cultures' view of nature, and their relationship to nature, from three different levels: a mental level, an interactive level (man-nature interaction) and an ecological level. By switching from a general perspective to specific historic events, in different places and regions, a holistic understanding of the world's environmental history emerges. The module gives a general introduction to humankind's evolution as a cultural being, the rise of agriculture and the early city-cultures. Thereafter, attention is put on more modern times and the European expansion, the emergence of industrial society and globalisation. Ecosystems (including human settlements) with their animals, plants and diseases are treated as historically relevant factors. The environmental issues and the discourse on environmental and natural resource issues of the 19th and 20th century are studied in detail. The module provides the student with an interdisciplinary, historical and deep understanding of the global environmental crisis of the past few decades and the accompanying discourse on environmental and developmental issues.

3) Climate, Energy and Society, 7.5 credits

The module addresses the issues of climate change and energy provision. The greenhouse effect, climatic variations in time and space, scientific methods of studying climate and different factors affecting the climate are studied. Thereafter, the historic development of different energy sources is presented and their importance for modern society is discussed. Included in this part is a general introduction to energy systems. Different societies' vulnerability to energy crisis, from a historical and contemporary perspective, is discussed and concepts such as Peak Oil introduced. The module also tries to highlight controversies of political and scientific nature: prognoses, research in risk assessment and the precautionary principle. Furthermore, the consequences of climate change and changes in energy provision on ecosystems, aquatic systems, agriculture, forestry, natural disasters, health, economics and conflicts, will be addressed. Lastly, different scenarios for the future will be presented and strategies to manage the issues of climate change and energy provision discussed.

Instruction

The teaching consists of lectures, debates, seminars, field trips and group projects. The lectures are mainly held by guest lecturers from different academic fields. The style of teaching stimulates and encourages active participation of the students.