Sustainability Transitions

This course will discuss the theoretical (and historical) evolution of the notion of sustainability, examine various related concepts such as green growth and the green economy, introduce the topic of sustainability transitions as an interdisciplinary issue, explore the theory of sustainability transitions, and discuss various technological, political, economic and socio-cultural challenges which transitions to sustainable forms of production and consumption must overcome to be successful.

This team-taught course will discuss the theoretical (and historical) evolution of the notion of sustainability, examine various related concepts such as sustainable development, green growth and the green economy, introduce the topic of sustainability transitions as an interdisciplinary issue, explore the theory of sustainability transitions and discuss various technological, political, institutional, economic and socio-cultural challenges which transitions to sustainable forms of production and consumption must overcome to be successful.

The course will utilise academic literature, grey literature and policy and media reports in order to help students link the theory to successful and unsuccessful real-world examples. A number of case studies deriving from lecturers’ own research will be presented to exemplify various issues and illustrate sustainability transitions as a multi-dimensional set of challenges.

Learning Outcomes

The course will have three main intended learning outcomes. On the successful completion of the course students will have acquired a broad, critical and advanced understanding of:

1. The theoretical (and historical) evolution of the notion of sustainability and various sustainability-related concepts, including sustainable development, green growth and the green economy,
2. Theories of sustainability transitions, their relations to energy transitions, and their various social, economic, political, cultural and institutional aspects and implications,
3. Various social, economic, political, cultural and institutional and technological challenges to successful sustainability transitions across a number of scales, sectors and geographical contexts on the basis of real-world examples taken from literature, media reports and lecturers’ own research.

The course will aim to identify various challenges to sustainability transitions and encourage students to think critically about their origin and creatively about various possible ways to overcome them.

Audience

The course is suitable to professionals of all backgrounds and from all sectors and industries. It offers a valuable update to those who have studied sustainability before, but it is also perfectly suitable to those who want to upgrade and extend their existing knowledge to be better prepared to face some of the grand challenges of our times in their own professions and industries. As such, the course does not require any pre-knowledge of sustainability. With sustainability being one of the key challenges that all sectors, countries and regions are facing, the course offers a solid foundation for all professionals who wish to start pursuing sustainability in their existing roles.

This is an online course delivered via the MyAberdeen platform which you can complete at your own pace.  You will access online lectures and have access to a range of reading materials. This will supplemented by the ability to ask questions to the academics and engage with fellow learners via the discussion forum.

To register and enrol onto our online course, the fees are:

Current UoA student/staff - £475
Regular fee - £950

Before registering, please view our terms and conditions

Payment Types:

The online store accepts payment by Mastercard, Visa, Switch, Solo, Delta cards and PayPal. Unfortunately, it does not accept American Express or Diners cards. On receipt of your registration, an acknowledgement email will be sent to your registered email address. This confirmation email can also be used as a receipt. If you can't pay via the online store, please contact cpdservices@abdn.ac.uk for assistance.

Guidance:

• I acknowledge that the course is to be delivered and tested in English language and contains some technical language.
• I understand that use of the course materials are property of the University of Aberdeen. Copies should not be made or circulated and use of the course content is for your own use only.
• I acknowledge that registration is self-selecting and that the University of Aberdeen has not participated in any judgement concerning my suitability to undertake this course

Learner enquiries should be sent to:

CPD & Event Services
cpdservices@abdn.ac.uk

Lecturers who developed and delivered this course include:

Dr Piotr Niewiadomski	Course Coordinator
Dr Paula Duffy
Dr Katrin Prager
Dr David Flood Chavez
Professor Pete Smith	Guest lecturer, School of Biological Sciences
Dr Irma Booyens	Guest lecturer, University of Strathclyde
Mr Paul Finch	Guest lecturer, Nestrans