Sustainable development - policy and practice

Timetable

2 hours per week (lectures and seminars), detailed timetable will be announced in October 2024.

Module aim (aims)

The aim of the module is to present and discuss the concept of sustainable development. The classes will allow to confront perspectives of different groups/ stakeholders (governments, non-governmental organisations, multinational companies, citizens with different socio-economic characteristics etc.) and different spatial scales (global, national, local). The module will consist of lectures, simulation – role-playing game (3 rounds, 2-hours long each), seminars with debates and students’ presentations.

During the simulation participants will play the role of representatives of a small, picturesque village, which is in crisis. The way to improve the situation are investments and legal resolutions that may positively influence (but also deteriorate) selected environmental and socio-economic indicators. The players' task is to discuss and finally decide on such decisions within the available budget, which will save the village – cause that after the end of the game, none of the indicators is negative. This part of the classes will show determinants and consequences of the decisions made at the local level on the sustainable development.

At the end students will also give their own presentations with examples on the practical implementation of UN sustainable development goals.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

The ability to communicate in English.

Syllabus

- Introduction, concept and history of the “sustainable development” thinking

- Sustainability from the perspective of governments, NGOs, multinational companies, local firms, groups of citizens

- Sustainable local development – United Nations goals and progress reports

- Role-playing game – preparation, round 1, 2 and 3, summary

- Drawing conclusions from the game: local sustainability in various dimensions

- Sustainable development in practice, at global, national and local scales – examples from different countries.

Reading list

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Progress Reports, papers, analysis available at the websites: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ & https://sdgs.un.org/

Smile Urbo: interactive role-playing game http://www.smileurbo.com/en/

Additional scientific literature will be given during the module.