Sustainable Futures Workshop

Societies around the world are becoming increasingly concerned with the issue of sustainable development, with local and global issues posing a great threat. Young people have the mission to tackle some of these issues applying knowledge and skills they have and universities can help young people develop these.

This course will cover contemporary issues with regards to sustainable development, using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as topics within the course alongside examples of research, scholarship and practice evidence from social sciences disciplines such as psychology, international relations and education.

Some of the more specific topics that may be covered include:

• Climate change and a systemic crisis
• Gender equality as a pathway to more resilient societies
• Well-being and health
• Education for sustainability
• The Multi-solving approach to reversing biodiversity loss and building a more sustainable society

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the SDGs and their interconnections with contemporary political, economic, and social challenges.
• Critically analyse the local, regional, and global dimensions of the SDGs
• Apply a range of Social Science theoretical concepts to deepen your understanding of the SDGs and their relationship to current systemic crises.
• Gather, organise, and evaluate data and other forms of evidence from diverse primary and secondary sources relevant to the SDGs.
• Communicate your knowledge of the SDGs effectively and fluently in written form.
• Make meaningful connections between local environmental issues and the advancement of SDGs at the international level.

Teaching methods: Problem based Learning (PBL) approach, lectures, group work, and information sessions.

Assessment: Student will present their idea surrounding a SDG most relevant to their own country (or region) using the discussions and material they engaged with or gathered in the course. They will be asked to use a combination of sources including academic literature, media material and publicly available reports from national and international organisations to back up their arguments.

This course is ideal for students at undergraduate level with a general interest in sustainable futures, regardless of their subject areas.