3) Envisioning sustainable futures

Teacher

About the course

The course is designed to equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of sustainability and its multifaceted applications across diverse contexts.

It focuses on the identification and analysis of intricate sustainability scenarios, often characterized by uncertainty, ambiguity, and risk. Through the program, participants will develop essential skills for managing transitions and overcoming challenges within complex sustainability situations.

They will learn to make informed, effective decisions in the face of evolving and uncertain sustainability landscapes. The curriculum also delves into various tools and techniques vital for addressing complex sustainability problems and facilitating effective decision-making.

Additionally, the program fosters the development of collaboration and communication skills necessary for engaging with diverse stakeholders in sustainability contexts.

Lastly, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their personal values and ethical considerations, recognizing their influence on decision-making and the management of complex sustainability situations.

The course is divided into 4 blocks and within each block, participants will develop specific knowledge of different tools.

Duration of the course is 30 Hours (Contact: 8 Hours / 22 Hours Self Study)

Target Group: Students

Course enrolment requirement is being enrolled in a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree at the University.

Expected learning outcomes of the course:

have a clear understanding of the characteristics of complex environments and the dimensions driving the changes,
understand SDGs 2030 as a framework to address the future in a sustainable approach
understand the nature of the challenges and how to define them linked to unresolved needs.
learn methodologies and tools to make decisions under uncertainty and risk.

Students are expected to acquire the following competencies after completion of the program:

Manage transitions and challenges in complex sustainability situations
be prepared to make decisions related to an uncertain future by using the methodologies and tools they have learned.

Module overview

Projected timeline:

Dates for live lectures:

Course Features

Lectures 20
Quizzes 0
Duration Lifetime access
Skill level All levels
Language English, German, Spanish, Croatian, Dutch
Students 74
Assessments Yes

Curriculum

7 Sections
20 Lessons
Lifetime

Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections

Pre Course Survey
1
- 1.1
  Survey
Unit 1: Characteristics of the current environment for decision making
Introduction to the characteristics of current environments known by the acronym VUCA: volatility, complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity. These characteristics define contexts of complex nature for decision-making.
5
Unit 2: Dimensions of the environment and their link to ambiguity, uncertainty, and risk
Understanding the dimensions that explain the general and specific environments that affect any entrepreneurial initiative and represent sources of change in the business context
4
Unit 3: Methods and tools for decision-making under conditions of uncertainty
This third block introduces different methodologies and tools that allow reducing the uncertainty that affects decision-making: Empathy Map, Value Proposition Canvas, Lean Start-up Method, Business Model Canvas and SWOT matrix. Interpretation of the challenge as a concise response to unresolved needs.
5
Unit 4: The current environment and its relationship with sustainability. The 2030 SDGs
This last block presents an introduction to the 2030 SDGs as a framework for analyzing the current environment and its characteristics related to sustainability. The objective of this block is for you to understand the usefulness of the SDGs as inspirational elements for the definition and continuous improvement of business models. In this sense, the SDGs are a framework that can both help to identify areas for improvement and guide the introduction of these advances.
3
Workshop
1
- 6.1
  Live workshop
Post Course Survey
1
- 7.1
  Survey