This course enhances your understanding of the divergent goals and complex processes associated with sustainable development from a European perspective. Specific focus is given to the interplay between social, political, and economic issues and environmental concern. You are introduced to a broad range of Danish and European stakeholders currently shaping the sustainability agenda, and encouraged to identify your own values and strategies for a sustainable future
You only take one Core Course per semester, and each Core Course includes two Study Tours: one Short Study Tour to a nearby destination for three days, and one Long Study Tour to another European country for six days.
Led by your faculty, Study Tours take you into real-world settings where you will apply what you’ve learned outside the classroom.
Inger Kærgaard, MSc, biology (University of Copenhagen, 2004), focused on sustainability and conservation biology. Project manager at University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland. Worked for various NGOs on forest protection and sustainable development in Thailand and Indonesia (2007 and 2010). Taught biology in an upper secondary school in Denmark and was also involved in an education program for sustainability education (2010-2013). Organized two photo exhibitions on forest issues. The exhibitions, supported by Danida, were based on qualitative research, which Inger carried out in South East Asia (2009 and 2012). Inger’s current work focuses on urban bat ecology – as a bat consultant for Copenhagen Municipality and, since spring 2021, with her own research project on bats in Copenhagen. With DIS since 2014.
Silvia Dragomir
Architect and advocate of Cities for People, with an MSc in Sustainable Urban Planning from Aalborg University and MSc in Architecture from Bucharest and Bordeaux. Her professional profile includes a collaboration with KANT architects, owner of an architecture studio with focus on sustainability, climate change adaptation and mitigation. Her passion is sharing knowledge and creating better living environments. With DIS since 2015.
Carlos García-Robles
CCand.techn.soc. in Technological & Socio-Economic Planning (Roskilde University, 2009) and B.A. in International Relations (National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2004). His work focuses on international environmental regimes, renewable energy, and sustainability, informed by Political Ecology and Degrowth perspectives. He has extensive experience with political parties, NGOs, and civil society in Mexico and Denmark, and has participated in international climate and sustainability forums. With DIS since 2011.
Long Study Tours
About this tour
The aim of the Study Tour is to connect classroom learning with real-life experiences involving sustainable development. Oslo was winning the European Green capital in 2019 and Norway is a world leader in green transition and sustainable urban planning.
We will take public transportation where possible including the ferry to Oslo which is both our transportation, and also a great opportunity to enjoy the extraordinary Norwegian landscape. This landscape made it possible for Norway to be 99% relaying on hydropower for their electricity. We will stay in a hotel which has received an Eco Award for their use of carbon offsets and charitable contributions to the community. We will eat at sustainable restaurants, whether they serve organic or local food, or run on renewable energy.
Specific visits have previously included national-level policy organizations, international NGOs, and examples of urban (re)development. A goal of the tour is to compare and contrast sustainability discourses and practices in Europe with those in the U.S. You are encouraged to examine the different approaches of mainstream and grassroots initiatives, as well as questions of scale in implementing sustainable practices, and gain specific awareness of these issues in a Norwegian context.
Learning outcomes
Gain a more nuanced understanding of how classroom theories apply to the real world environment
Develop a deeper understanding of the Norwegian approach to a sustainable economy, community initiatives, and responses to climate change in Oslo Municipality
Engage in your personal learning process outside the classroom by actively participating and challenging our current ideas and assumptions
Possible activities
Visit the Municipality of Oslo (Agency for Urban Environment, City of Oslo) to understand the background of Norway’s commitment to sustainable development
Visit the Fjordbyen, a green city port, aiming at redesigning part of Oslo’s port for human scale and great quality of life and they aim at zero emission construction site
Visit the NGO Spire, a youth organization working for food system transition and for ways to combat the climate and biodiversity crisis
Visit the Centre of Global Sustainability at University of Oslo, where we will hear about their research on regenerative farming, a collaboration project between farmers, municipalities, vocational schools and many more.
About this tour
To have a wider vision of European sustainability policy, it is important to understand Europe as a convergence of cultures and socio-ecological interactions that create one of the most complex institutionalized regions in history. Including Spain as part of the curriculum in this course will help students understand some of the decisions taken in Northern Europe on sustainability policy, the ideology behind it, and the obstacles to face the environmental and social challenges in the 21st century. We will visit the only concentrated solar thermal installations in Europe, tour through Seville’s bicycle infrastructure guided by the designer himself, and visit the European Commission’s Department on Sustainable Development.
Learning outcomes
Gain a better understanding of the diversity of challenges and possible sustainability policy options in a diverse region such as Europe
Be exposed to a complex socio-ecological region and its challenges
Learn about a culture with a complex history and how this can be an example to comprehend the difficulties facing sustainability professionals in the U.S
Possible activities
Meet the designer and initiator of the Seville bicycle network
Guided tour and talk on extractivism in the “Archivo de Indias” (the repository of extremely valuable archival documents illustrating the history of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and Asia)
Visit an organic farm nearby Seville and meet Ecologistas en Acción (a Spanish grassroots confederation of ecological groups)
About this tour
The aim of the Study Tour is to connect classroom learning with real-life experiences involving sustainable development. Stockholm was the European Green city in 2010 and Sweden is a world leader in sustainable urban planning.
We will take public transportation where possible (including a train to Stockholm) and stay in a hotel which has received an Eco Award for their use of carbon offsets and charitable contributions to the community. We will eat at sustainable restaurants, whether they serve organic or local food, or run on renewable energy. Specific visits have previously included national-level policy organizations, international NGOs, and examples of urban (re)development. A goal of the tour is to compare and contrast sustainability discourses and practices in Europe with those in the U.S. You are encouraged to examine the different approaches of mainstream and grassroots initiatives, as well as questions of scale in implementing sustainable practices, and gain specific awareness of these issues in a Swedish context.
Learning outcomes
Gain a more nuanced understanding of how classroom theories apply to the real world environment
Develop a deeper understanding of the Swedish approach to a sustainable economy, community initiatives, and responses to climate change in Stockholm Municipality
Engage in your personal learning process outside the classroom by actively participating and challenging our current ideas and assumptions
Possible activities
Visit the Municipality of Stockholm (Ministry of Climate and Environment) to understand the background of Sweden’s commitment to sustainable development
Tour Hammarby and the Royal Seaport, highlighting urban (re)development
Explore Rosendal Trädgård and Brunnsta farm for examples of sustainable food practices, and the Stockholm Resilience Centre for the most updated research with this field
About this tour
This week-long Study Tour to Finland forms an integral part of the curriculum, as it allows you to see how theories learned in the classroom are manifested in real life. We will travel to Helsinki, the first city on the continent to have fully committed to reporting to the UN on its implementation of the sustainable development goals. In Helsinki, you will learn about the efforts the city is taking to become carbon neutral by 2035 and re-define itself as a pioneer for local implementation of global responsibilities. The city is already a front runner in social welfare, education, tourism, and public-private collaboration. It is the only city to have implemented an underground master-plan and it houses some of the happiest people on the globe.
While in Helsinki, you develop a deeper understanding of Nordic European approaches to a green economy, infrastructure, and urban re-development by engaging with local actors working with sustainability. These initiatives influence everything from the national environmental policy, to individual low-carbon lifestyles and environmental education. You compare governmental approaches with community initiatives through our visits in the city. These diverse visits enable you to identify various interest groups, as well as gain greater insight into the role of nature, communities, governments, and businesses in creating and implementing technology and standards for a truly sustainable future.
Learning outcomes
Examine the Northern European approach to sustainability
Gain important insight into the various interest groups involved in the development of sustainable cities and communities
Understand the role of government and communities in sustainability
Possible activities
Explore architecturally innovative and sustainable development of the city
Engage with local actors that directly deal with the issue of sustainability
See first-hand examples of how citizens, businesses, and tourists are empowered to make more sustainable choices
Learn how to secure the diversity of urban nature and sea nature
Short Study Tours
About this tour
Core Course Week, which consists of a three-day Study Tour to different parts of Denmark and a two-day seminar in Copenhagen, is designed to give you a greater understanding of sustainability from a Danish perspective. It also incorporates various aspects of political, environmental, and economic sustainability, providing you with real-world examples of the dynamic challenges faced by current professionals in the field. Visits to historically and culturally relevant sites expand your knowledge of the context in which sustainability initiatives arise and thrive, revealing similarities and differences between Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark.
Learning outcomes
Explore and learn more about Denmark through exposure to the culture, history, and socioeconomic climate of the region
See first-hand examples of cities and island communities’ transition towards sustainability
Gain insight into the process of becoming more sustainable from the perspective of places with a unique coastline and waterlife, and green energy producers
Possible activities
Visit the Energy Academy – an organization working on various projects related to Samsoe becoming fossil free island by 2030
Visit the Fanø Municipality and discuss their sustainable development strategies
Gain further understanding of different funding possibility of a modern permacultural farm
Tour the charming island of Fanø and explore the natural beauty of Denmark’s coastline by the Wadden Sea
