Minor Sustainability Challenges

The minor on Sustainability Challenges (SC) provides an interdisciplinary set of courses offered by the Nijmegen School of Management (NSM) and the Faculty of Science, Mathematics and Informatics (FNWI) of the Radboud University (RU). In the table underneath, a summary is given with the course overview, core courses and elective courses, and rules for following and meeting the requirements of the minor program. The minor program is suitable for students from multiple NSM Bachelor programs. Students have the possibility to spread the study load over two years.

To start with this minor, which is possible throughout the year, you need to do 2 things:

1. Register yourself in Osiris for this minor. This is sufficient to be registered as minor SC student. You can apply for a certificate after you have completed the full amount of ECs, according to the rules of this minor.
2. Next to this, you will need to register yourself, for every individual course through Osiris according to the timeschedules and procedures of the corresponding faculty (Fac. Management or FNWI), just like you have to do for every individual elective course that you aim to follow.

See below the course overview of the minor on sustainability challenges in the academic year 2023 - 2024:

General information: About the minor in Sustainability Challenges

Climate change, environmental issues, energy transition, inequality between North and South: these are themes for this generation of students. With this minor, students can learn how to analyse these complex issues and contribute to their approach. Sustainability is a key word here. Citizens, companies and governments are facing major challenges to make the world more sustainable: towards a low carbon society, a circular economy, towards fairer access to drinking water, food and raw materials, and towards consumption and production chains that lead to future-proof jobs and well-being.

The theme of climate change offers many examples of cross-disciplinary challenges and issues: How do governments on various levels steer, on long-term goals (climate neutral in 2050) and short-term objectives (annual plans and financial statements)? Why do scientists call for an ‘acceleration’, and is it so difficult for decision-makers to translate these advices into political decisions? How does our economy phase out fossil energy, and develop a new, more decentralized renewable energy system? What future plans do cities and regions make to anticipate periods with increasing chance of droughts, floods and heatwaves? How do people look for different dietary patterns and lifestyle changes, thereby trying to get a grip on their own footprint and contribute to a better world as conscious consumer?

People, individually and collectively, look for a sustainable balance, aware of both their autonomy and connection with each other. With an eye for one, as well as the other: both individual health and environmental footprint; for the local and the global; for individual and collective responsibility; the ‘here and now’ (close by), and the ‘there and later’ (far away and long-term).

Sustainability issues play on several dimensions simultaneously, analytically, ethically, as well as socially, politically and legally-economically. Major transitions take decades and even generations: Systemic change and the comprehensive adaptation of a culture and society take place in small and large steps, in incremental and fragmented (non-linear) processes. New international treaties, such as the Paris International Climate Agreement, require long periods of policy preparation. This requires intensive consultation in various networks, at local to international scale levels. These processes are often accompanied by social protest and periods of political stagnation before any progress is made. After new alliances have been formed, and alternative ways of development have proven themselves in small niches, acceleration processes can be witnessed. Those involved speak of a "long breath" (perseverance) that is needed. That is why an open, reflexive attitude and an interdisciplinary approach to issues is urgently needed.

In the minor in "Sustainability challenges" you acquire analytical and in-depth insight into sustainability issues, and you become familiar with scientific knowledge acquired in this regard. You also develop skills that are relevant in analysing, designing and supervising processes and projects that are part of a larger transition; that is, a long and comprehensive, complex process of social change, with social, technical, economic and administrative implications.

The minor in Sustainability Challenges includes a bundling of courses. It covers, among other things, the following themes:

• Social causes of sustainability issues and the social response to them: Environment and Society (MAN-BCU2032).
• Designing alternatives and interventions. You will experiment with recognized approaches to participatory planning, scenario analysis and integrated impact assessment, applied to a current sustainability issue: Sustainable Intervention Methods (MAN-BCU347).
• The struggle for natural resources and their conflicts, from 'land grabbing' to biofuels: Natural Resources: Conflict and Governance (MAN-CI45).
• New Business Models that also embed social value creation and resource sharing: Sustainable entrepreneurship. (Note: This course is taught in Dutch, ‘Duurzaam Ondernemen’ (MAN-BKV55). Therefore, this course is not shown in the course overview on this English language page, the Dutch language makes this course too complicated for international students)
• Representing and measuring progress and prosperity differently, (a broad concept of prosperity), including externalities such as CO2 emissions, through standards, levies and/or an emission trading system: Economics and Sustainable Development (Man-BKV17).
• Concrete substantive themes such as climate change; energy transition; ecology and health, and also a course on societal debates on science issues related to sustainability, are discussed in the elective courses at the Faculty of Science.

Organisation of your minor: Select a course trajectory that fits you
You follow a set of courses that focus on sustainability challenges, with a joint study load of 24 EC. You choose at least 2 of the offered core courses (ie 12 EC) as a basis. Of course you can also choose to take three or four core courses. In addition, this minor offers a list of electives given at other departments and faculties. You can spread the subjects of a self-chosen study track over two bachelor study years.

The setup is similar to a savings card model, in which you save credits. If you meet all the requirements of the minor, and have therefore obtained sufficient credits, you can request your minor certificate, this certificate is created after a check of your course list at the Education Department of the Nijmegen School of Management (Faculty of Management).

Students who have passed the minor in previous years appreciate the modular design, the course content, and the interdisciplinarity with which the broad theme of 'sustainability challenges' is considered from different disciplines. Please note that the courses are offered in many different departments and faculties. There is freedom of choice to put together your own package, but the timetables of the courses are not all compatible. Departments and faculties are deciding on their timetables and changes in scheduling courses.

Caution regarding course schedules
It has been decided at the Faculty of Science to schedule all 3 EC elective courses on Wednesdays, both the timetable for the course (lectures, seminars) and for the exam. This means that you have to compare the schedules of the 3 EC courses you choose at the Faculty of Science as soon as those schedules are available (in July).

The advice to compare the timetables per course at an early stage also applies to the other courses that are given in the same period: this also applies to the courses of the Faculty of Management. Because almost every course is provided by a different program, it is impossible for the organization to coordinate all courses in terms of schedules. You can spread your time in your choice of courses by choosing courses in different periods. The minor offers courses in period 1 (September - October), period 2 (November - January), and period 3 (February - April).

If an exam takes place at the same time, you can do two things: (1) You can take one of these courses in the resit. (2) You can ask the lecturers of the relevant two courses if there is a possibility for elective students to take the two exams afterwards, or another ad-hoc customized solution (but please note; this takes effort and arranging to deliver rooms and exams outside the standard model, and that is often not feasible from an organizational point of view). We advise to choose a maximum of one elective course at Faculty of Science (of 3 EC) in block 2 on Wednesdays, so that the chance of overlapping course schedules is limited.

Coordination: Interdisciplinary cooperation and contact
The minor is an initiative of the bachelor programme Geography, Planning and Environment (GPE) and is open to students of other bachelor programmes. The minor arose from an interdisciplinary collaboration between lecturers from different departments and faculties.

• In the course overview you can click on the link to the course information per course. There you will find information per course about the learning objectives, content, teacher, test form, etc.

For questions about this minor in Sustainability Challenges: mail Linda Carton, linda.carton@ru.nl.