Sustainability in Action

MGDI30302 Sustainability in Action 20 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 3 Tomas Frederiksen Unit coordinator Global Development Institute 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 This course brings together cutting-edge research and practitioners to explore the challenges and rewards of sustainability practice in a range of contexts and builds students understanding of career paths and recruitment processes in the sector. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to questions of sustainability giving students insights into what makes sustainability happen and obstacles to change and couples this with resources from the Careers Service on working in sustainability. Students will take part in weekly sessions examining research on the practice and impact of different approaches to sustainable development by organisations in different regions of the world and skills workshops on ideitifying and applying for jobs in sustainability. These sessions will include workshops where students can engage with practitioners grappling with the challenges of sustainability from a range of government, private sector and civil society institutions around the world and a roleplay negotiation around a real-world critical sustainability issue. The course begins with framing lectures, before workshops with practitioners and researchers exploring specific case studies, a panel reflecting on cross-cutting lessons and seminars on careers and job hunting in the sustainability sector. Topics will vary year to year, with potential fields include biodiversity conservation, energy, extractive industry, housing, supply chains, transport, water. Each workshop will pair a sustainability challenge with a specific organisation and location (e.g. Speaking to a mine employee about their work with community development in Africa). This course brings together cutting-edge research and practitioners to explore the challenges and rewards of sustainability practice in a range of contexts and builds students understanding of career paths and recruitment processes in the sector. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to questions of sustainability giving students insights into what makes sustainability happen and obstacles to change and couples this with resources from the Careers Service on working in sustainability. Students will take part in weekly sessions examining research on the practice and impact of different approaches to sustainable development by organisations in different regions of the world and skills workshops on ideitifying and applying for jobs in sustainability. These sessions will include workshops where students can engage with practitioners grappling with the challenges of sustainability from a range of government, private sector and civil society institutions around the world and a roleplay negotiation around a real-world critical sustainability issue. The course begins with framing lectures, before workshops with practitioners and researchers exploring specific case studies, a panel reflecting on cross-cutting lessons and seminars on careers and job hunting in the sustainability sector. Topics will vary year to year, with potential fields include biodiversity conservation, energy, extractive industry, housing, supply chains, transport, water. Each workshop will pair a sustainability challenge with a specific organisation and location (e.g. Speaking to a mine employee about their work with community development in Africa). The unit aims to:<ul><li>Explore the principles, practices and outcomes of contemporary sustainability practice and policy in a range of contexts</li><li>Apply a range of theoretical perspectives to critically interrogating the challenges of practicing sustainability in a range of contexts</li><li>Analyse and articulate how academic knowledge and skills translate to professional roles addressing sustainability challenges</li><li>Identify and evaluate career paths across government, private sector and civil society organisations engaged in sustainability work</li><li>Develop professional competencies for securing employment in the sustainability sector, including understanding recruitment processes, researching organisations, expectations, required skill sets and persuasive application writing  </li></ul> <ul><li>Identify a range of policies used by organisations to pursue sustainability goals.</li><li>Critically assess decision-making and policies proposed to achieve sustainability in a range of contexts.</li><li>Identify and explain career pathways, key challenges and required competencies across government, private sector and civil society organisations working on sustainability challenges.  </li></ul> <ul><li>Critically evaluate a range of approaches to sustainability and change and their implications for policy and practice.</li><li>Critically reflect how different policies and actions to advance a range sustainability aims have and have not succeeded. </li><li>Critically reflect on student’s own career paths and ambitions and how best to articulate them to recruiters.</li></ul> <ul><li>Develop practical analysis skills, including experience analysing and evaluating practices and policies uses to achieve sustainable development and applying for jobs in sustainability sector</li><li>Develop publicly-oriented and reflective writing skills</li><li>Develop ability to articulate academic knowledge and skills in ways relevant to sustainability careers</li></ul> <ul><li>Demonstrate critical thinking, reflection, self-awareness and independent learning</li><li>Undertake both team-based and independent work to deadlines</li><li>Develop, articulate and sustain logical, structured and reasoned arguments supported by evidence in both written and oral contexts</li><li>Engage with professionals working in sustainability sector in a range of contexts</li><li>Research and develop a job application  </li></ul> The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to questions of sustainability giving students insights into what makes sustainability happen and obstacles to change and helping prepare them for employment in the sustainability sector. Weekly sessions will examine research on the practice and impact of different approaches to sustainable development by organisations in different regions of the world and applying for jobs in sustainability. These sessions include workshops with practitioners grappling with the challenges of sustainability from a range of government, private sector and civil society institutions around the world. Canvas is the hub of the course, used to share course information, reading lists, resources and support communication with students. Over the semester, the teaching takes 3 main forms:<ol><li>Framing sessions: 3 weeks of 1-hour lectures followed by 1-hour tutorials setting out key ideas and literatures which will be explored during the course. Supplemented with a range of materials on Canvas and from the Careers Service including short lectures, quizzes and webinars building on lecture and readings, and a range of relevant multimedia (e.g. podcasts).</li><li>4 x 3-hour Workshops involving practitioners and researchers exploring changing and implementing sustainability policy and practice in specific contexts. Each workshop will pair a sustainability challenge with a specific organisation and location (e.g. Speaking to a mine employee about their work with community development around operations in Africa) and be followed by a class discussion. Workshops seek to give insights to how progress around a range of sustainability challenges does and does not happen and are followed by a class discussion so support critical reflection on emerging themes and insights, highlight connections to the literature and support the assignments.</li><li>2 x 2-hour seminars on careers skills and cross-cutting themes, encouraging critical reflection, reinforcing learning and supporting assignments.  </li></ol> 0 Other 50% 5 Portfolio 50% Portfolio (50%; 2000 words)A 2000-word portfolio comprised of 2 x 600-word critical reflections on two workshops and a comparative essay discussing these in relation the literature on sustainability policy and practice. Written feedback, 15 working days      Job application (50%; 2000 words)A 2000-word job application comprised of cover letter for a job application, research summary and critical reflections Written feedback, 15 working days Formative written feedback on portfolio (300 words), within 15 working days.Formative written feedback on job application outline (200 words), within 15 working days. BSc Global Development BSc (Hons) Global Development Third Year Optional Y Bader, C. 2014. The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist. Bibliomotion, Brookline.Frederiksen, T. and Banks, G., 2023. Can Mining Help Deliver the SDGs: Discourses, Risks and Prospects. The Journal of Environment & Development, 32(1), pp.83-106.Green, D. 2018. How Change Happens. OUPHenderson, R., 2021. Reimagining Capitalism in a World on fire. Penguin Business.Hoffman, A.J., 2001. From Heresy to Dogma. Stanford University Press.Moody-Stuart, M. 2014. Responsible Leadership. Greenleaf, Sheffield.Robbins, P.; Hintz, J. G.; and Moore, S. A. 2022 Environment and Society (3rd ed.). Wiley Blackwell, Chichester.Roberts, J. 2011 Environmental Policy (2nd ed.). Routledge: AbingdonScheyvens, R., Banks, G., McLennan, S., Bebbington, A.J., 2016. Conceptualising corporate community development. Third World Quarterly. 37, 1–19.  Lectures 3 Practical classes & workshops 12 Seminars 4 Tutorials 3 0 178 The aims of the EDI agenda are central to this course. The course addresses topics of equality/inequality and inclusion/exclusion and justice/injustice throughout. Taking a global scope, the course aims to build insight into diverse experiences of sustainability, including the difference between those in developing and developed world contexts and explore the ways in which sustainability and recruitment processes include and marginalise difference voices and groups, including those defined by race, gender and wealth. The reading list and support materials will include texts by women, BAME and non-European authors. Invited speakers will include women, BAME and non-European individuals.