Course on sustainability

How could sustainability be educated at undergraduate level at a university?

Here is a suggestion... --> Parts of it can maybe also help you for your personal relationship to sustainable development!

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General Information on the course:

· Beginning of each lecture: short presentation (5 min. + 5 min. discussion) on a sustainability issue (depending on the topic)

· General structure: from broad to narrow, from known to unknown

· Homeworks (what was dealt in class the week before? hand in every week a page on the topic eg. 10 times 3 %)… eg:

o Assignment 1: what is sustainability for you / understanding of the topic

o Assignment 2: Critique on sustainability…

o Assingment 10: Field Trip report

Lectures

1. Introduction

a. 10 min. of lecture – examples of sustainability

b. Why is sustainability important

c. What do you think

d. brief discussions on sustainability

2. Brundtland report + definition of sustainability

a. 3 pillars of sustainability +

b. Discussion of interdisciplinarity

c. Integration of all pillars (evenly/fit to situation)

d. How is sustainability recognized around the world (contracts)

3. Field Trip

a. Eg. Taking part in a tree planting day, local cleaning up project…

4. Critique on sustainability

a. Rehearsal of Field trip

b. What are problems of facing sustainability

c. Are there different points of view (cultures, social classes, religion)

d. eg what is: “Greenwashing”

5. Economic pillar

a. Money

b. Markets

c. Neo-classical theory

d. Role of business vs. finite resources

e. Ethics in economy

f. Environmental Management systems (eg. Natural step)

6. Social/cultural pillar

a. Modern values compared to former values

b. Consumerism

c. How did our problems come about

d. values

7. Environmental pillar

a. Ecological footprint

b. Global environmental issues

c. Changing personal habits

8. Guest lecturer

a. Be prepared for the lecture (questions/critical thinking…)

b. eg. principal advisor for sustainability at city council (eg. Tony Moore)

9. Education for sustainability

a. How can we inform others

b. Actions for sustainability

10. Field Trip

a. Local business

b. Or international NGO

11. Presentations on sustainability and how to put into practice

a. Other examples similar to field trip

12. Concluding class

a. Rehearsal

b. What have we learn

(Thank you: Shaun, Lena, Kana, Elisabeth, Luke, Lea)