The course Sustainable Cities in the Nordic-Baltic Region 2019-21 Educating a new-generation of problem solvers through international cooperation

Description

Global sustainability crisis challenges universities to educate new-generation problem solvers. To answer the challenges, a set of sustainability core competences has been suggested in scientific literature and by UNESCO, including collaborative, anticipatory, systems thinking and integrative problem solving competences. Moreover, future professionals ought to be equipped
with an ability to design regenerative, whole systems approach solutions that revitalize degraded ecosystems and divided communities.

Sustainable Cities in the Nordic-Baltic Region (SuCi-NoBaRe) is a Nordic-Baltic project offering a multidisciplinary 5 ECTS course during 2019-2021. The course is designed to strengthen the required future competences by engaging students in real-life urban problem solving processes in an international and multidisciplinary environment. It builds on academic discussions and
theoretical approaches from various fields, including ecology, architecture, human geography and social sciences. During an intensive four-day period, Nordic and Baltic master students face a real-life planning case in multidisciplinary teams. The teams employ the social-ecological approach to urban planning, encouraging them to create regenerative solutions. Doctoral
students within different orientations in urban planning or sustainability facilitate the group work, thus getting pedagogical experience and new professional networks. Through a comprehensive, in-built feedback system of the course design, the project team is able to continuously develop both, the pedagogical approach of the course and the skills students gain
regarding the core sustainability competences.

Bringing together master and doctoral students together with postdocs, academic professionals and local stakeholders from the Nordic and Baltic countries, the project enables cultural, spatial, disciplinary and professional comparisons. It also points out successful and problematic decisions and implementations in urban planning. By focusing on sustainable urban planning, the course generates real, beneficial and functioning networks between the cities and countries in the Baltic Sea Region, and through the new-generation graduates and the networks, even beyond.

Period	13 Aug 2020
Event title	Education with sustainability 2020: The 2nd international Education With Sustainability Conference
Event type	Conference
Location	SwedenShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International