EdX

The Science and Practice of Sustainable Development (edX)

The Science and Practice of Sustainable Development (edX)

Learn the critical foundations of sustainable development and how to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals that are deeply interconnected in the field. This course introduces the origin and key concepts of sustainability and how to apply those to sustainable development practice. Sustainable development will be explored through theories and case studies from a range of Disciplines. You also will learn about planetary boundaries, urbanisation and growing inequality, to show how integral sustainable development is to our everyday existence.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see EdX's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

In order to get the most out of this course, we recommend that you have experience working in the development sector or a strong interest in this area. We also recommend that you complete the other three courses that make up the Leadership in Global Development MicroMasters program: Leaders in Global Development, Adaptive Leadership in Development, and Critical Development Perspectives.

This course will attempt to provide key content knowledge to bridge the science and the practice of the application and enhancement of sustainable development. The course draws on contemporary examples from both The University of Queensland (UQ) and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) to address the world’s most urgent challenges, with emphasis on the linkages between science and policy.
This course is part of the Leadership in Global Development MicroMasters Program.

What you'll learn:

  • To be aware of the current international policy landscape for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • To understand the practice and policy of sustainable pathways to development
  • To appreciate some of the underpinnings of sustainable development practice and how policy-makers are trying to apply it for better governance of scarce resources
  • To gain a deep understanding of the interconnectedness between the SGDs and how they are implicated in practice
  • To apply relevant aspects of sustainable development to your own practice as a development leader
  • To understand how various attributes of sustainability (environmental, economic and social) can be applied by development practitioners and other stakeholders
  • To gain scientific knowledge regarding planetary boundaries processes and their influence on international economic development

All graded assessment will be graded and have insightful feedback for learners to further refine their new knowledge and skills.

Syllabus

Module 1 - The History and Politics of Sustainable Development
Module 2 - The Science of Sustainable Development
Module 3 - Introduction to the SDG agenda
Module 4 - Critical Perspectives, Complexity and Indigenous Knowledges
Module 5 - Sustainable Development Goals 17 & 16: Partnerships, finance, technologies and institutions, the frameworks for enabling the SDGs
Module 6 - Sustainable Development Goals 13 & 7: Climate action, affordable and clean energy and the interconnections
Module 7 - Sustainable Development Goals 3, 5 & 6: Health, wellbeing, gender equality and clean water and sanitation
Module 8 - Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2 & 10: No Poverty, zero hunger and reduced inequalities
Module 9 - Sustainable Development Goals 12, 14 & 15: Responsible consumption and production, life below water and life on land
Module 10 - Sustainable Development Goals 8, 9, 4 & 11: Decent work and economic growth, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, Quality Education and Sustainable Cities and Communities

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Sustainable Soil Management: Soil for life (edX) EdX
Wageningen University,WageningenX

Sustainable Soil Management: Soil for life (edX)

Learn why soil is so important, how it’s being threatened and what we can do to protect this natural resource so vital to our lives. Soil is the earth’s fragile skin that anchors all life. We depend on soil to build our homes and cities, to grow crops for food and raise livestock, to support transportation and enable recreation. Yet we disregard this crucial and precious resource that lies right under our feet.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
The EU and Human Rights (edX) EdX
KU Leuven University

The EU and Human Rights (edX)

Learn how the EU affects your human rights and gain insights into the ways the EU can enhance its positive impact on human rights worldwide. Whether you are an EU citizen or not, this course concerns you! The EU is a major global actor in the field of human rights. EU treaties state that human rights are a fundamental value of the Union, which must be a ‘silver thread’ in all its policies.

No sessions available
5-12 Weeks
Climate Change: The Science (edX) EdX
The University of British Columbia,UBCx

Climate Change: The Science (edX)

Master the basics of climate science so you can better understand the news, evaluate scientific evidence, and explain global warming to anyone. Do you want to talk about climate change from an informed perspective? Are you interested in how global warming works? Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time, and climate science is critical to finding solutions. How can we make the best decisions about our present and future? By taking this course, you can be part of the global conversation.

No sessions available
5-12 Weeks
Room for Rivers: River basin Management in Times of Climate Change (edX) EdX
Delft University of Technology,DelftX

Room for Rivers: River basin Management in Times of Climate Change (edX)

Learn from the experience of the Netherlands-based “Room for a River” program devising river and delta solutions in times of climate change. With a long history of disasters and years of dealing with the challenges posed by water, the Netherlands has accumulated essential knowledge about water management and specifically of rivers. This course will share with you this knowledge gleaned over more than a decade under the Dutch government’s “Room for the River” program, started in 2007.

Nov 22nd 2022
5-12 Weeks
Debt Sustainability Analysis (edX) EdX
International Monetary Fund - IMF,IMFx

Debt Sustainability Analysis (edX)

What are the tools to assess debt sustainability? How can countries effectively manage their sovereign debt? To answer these questions, this course combines theory with hands-on exercises. What causes a country’s debt to become unsustainable? How do we assess debt sustainability of public and external debt? How can countries manage their debt portfolio? This five-week online course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of debt sustainability analysis (DSA) and a medium-term debt management strategy framework adopted by the IMF and the World Bank.

No sessions available
5-12 Weeks