Sustainable development - policy and practice

Timetable

Schedule will be announced at the end of September 2026.

Classes will take place at the Faculty of Human Geography and Planning, Collegium Geographicum
Krygowskiego 10, PL-61680 Poznań

Module aim (aims)

The aim of the module is to present and discuss the concept of sustainable development. It allows participants to understand it from perspectives of different groups/ stakeholders (governments, non-governmental organisations, multinational companies, citizens with different socio-economic characteristics etc.) and in different spatial scales (global, national, local).

The module consists of lectures, simulation – role-playing game (5 rounds, 2-hours long each), seminars with debates and students’ presentations. During the simulation participants 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 positively influence or deteriorate selected environmental and socio-economic indicators. The players' task is to discuss and finally decide on such decisions within the available budget, which may save the village – cause that after the end of the game, none of the indicators is negative. This part of the classes shows determinants and consequences of the decisions made at the local level concerning local development - and teaches how difficult it is to make it sustainable. At the end of the module students prepare and give their own presentations of UN sustainable development goals, with examples on the practical implementation from their own countries.

The module has already been organised a few times at AMU and among participating there were both students from Europe (Erasmus+) and Asia or Africa (various exchange programs). It always received excellent reviews, especially for interactive type of classes, with engaging role-playing simulation.

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

The ability to communicate, discuss, negotiate and present in English.

Syllabus

- Introduction and history of the “sustainable development” concept

 - Sustainability - actors, policies and solutions

 - Sustainable development – United Nations goals and progress reports

 - Interactive, role-playing game on sustainability (preparation, round 1, 2 and 3, summary)

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

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

Reading list

Elliott, J. 2012. An introduction to sustainable development. London, New York, Routledge

Parris, T.M., Kates, R. 2003. Characterising and Measuring Sustainable Development. Rev. Environ. Resour, 28, 559–86. doi: 10.1146/annurev.energy.28.050302.105551

United Nations 2015. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UN A/RES/70/1.

United Nations 2025. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/

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/