General provisions

The course is compulsory for students admitted to the Master's program in implementation, transformative learning and sustainability, but can also be given as a stand-alone course.

Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students are expected to be able to:

• Describe, in written and oral form, how Sustainable Development dilemmas, impacting human as well as environmental health, emerge in situations that are inherently uncertain and controversial and inequitable and, motivate how inter-subjective, systemic and intersectional approaches can transform these situations.
• Explain, in writing and speech, problems associated with implementation of actions for Sustainable Development, which give rise to situations characterised by conflicts of interest and or controversy.
• Evaluate and critically discuss, using course literature, causes for success and failure of the implementation Sustainable Development actions at different scales.
• Describe, evaluate and critically discuss, the epistemology underpinning instrumental and collaborative approaches that enable the implementation of Sustainable Development actions.

Content

By drawing on real case material the course will increase understanding of the nature of the contexts in which the implementation of sustainable development, addressing human and environmental health, occurs and to critically reflect on these cases using theory. The course will enable understanding of differences between ethical, philosophical and political theories, concepts and essential questions as these are situated in sustainable development, including sustainable health. Illustrative cases from Sweden, Australia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia will introduce the operational context in order to examine a number of contemporary sustainable development dilemmas such as the uncertainties associated with projected climate change, and reconciling of stakes associated with a changing disease panorama, the provision of renewable energy, and water and food security, and the increased societal inequities that can be attributed to mass migration, all impacting the health of people and planet. All these dilemmas will be situated within diverging social, political and intersectional contexts, which are highly variable on account of on-going changes within the biophysical, institutional and ethico-political realms.

Instruction

The course consists of a series of lectures, literature studies, seminars and group and individual assignments and presentations. Sessions are interactive and students are encouraged to draw on their own experiences from the fields presented. Language of instruction is English.

Assessment

Assessment is based on written examinations, participation in mandatory seminars and group exercises, approved written assignments. 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. All examinations are in English.