Programme Details
Rational
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A practical and transformative opportunity for PhD students to analyse their research plan through the lens of sustainability and adjust it to maximise its impact;
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A space to explore how sustainability principles can be applied throughout the entire research cycle — from formulating the initial question to selecting methods, materials, practices, and communicating results;
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An interdisciplinary and dynamic course that combines theoretical sessions with practical activities, mentoring, and group discussion;
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A challenge to develop real plans for social and environmental impact, involving communities, policymakers, and interdisciplinary approaches;
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A moment for critical reflection, self-assessment, and knowledge sharing, culminating in a final presentation with constructive feedback.
Syllabus
1. What is Sustainability?
Discussion of key concepts and presentation of three distinct pathways to sustainable development:
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Green growth;
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Well-being economy;
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Sustainable degrowth.
2. How is the research plan related to Sustainability and the SDGs?
Development of mind maps to identify the core and secondary objectives of the PhD project and how they align (or not) with the different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
3. Sustainability Principles in Research
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How to integrate sustainability into research design, data collection and analysis;
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Assessing the sustainability of research methods, materials and technologies;
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Scientific writing with impact in the field of sustainability.
4. Maximising the Social and Environmental Impact of Research
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Developing research impact plans;
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Engaging with communities and policy makers;
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Impact evaluation based on specific tools and methodologies.
5. Final Presentations
Oral presentations on how participants’ PhD projects contribute to sustainability and what steps are needed to amplify their impact.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
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Explain the concept of Sustainability and distinguish between different pathways to sustainable development;
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Critically analyse the direct and indirect relationships between their research plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
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Integrate sustainability principles across all phases of their research plan;
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Develop concrete strategies to maximise the social and environmental impact of their academic work;
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Communicate the relevance and impact of their research in different formats and to diverse audiences.
References
. Code of Practice for Sustainable Research, Dec 2024. University of York.
. Ehrenfeld, J. (2008). Sustainability by design: A subversive strategy for transforming our consumer culture. Yale University Press.
. Fioramonti, L., Coscieme, L., Costanza, R., Kubiszewski, I., Trebeck, K., Wallis, S., … & De Vogli, R. (2022). Wellbeing economy: an effective paradigm to mainstream post-growth policies?. Ecological Economics, 192, 107261.
. Kopnina, H., Shoreman-Ouimet, E. 2015. Sustainability. Key Issues. Routledge.
. Laurent, A., Owsianiak, M., Dong, Y., Kravchenko, M., Molin, C., & Hauschild, M. Z. (2020). Assessing the sustainability implications of research projects against the 17 UN sustainable development goals. Procedia CIRP, 90, 148–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PROCIR.2020.01.077
. Templer, P., Atherton, K.F., Conrad-Rooney, E. et al. (2024) Strengthening graduate education and addressing environmental challenges through solutions-oriented partnerships and interdisciplinary training. Sustain Earth Reviews 7, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42055-024-00074-x