MODULES CHARM-EU Master's
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Created on March 18, 2021
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Detailed module information
START
Preparatory Phase
Flexible Phase
Capstone Phase
Index
Preparatory Phase
Flexible Phase
Capstone Phase
Preparatory Phase
Module 1Social Innovation
Preparatory Phase | Module 1: Social Innovation Module coordinator:
- Jasper van Vught, Utrecht University
- Critically evaluate and apply theories and concepts associated with creativity, innovation (social and traditional) and design/systems thinking.
- Distinguish between clarification, dialogue, argument, persuasion and other rhetorical modes and demonstrate presentation, pitching, negotiation, and coordination skills.
- Develop skills to work sensitively and professionally as peers and team members, demonstrating both empathy and leadership in the management and integration of diverse intercultural, interpersonal, intersocietal and inter/trans-disciplinary communication.
- Critically appraise the ways in which diverse forms of media (including language) and technologies (can) help to frame and analyse sustainability issues and communicate these issues to multiple audiences to raise awareness and (playfully) construct civic engagement.
- Develop a broad professional skillset including project management, risk analysis, ethical market research, strategic planning, business modelling and horizon scanning to evidence and create solutions to address key societal challenges.
- Understand different methods for mobilising political, social and business action for sustainability transitions, drawing critically on knowledge and theories around societal changes and transformations from different sustainability perspectives, including gender, intercultural and religious ones.
- Identify and reflect on what it means to have fixed versus growth mindsets, explain how they are developed, and how they can change over time.
- Identify and critically appraise the many ways in which (understandings of) sustainability issues and their consequences involve matters of socio-cultural identity construction and politics (including gender, ethnicity, religion, education, geo-politics and generations) and consider these matters when designing for and assessing methods for social action.
- Social innovation and intra/entrepreneurship
- Design Thinking
- Practice-Led Research
- Change management
- Business modelling
- Market research
- Inclusivity, Diversity and Integration
- Ethics
- Citizenship and Human Rights
- Stakeholder engagement and perspectives gathering
- Patterns of change in culture, identity and communication: Written, verbal, digital
- Communication Theory and Dialogue
- Gender Perspectives
- European languages
- Negotiation and Facilitation
- Diplomacy
- 21st century skills/competencies
- Problem Solving
- Project management
- Pitching
- Critical thinking
- Media/Digital literacy
- Data Literacy
- Creativity
- Team and collaborative work
- Entrepreneurship
Module 2Sustainability
Preparatory phase | Module 2: Sustainability Module Coordinator:
- Carole-Anne Senit, University of Utrecht
- Critically discuss the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development as they are constructed and represented within multiple disciplines and by different societal actors.
- Acquire a systems perspective to analyse and evaluate complex sustainability challenges and develop inter- and transdisciplinary skills to design solutions for these challenges.
- Operationalise and critically discuss the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development from different cultural, historical, inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives.
- Understand different framings of the natural world and its relation to societies, and how these shape sustainability challenges.
- Capture the complex interlinkages between different sustainability challenges from social, economic, environmental, (geo)political, legal and developmental perspectives.
- Analyse governance and legal regimes around different sustainability themes (sustainable development, climate, biodiversity, forests, etc.), and develop skills to assess their performance based on core values such as democracy, transparency, accountability, legitimacy, justice, equity, etc.
- Recognise, explain and reflect upon the (current and historical) positions of and power dynamics between different actors that are involved in and affected by sustainability challenges.
- Identify theories from various disciplines that explain how socio-ecological systems function and how humans are interconnected with nature.
- Define the dynamics, causes and impacts of global environmental changes.
- Identify theorical approaches (e.g. transitions, earth system governance, institutionalism, policy analysis) that help explain (the lack of) policy and behavioural change towards sustainability.
- Develop knowledge and skills to analyse, evaluate and design proposals for viable solutions to sustainability challenges in a transdisciplinary manner, taking into account the impact on and care for the planet and different groups of people (including marginalized communities).
- Acquire a systems and sustainability ethics perspective to study and address complex sustainability challenges, with appreciation for cross-sectoral and intercultural dynamics.
- The various, sometimes contradicting, objectives and challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Relations between sustainable development, economic growth (including degrowth), poverty and inequality.
- Importance and challenges of cross-sectoral approaches to sustainability challenges.
- Linkages between (post-)colonialism, development cooperation and sustainable development.
- Governance, law and economics around sustainability.
- Geopolitics in sustainability governance, including the role of Europe and North-South relations.
- Economic implications of sustainability challenges, including (challenges of) the economic valuation of natural capital.
- The role of international organizations, states, businesses, civil society, marginalized groups and scientists in sustainability challenges.
- Explaining people's individual and collective (un)sustainable behaviour.
- Participation of stakeholders in addressing sustainability challenges.
Module 3 Transdisciplinary Research
Preparatory phase | Module 3: Transdisciplinary Research Module Coordinator:
- Jake Byrne, Trinity College Dublin
- Formulate the different steps in a research process, for example: problem statement, conceptual framework, literature review, analysis and critical reflection on research limitations with a clear understanding of responsible and ethical research.
- Describe, critically assess and apply quantitative and qualitative research methods through the design of a proposal for conducting quantitative and/or qualitative transdisciplinary research in a team.
- Understand the methodological basis of data collection and which methods are most appropriate to a well-formulated research question including how to store, process and analyse data.
- Investigate basics of complex systems theory, methodological problems of modeling Life and the living; emerging technologies of analysis (Big Data).
- Understand basics of social processes, internal and external scientific communication. Identify obstacles to successful solution: individual and group biases (confirmation bias, groupthink, etc.), and factors influencing trust and consensus. Be familiar with potentials and limits of critical thinking/rational decision making.
- Analyse and critically discuss the role of science and the way in which scientific results can be framed and used to the (dis)advantage of different stakeholders.
- Compare and categorise the diverse ethical concerns (algorithmic bias, privacy, transparency, law, gender, environmental and social impacts of research) raised by data collection, analysis, interpretation and communication.
- Apply concepts to evaluate the needed mix of academic and extra-academic actors throughout the entire research process, taking into account environmental and ethical concerns and legal issues.
- The concepts, including the history, of epistemic dependence, inter-/transdisciplinarity, boundary work, boundary objects, trading zones, unity /plurality of science.
- The concepts, including the history, of reproducibility, exploratory research vs theory-testing, simulation, scientific models, scientific representations.
- The basic knowledge to identify and formulate research questions, critically analyse and review the bibliography and metrics, analyse and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data, and the impact and outcomes of the research study.
- Different positivist and constructivist perspectives on science, the concept of trust in transdisciplinary research, and how success/crisis influences stakeholders.
Preparatory Phase | Module 1: Social Innovation Module coordinator:
- Jasper van Vught, Utrecht University
- Critically evaluate and apply theories and concepts associated with creativity, innovation (social and traditional) and design/systems thinking.
- Distinguish between clarification, dialogue, argument, persuasion and other rhetorical modes and demonstrate presentation, pitching, negotiation, and coordination skills.
- Develop skills to work sensitively and professionally as peers and team members, demonstrating both empathy and leadership in the management and integration of diverse intercultural, interpersonal, intersocietal and inter/trans-disciplinary communication.
- Critically appraise the ways in which diverse forms of media (including language) and technologies (can) help to frame and analyse sustainability issues and communicate these issues to multiple audiences to raise awareness and (playfully) construct civic engagement.
- Develop a broad professional skillset including project management, risk analysis, ethical market research, strategic planning, business modelling and horizon scanning to evidence and create solutions to address key societal challenges.
- Understand different methods for mobilising political, social and business action for sustainability transitions, drawing critically on knowledge and theories around societal changes and transformations from different sustainability perspectives, including gender, intercultural and religious ones.
- Identify and reflect on what it means to have fixed versus growth mindsets, explain how they are developed, and how they can change over time.
- Identify and critically appraise the many ways in which (understandings of) sustainability issues and their consequences involve matters of socio-cultural identity construction and politics (including gender, ethnicity, religion, education, geo-politics and generations) and consider these matters when designing for and assessing methods for social action.
- Social innovation and intra/entrepreneurship
- Design Thinking
- Practice-Led Research
- Change management
- Business modelling
- Market research
- Inclusivity, Diversity and Integration
- Ethics
- Citizenship and Human Rights
- Stakeholder engagement and perspectives gathering
- Patterns of change in culture, identity and communication: Written, verbal, digital
- Communication Theory and Dialogue
- Gender Perspectives
- European languages
- Negotiation and Facilitation
- Diplomacy
- 21st century skills/competencies
- Problem Solving
- Project management
- Pitching
- Critical thinking
- Media/Digital literacy
- Data Literacy
- Creativity
- Team and collaborative work
- Entrepreneurship
Preparatory phase | Module 2: Sustainability Module Coordinator:
- Carole-Anne Senit, University of Utrecht
- Critically discuss the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development as they are constructed and represented within multiple disciplines and by different societal actors.
- Acquire a systems perspective to analyse and evaluate complex sustainability challenges and develop inter- and transdisciplinary skills to design solutions for these challenges.
- Operationalise and critically discuss the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development from different cultural, historical, inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives.
- Understand different framings of the natural world and its relation to societies, and how these shape sustainability challenges.
- Capture the complex interlinkages between different sustainability challenges from social, economic, environmental, (geo)political, legal and developmental perspectives.
- Analyse governance and legal regimes around different sustainability themes (sustainable development, climate, biodiversity, forests, etc.), and develop skills to assess their performance based on core values such as democracy, transparency, accountability, legitimacy, justice, equity, etc.
- Recognise, explain and reflect upon the (current and historical) positions of and power dynamics between different actors that are involved in and affected by sustainability challenges.
- Identify theories from various disciplines that explain how socio-ecological systems function and how humans are interconnected with nature.
- Define the dynamics, causes and impacts of global environmental changes.
- Identify theorical approaches (e.g. transitions, earth system governance, institutionalism, policy analysis) that help explain (the lack of) policy and behavioural change towards sustainability.
- Develop knowledge and skills to analyse, evaluate and design proposals for viable solutions to sustainability challenges in a transdisciplinary manner, taking into account the impact on and care for the planet and different groups of people (including marginalized communities).
- Acquire a systems and sustainability ethics perspective to study and address complex sustainability challenges, with appreciation for cross-sectoral and intercultural dynamics.
- The various, sometimes contradicting, objectives and challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Relations between sustainable development, economic growth (including degrowth), poverty and inequality.
- Importance and challenges of cross-sectoral approaches to sustainability challenges.
- Linkages between (post-)colonialism, development cooperation and sustainable development.
- Governance, law and economics around sustainability.
- Geopolitics in sustainability governance, including the role of Europe and North-South relations.
- Economic implications of sustainability challenges, including (challenges of) the economic valuation of natural capital.
- The role of international organizations, states, businesses, civil society, marginalized groups and scientists in sustainability challenges.
- Explaining people's individual and collective (un)sustainable behaviour.
- Participation of stakeholders in addressing sustainability challenges.
Preparatory phase | Module 2: Sustainability Module Coordinator:
- Jake Byrne, Trinity College Dublin
- Critically discuss the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development as they are constructed and represented within multiple disciplines and by different societal actors.
- Acquire a systems perspective to analyse and evaluate complex sustainability challenges and develop inter- and transdisciplinary skills to design solutions for these challenges.
- Operationalise and critically discuss the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development from different cultural, historical, inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives.
- Understand different framings of the natural world and its relation to societies, and how these shape sustainability challenges.
- Capture the complex interlinkages between different sustainability challenges from social, economic, environmental, (geo)political, legal and developmental perspectives.
- Analyse governance and legal regimes around different sustainability themes (sustainable development, climate, biodiversity, forests, etc.), and develop skills to assess their performance based on core values such as democracy, transparency, accountability, legitimacy, justice, equity, etc.
- Recognise, explain and reflect upon the (current and historical) positions of and power dynamics between different actors that are involved in and affected by sustainability challenges.
- Identify theories from various disciplines that explain how socio-ecological systems function and how humans are interconnected with nature.
- Define the dynamics, causes and impacts of global environmental changes.
- Identify theorical approaches (e.g. transitions, earth system governance, institutionalism, policy analysis) that help explain (the lack of) policy and behavioural change towards sustainability.
- Develop knowledge and skills to analyse, evaluate and design proposals for viable solutions to sustainability challenges in a transdisciplinary manner, taking into account the impact on and care for the planet and different groups of people (including marginalized communities).
- Acquire a systems and sustainability ethics perspective to study and address complex sustainability challenges, with appreciation for cross-sectoral and intercultural dynamics.
- The various, sometimes contradicting, objectives and challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Relations between sustainable development, economic growth (including degrowth), poverty and inequality.
- Importance and challenges of cross-sectoral approaches to sustainability challenges.
- Linkages between (post-)colonialism, development cooperation and sustainable development.
- Governance, law and economics around sustainability.
- Geopolitics in sustainability governance, including the role of Europe and North-South relations.
- Economic implications of sustainability challenges, including (challenges of) the economic valuation of natural capital.
- The role of international organizations, states, businesses, civil society, marginalized groups and scientists in sustainability challenges.
- Explaining people's individual and collective (un)sustainable behaviour.
- Participation of stakeholders in addressing sustainability challenges.
Preparatory Phase
Flexible Phase
Capstone Phase
Flexible Phase
Water
Life and Health
Food
Preparatory Phase
Flexible Phase
Capstone Phase
Flexible Phase | Water
Module 1Extremes in the Water Cycle and Their Complex Consequences
Flexible Phase | Water Module 1: Extremes in the Water Cycle and Their Complex Consequences Module Coordinator:
- Valérie Borrell, University of Montpellier
- Recognise, describe, understand and analyse past and current extremes in the water cycle (water sciences basics, floods, droughts, trends); characterise global changes; assess its impact and interpret the associated uncertainties.
- Identify both the impacted communities as well as various stakeholders and understand their social-cultural contexts, motivations, action capacities, goals, and their complex interrelationships.
- Know and understand both the impact of past surface water practices on nature and the international legislative and regulatory context. Analyse the effects on biology and ecology of the confrontation between this legacy and global changes.
- Identify complex challenges in extremes or natural hazards from a combination of different disciplinary and global perspectives.
- Assess and critically discuss the effects of the global change and the vulnerability and resilience of complex socio-eco-hydro-systems. Evaluate the efficiency of hydrological infrastructures and nature restoration or preservation solutions and analyse their management principles in inter- and transdisciplinary ways
- Update their own knowledge: Review the state of the art on a social or scientific question related to changes in the water cycle and their impacts on Nature and human security (reports of international organization, last operational solutions…), be aware of their own limits and know when and how to call on experts to improve analysis and assessment of complex situations.
- Imagine, plan, model, build, play, present and debate complex scenarios for these complex socio-eco-hydro-systems, assess uncertainties in these systems, and identify the various (legal, political, social) frameworks within which interventions into these complex systems are and can be designed, integrating multiple points of view, in inter- and transdisciplinary (collaborative) ways.
- Communicate (orally and/or written) with different "social groups", professionals from different disciplines, stakeholders, kids and young people, with the goal of reaching the best achievable group result.
- Develop a critical capacity that allows for a consideration of inclusivity and equality during every step of identifying, analysing and proposing a solution for extreme water challenges (specifically focused on marginalized communities, gender roles, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, income, education, among others).
- Nature, water, climate and earth sciences (ecology, ecophysiology, biodiversity, hydrology, cryology, climatology, meteorology, geophysics, hydrogeology, oceanology).
- Water economics, policy, legislation.
- Land management and resilience of territories.
- Water hydraulics & engineering.
- Participatory sciences.
- Anthropological approaches in risks management.
- Mathematics applied in the field (handling of uncertainties, statistical analyses, models).
Module 2 Adaptation Measures and Strategies in Water Management
Flexible Phase | Water Module 2: Adaptation Measures and Strategies in Water Management Module Coordinator:
- Ádám Tóth, Eötvös Loránd University
- Understand the water cycle, the vital role played by water in the maintenance of ecosystem services, how it has changed over time, and particularly how climate, human and economic activities alter in the past and present the water cycle in a globalised context.
- Determine and analyse environmental indicators, such as physical, chemical and biological ones, and parameters of water supply for drinking and economic sectoral uses, as well as consider, assess and plan sustainable water treatment processes and re-use of water considering the natural water cycle.
- Assess the implications of virtual water as a key concept for sustainable water management and implement techniques to calculate appropriate water footprints to provide policymakers, stakeholders and consumers with reliable information to make sustainable decisions in terms of equity, justice, culture, geopolitics and other social dimensions, as well as, environmental sustainability.
- Integrate fundamental management and governance tools in the sustainable use of the world’s water resources for various social groups, as well as aquatic and non-aquatic flora and fauna, and economic and commercial purposes.
- Evaluate preliminary technical and economic feasibility, plan and design different management implementation projects for various purposes and use worldwide also considering their impacts on the multidimensional and interconnected nature of social categories and environment.
- Analyse all environmental, social and institutional aspects needed to be considered when implementing a water management project including legal and regulatory issues, water rights and ownership, the public/private and central/regional/local decision trade-off, geopolitical aspects as well as, all dimensions of a person’s social and political identities (e.g. gender, ethnic group, religion, class).
- Demonstrate a critical capacity to distinguish Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) technique as a prospective and a higher priority solution that can increase groundwater storage, protect and improve water quality, and secure drought and emergency supplies for human, commercial and ecosystem use of water also considering their impacts on the multidimensional and interconnected nature of social categories, geopolitics and environment. (PLO1,4)
- Present and explain the benefits and limitations of different adaptation projects to a broad range of professionals and non-professionals in written documentation of project proposals, executive reports and town planning, as well as digital communication through media and social network platforms.
- Communicate with scientists, policymakers, stakeholders (communities, town planners, developers, water utilities and regulators), and other agents of society (including younger generations) talking a cross-language to promote acceptance and foster civic engagement in sustainable water management.
- Recognise the water–food–life & health nexus and identify the role of water management strategies and measures in ecosystem sustainability, poverty reduction, gender equality, livelihood stability, agricultural systems, economic and health risk reduction, and thereby reaching equality in access to water.
- Anthropological approaches to water sustainability.
- Environmental earth sciences.
- Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques.
- Virtual water (green, blue and grey water).
- Water chemistry & treatment.
- Water economics and policy (including degrowth water economics).
- Water footprint.
- Water hydraulics & engineering.
Module 3Resilient Cities: Water in Urban Environments
Flexible Phase | Water Module 3: Resilient Cities: Water in Urban Environments Module Coordinator:
- András Vadas, Eötvös Loránd University
- Analyse how human interference in the natural water cycle transformed historical ecosystems (through damming, pollution, extinction of species), recognise the potential risks of intensive urbanisation on water-tables (causing public health hazards, building and infrastructure damages) and question the adaptation of cities to future available water resources distinguishing other alternatives.
- Assess the multisectoral and ecosystem water needs in metropolitan areas taking into account the sources of urban water supply worldwide.
- Realise the complex system of material and energy flows to and from cities (urban metabolism) and the need for increasingly integrated supply systems to cover the fresh water, food and energy needs of urban populations considering all aspects of a person’s social and political identities as well as environmental impacts and international geopolitics.
- Consider and apply smart innovative techniques and adaptive management approach of water quality monitoring, water treatment and wastewater management in response to contaminant load from in-situ sanitation, sewer leakage, inadequate storage and handling of community and industrial chemicals, pharmaceutical and hormonal residues and disposal of liquid effluents and solid wastes.
- Analyse and critically adapt the ways past and present societies managed and manage complex water-systems, design integrated surface and groundwater management strategies to improve the resilience to water hazards, to reduce water stress and to promote welfare.
- Know the legal framework, political and economic structure and social organisation related to complex water systems as well as integrate water in city development plans and national planning policy considering political and international relationships.
- Design protocols for managing water systems in urban environments while balancing population needs and available resources in a way that ensures adequate supply for local ecosystems and manages social repercussions.
- Consider and debate innovative and smart water management strategies in urban environments, including smart cities and homes, from local households to the scale of megacities and promote the involvement and empowerment of the actors in managing these systems.
- Understand the different dimensions of water security and inequalities in access to water in urban environments with special regard to potential implications to migrations to and from towns and rural and agrarian areas as well as climate change.
- Effectively communicate with different actors and argue for or against water management of different scales including political actors, private investors, NGOs, and local societies and other social actors (younger generations, as well) and bridging the collaboration between society and researchers.
- Smart cities and water supply.
- Urban inequalities.
- Urban metabolism.
- Water engineering.
- Water monitoring.
- Water rights.
- Water sharing.
- Water-management systems.
Flexible Phase | Water Module 1: Extremes in the Water Cycle and Their Complex Consequences Module Coordinator:
- Valérie Borrell, University of Montpellier
- Recognise, describe, understand and analyse past and current extremes in the water cycle (water sciences basics, floods, droughts, trends); characterise global changes; assess its impact and interpret the associated uncertainties.
- Identify both the impacted communities as well as various stakeholders and understand their social-cultural contexts, motivations, action capacities, goals, and their complex interrelationships.
- Know and understand both the impact of past surface water practices on nature and the international legislative and regulatory context. Analyse the effects on biology and ecology of the confrontation between this legacy and global changes.
- Identify complex challenges in extremes or natural hazards from a combination of different disciplinary and global perspectives.
- Assess and critically discuss the effects of the global change and the vulnerability and resilience of complex socio-eco-hydro-systems. Evaluate the efficiency of hydrological infrastructures and nature restoration or preservation solutions and analyse their management principles in inter- and transdisciplinary ways
- Update their own knowledge: Review the state of the art on a social or scientific question related to changes in the water cycle and their impacts on Nature and human security (reports of international organization, last operational solutions…), be aware of their own limits and know when and how to call on experts to improve analysis and assessment of complex situations.
- Imagine, plan, model, build, play, present and debate complex scenarios for these complex socio-eco-hydro-systems, assess uncertainties in these systems, and identify the various (legal, political, social) frameworks within which interventions into these complex systems are and can be designed, integrating multiple points of view, in inter- and transdisciplinary (collaborative) ways.
- Communicate (orally and/or written) with different "social groups", professionals from different disciplines, stakeholders, kids and young people, with the goal of reaching the best achievable group result.
- Develop a critical capacity that allows for a consideration of inclusivity and equality during every step of identifying, analysing and proposing a solution for extreme water challenges (specifically focused on marginalized communities, gender roles, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, income, education, among others).
- Nature, water, climate and earth sciences (ecology, ecophysiology, biodiversity, hydrology, cryology, climatology, meteorology, geophysics, hydrogeology, oceanology).
- Water economics, policy, legislation.
- Land management and resilience of territories.
- Water hydraulics & engineering.
- Participatory sciences.
- Anthropological approaches in risks management.
- Mathematics applied in the field (handling of uncertainties, statistical analyses, models).
Flexible Phase | Water Module 2: Adaptation Measures and Strategies in Water Management Module Coordinator:
- Ádám Tóth, Eötvös Loránd University
- Understand the water cycle, the vital role played by water in the maintenance of ecosystem services, how it has changed over time, and particularly how climate, human and economic activities alter in the past and present the water cycle in a globalised context.
- Determine and analyse environmental indicators, such as physical, chemical and biological ones, and parameters of water supply for drinking and economic sectoral uses, as well as consider, assess and plan sustainable water treatment processes and re-use of water considering the natural water cycle.
- Assess the implications of virtual water as a key concept for sustainable water management and implement techniques to calculate appropriate water footprints to provide policymakers, stakeholders and consumers with reliable information to make sustainable decisions in terms of equity, justice, culture, geopolitics and other social dimensions, as well as, environmental sustainability.
- Integrate fundamental management and governance tools in the sustainable use of the world’s water resources for various social groups, as well as aquatic and non-aquatic flora and fauna, and economic and commercial purposes.
- Evaluate preliminary technical and economic feasibility, plan and design different management implementation projects for various purposes and use worldwide also considering their impacts on the multidimensional and interconnected nature of social categories and environment.
- Analyse all environmental, social and institutional aspects needed to be considered when implementing a water management project including legal and regulatory issues, water rights and ownership, the public/private and central/regional/local decision trade-off, geopolitical aspects as well as, all dimensions of a person’s social and political identities (e.g. gender, ethnic group, religion, class).
- Demonstrate a critical capacity to distinguish Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) technique as a prospective and a higher priority solution that can increase groundwater storage, protect and improve water quality, and secure drought and emergency supplies for human, commercial and ecosystem use of water also considering their impacts on the multidimensional and interconnected nature of social categories, geopolitics and environment. (PLO1,4)
- Present and explain the benefits and limitations of different adaptation projects to a broad range of professionals and non-professionals in written documentation of project proposals, executive reports and town planning, as well as digital communication through media and social network platforms.
- Communicate with scientists, policymakers, stakeholders (communities, town planners, developers, water utilities and regulators), and other agents of society (including younger generations) talking a cross-language to promote acceptance and foster civic engagement in sustainable water management.
- Recognise the water–food–life & health nexus and identify the role of water management strategies and measures in ecosystem sustainability, poverty reduction, gender equality, livelihood stability, agricultural systems, economic and health risk reduction, and thereby reaching equality in access to water.
- Anthropological approaches to water sustainability.
- Environmental earth sciences.
- Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques.
- Virtual water (green, blue and grey water).
- Water chemistry & treatment.
- Water economics and policy (including degrowth water economics).
- Water footprint.
- Water hydraulics & engineering.
Flexible Phase | Water Module 3: Resilient Cities: Water in Urban Environments Module Coordinator:
- András Vadas, Eötvös Loránd University
- Analyse how human interference in the natural water cycle transformed historical ecosystems (through damming, pollution, extinction of species), recognise the potential risks of intensive urbanisation on water-tables (causing public health hazards, building and infrastructure damages) and question the adaptation of cities to future available water resources distinguishing other alternatives.
- Assess the multisectoral and ecosystem water needs in metropolitan areas taking into account the sources of urban water supply worldwide.
- Realise the complex system of material and energy flows to and from cities (urban metabolism) and the need for increasingly integrated supply systems to cover the fresh water, food and energy needs of urban populations considering all aspects of a person’s social and political identities as well as environmental impacts and international geopolitics.
- Consider and apply smart innovative techniques and adaptive management approach of water quality monitoring, water treatment and wastewater management in response to contaminant load from in-situ sanitation, sewer leakage, inadequate storage and handling of community and industrial chemicals, pharmaceutical and hormonal residues and disposal of liquid effluents and solid wastes.
- Analyse and critically adapt the ways past and present societies managed and manage complex water-systems, design integrated surface and groundwater management strategies to improve the resilience to water hazards, to reduce water stress and to promote welfare.
- Know the legal framework, political and economic structure and social organisation related to complex water systems as well as integrate water in city development plans and national planning policy considering political and international relationships.
- Design protocols for managing water systems in urban environments while balancing population needs and available resources in a way that ensures adequate supply for local ecosystems and manages social repercussions.
- Consider and debate innovative and smart water management strategies in urban environments, including smart cities and homes, from local households to the scale of megacities and promote the involvement and empowerment of the actors in managing these systems.
- Understand the different dimensions of water security and inequalities in access to water in urban environments with special regard to potential implications to migrations to and from towns and rural and agrarian areas as well as climate change.
- Effectively communicate with different actors and argue for or against water management of different scales including political actors, private investors, NGOs, and local societies and other social actors (younger generations, as well) and bridging the collaboration between society and researchers.
- Smart cities and water supply.
- Urban inequalities.
- Urban metabolism.
- Water engineering.
- Water monitoring.
- Water rights.
- Water sharing.
- Water-management systems.
Preparatory Phase
Flexible Phase
Capstone Phase
Flexible Phase | Life and Health
Module 1 Healthy Lives and Wellbeing
Flexible Phase | Life and Health Module 1: Healthy Lives and Wellbeing Module Coordinator:
- Avelina Tortosa, University of Barcelona
- To provide students with knowledge of the concepts of healthy lives and wellbeing: healthy lifestyles, health promotion, disease prevention, and risk factors and for students to explain the value of inter-/ transdisciplinary perspectives to these concepts.
- To provide students with knowledge of healthy lives and wellbeing as social phenomena, discourse on health and social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health and health inequalities and for students to explain the value of inter-/ transdisciplinary perspectives to these concepts.
- To enable student to recognise challenges associated with maintaining healthy lifestyles and wellbeing within a sustainable environment and devise and implement solutions for these challenges.
- Explain the most important concepts and theories of the study subject from a biological and medical perspectives.
- Identify and analyse social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health and health inequalities.
- Describe healthy lifestyles and their common risk factors and how they are influenced by a person’s social and political identity such as gender, ethnicity, race, socio-economic class and religion.
- Explain the most important concepts and theories on a life course approach to health while framing interventions.
- Identify evidence-based practices in developing interventions aimed at improving individual and community health.
- Explain different perspectives regarding sustainability in life and health and apply sustainable practices for healthy lifestyles and health promoting living- and working environments.
- Analyse health status trends (e.g. life expectancy, avoidable mortality, etc.) and key public health issues (e.g., obesity, addictions, etc.) – under varying social, economic, and cultural dimensions.
- Frame hypotheses based on scientific literature, execute methodologies, interpret results, draw conclusions and communicate results for addressing challenges in maintaining healthy lifestyles and wellbeing.
- Design solutions for maintaining healthy lifestyles in transdisciplinary collaboration with stakeholders from different domains, disciplines, and social groups.
- Explain the role of communication, including (mass) media, in improving healthy lifestyles and wellbeing.
- Healthy lifestyle
- Wellbeing
- Social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health
- Health risk factors
- Health interventions
- Lifespan perspective across healthy lifestyle
- Health promotion
- Health protection and disease prevention
Module 2 Health Challenges and Solutions
Flexible Phase | Life and Health Module 2: Health Challenges and Solutions Module Coordinators:
- Quique Bassat, University of Barcelona
- Niels Bovenschen, Utrecht University
- To provide the students with the knowledge and the skills to develop sustainable interventions from fundamental science discoveries to clinical and societal issues to address Global Health challenges.
- To translate into innovative solutions for a specific challenge towards achieving health benefit for all.
- Explain the most important concepts and theories of the study subject, including the pathophysiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment and management of the most prevalent (higher burden of disease and mortality) communicable (infectious) and non-communicable diseases, as well as their risk factors.
- Explain the importance of globalisation and environmental degradation in the emergence of pathologies through linking ecology, health problems, and urban health.
- Analyse the principles of evidence-based translational medicine from bench to bedside and society, and back.
- Critically discuss and utilise new technological developments and systems approaches in the long-term interest of health and well-being of societies and ecosystems.
- Demonstrate comprehensive and critical awareness of health challenges and their interconnection with One Health and Environmental & Planetary Health, including ethical approaches, personalized disease management, and societal needs.
- Design solutions to health challenges in transdisciplinary collaboration with stakeholders from different domains, disciplines, and social groups (e.g. scientist-medical specialist-patient-society-industry-policymakers).
- Frame hypotheses/challenges based on current literature and cutting-edge data to identify the appropriate methodology, execute the proposed work in the field, interpret results and draw conclusions and communicate results to stakeholders and society (both written and orally).
- Analyse and critically discuss the concept of sustainability in addressing health problems, taking account of ethical considerations around (the quality of) human and non-human life from different social, economic, cultural and environmental perspectives.
- Develop and translate cross-sectoral, context-specific strategies/interventions back and forth within the continuum of fundamental science to pharmaceutical industry, policymaking, and social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health problems.
- Burden of disease
- Sustainable interventions
- Translational medicine
- Transdisciplinary collaboration
- Health problems
- Bench to bedside
- Global health
- One health
- Planetary health
- Health technology
Module 3Health Systems and Policies
Flexible Phase | Life and Health Module 3: Healthy Systems and Policies Module coordinator:
- Zsófia Kollányi, Eötvös Loránd University
- To enable students to develop and apply effective bespoke health system strategies and approaches in the context of diverse health and disease management requirements.
- Students acquire knowledge for analysing and assessing the functioning and performance of health systems and health policymaking.
- Students are equipped with a complex, problem-oriented approach and knowledge required for developing strategies and interventions towards people-centred sustainable, accessible and resilient health systems at international, national and local community levels.
- Demonstrate an understanding of health outcomes and health system performance from multiple stakeholders’ perspectives e.g. health service users (client outcomes) and providers e.g. knowledge users, researchers, policy makers.
- Discuss principles of clinical governance and adherence to clinical guidelines for creating and maintaining quality and safer healthcare delivery.
- Recognise the social, economic and cultural context and requirements of health policy-making processes as well as “health in all policies”.
- Collaborate and work with diverse groups of stakeholders and organisations at local, national and international levels.
- Explain the concept of sustainability science and its application for challenges in health systems, taking into account (the linkages between) the well-being of socio-economic and natural systems.
- Critically discuss and apply knowledge translation for bridging the gap between research developments, clinical practice and health policy.
- Demonstrate knowledge on the hierarchy of evidence and apply it in analysing health care, practice, and policy.
- Recognise and explain individual, community and societal level needs when analysing health services as well as health systems thereby contributing to develop interventions and methods required for a well-functioning and resilient health systems (ensuring universal health coverage and equal access to quality healthcare).
- Design solutions for health system challenges in collaboration with individuals and groups from different domains, reconciling different views, values and interests.
- Discuss ethical considerations in health system challenges, taking into account (the quality of) human and non-human life from different cultural, religious, gender, economic and political perspectives.
- Recognise and explain the relationships between long-term economic development, well-being, health status and health systems.
- Understand how communication, including (mass) media, can play a role in addressing health system challenges and patient-public involvement.
- Health and illness as biological, psychological and social phenomena.
- People-centred, sustainable and resilient health systems.
- The role of health systems in improving health and reducing health inequalities.
- Socio-economic and political context of health policies and “health in all policies”.
- Assessment of the performance of health systems and health policies.
- Safety and quality in health systems.
Flexible Phase | Life and Health Module 1: Healthy Lives and Wellbeing Module Coordinator:
- Avelina Tortosa, University of Barcelona
- To provide students with knowledge of the concepts of healthy lives and wellbeing: healthy lifestyles, health promotion, disease prevention, and risk factors and for students to explain the value of inter-/ transdisciplinary perspectives to these concepts.
- To provide students with knowledge of healthy lives and wellbeing as social phenomena, discourse on health and social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health and health inequalities and for students to explain the value of inter-/ transdisciplinary perspectives to these concepts.
- To enable student to recognise challenges associated with maintaining healthy lifestyles and wellbeing within a sustainable environment and devise and implement solutions for these challenges.
- Explain the most important concepts and theories of the study subject from a biological and medical perspectives.
- Identify and analyse social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health and health inequalities.
- Describe healthy lifestyles and their common risk factors and how they are influenced by a person’s social and political identity such as gender, ethnicity, race, socio-economic class and religion.
- Explain the most important concepts and theories on a life course approach to health while framing interventions.
- Identify evidence-based practices in developing interventions aimed at improving individual and community health.
- Explain different perspectives regarding sustainability in life and health and apply sustainable practices for healthy lifestyles and health promoting living- and working environments.
- Analyse health status trends (e.g. life expectancy, avoidable mortality, etc.) and key public health issues (e.g., obesity, addictions, etc.) – under varying social, economic, and cultural dimensions.
- Frame hypotheses based on scientific literature, execute methodologies, interpret results, draw conclusions and communicate results for addressing challenges in maintaining healthy lifestyles and wellbeing.
- Design solutions for maintaining healthy lifestyles in transdisciplinary collaboration with stakeholders from different domains, disciplines, and social groups.
- Explain the role of communication, including (mass) media, in improving healthy lifestyles and wellbeing.
- Healthy lifestyle
- Wellbeing
- Social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health
- Health risk factors
- Health interventions
- Lifespan perspective across healthy lifestyle
- Health promotion
- Health protection and disease prevention
Flexible Phase | Life and Health Module 2: Health Challenges and Solutions Module Coordinators:
- Quique Bassat, University of Barcelona
- Niels Bovenschen, Utrecht University
- To provide the students with the knowledge and the skills to develop sustainable interventions from fundamental science discoveries to clinical and societal issues to address Global Health challenges.
- To translate into innovative solutions for a specific challenge towards achieving health benefit for all.
- Explain the most important concepts and theories of the study subject, including the pathophysiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment and management of the most prevalent (higher burden of disease and mortality) communicable (infectious) and non-communicable diseases, as well as their risk factors.
- Explain the importance of globalisation and environmental degradation in the emergence of pathologies through linking ecology, health problems, and urban health.
- Analyse the principles of evidence-based translational medicine from bench to bedside and society, and back.
- Critically discuss and utilise new technological developments and systems approaches in the long-term interest of health and well-being of societies and ecosystems.
- Demonstrate comprehensive and critical awareness of health challenges and their interconnection with One Health and Environmental & Planetary Health, including ethical approaches, personalized disease management, and societal needs.
- Design solutions to health challenges in transdisciplinary collaboration with stakeholders from different domains, disciplines, and social groups (e.g. scientist-medical specialist-patient-society-industry-policymakers).
- Frame hypotheses/challenges based on current literature and cutting-edge data to identify the appropriate methodology, execute the proposed work in the field, interpret results and draw conclusions and communicate results to stakeholders and society (both written and orally).
- Analyse and critically discuss the concept of sustainability in addressing health problems, taking account of ethical considerations around (the quality of) human and non-human life from different social, economic, cultural and environmental perspectives.
- Develop and translate cross-sectoral, context-specific strategies/interventions back and forth within the continuum of fundamental science to pharmaceutical industry, policymaking, and social, economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health problems.
- Burden of disease
- Sustainable interventions
- Translational medicine
- Transdisciplinary collaboration
- Health problems
- Bench to bedside
- Global health
- One health
- Planetary health
- Health technology
Flexible Phase | Life and Health Module 3: Health Systems and Policies Module coordinator:
- Zsófia Kollányi, Eötvös Loránd University
- To enable students to develop and apply effective bespoke health system strategies and approaches in the context of diverse health and disease management requirements.
- Students acquire knowledge for analysing and assessing the functioning and performance of health systems and health policymaking.
- Students are equipped with a complex, problem-oriented approach and knowledge required for developing strategies and interventions towards people-centred sustainable, accessible and resilient health systems at international, national and local community levels.
- Demonstrate an understanding of health outcomes and health system performance from multiple stakeholders’ perspectives e.g. health service users (client outcomes) and providers e.g. knowledge users, researchers, policy makers.
- Discuss principles of clinical governance and adherence to clinical guidelines for creating and maintaining quality and safer healthcare delivery.
- Recognise the social, economic and cultural context and requirements of health policy-making processes as well as “health in all policies”.
- Collaborate and work with diverse groups of stakeholders and organisations at local, national and international levels.
- Explain the concept of sustainability science and its application for challenges in health systems, taking into account (the linkages between) the well-being of socio-economic and natural systems.
- Critically discuss and apply knowledge translation for bridging the gap between research developments, clinical practice and health policy.
- Demonstrate knowledge on the hierarchy of evidence and apply it in analysing health care, practice, and policy.
- Recognise and explain individual, community and societal level needs when analysing health services as well as health systems thereby contributing to develop interventions and methods required for a well-functioning and resilient health systems (ensuring universal health coverage and equal access to quality healthcare).
- Design solutions for health system challenges in collaboration with individuals and groups from different domains, reconciling different views, values and interests.
- Discuss ethical considerations in health system challenges, taking into account (the quality of) human and non-human life from different cultural, religious, gender, economic and political perspectives.
- Recognise and explain the relationships between long-term economic development, well-being, health status and health systems.
- Understand how communication, including (mass) media, can play a role in addressing health system challenges and patient-public involvement.
- Health and illness as biological, psychological and social phenomena.
- People-centred, sustainable and resilient health systems.
- The role of health systems in improving health and reducing health inequalities.
- Socio-economic and political context of health policies and “health in all policies”.
- Assessment of the performance of health systems and health policies.
- Safety and quality in health systems.
Preparatory Phase
Flexible Phase
Capstone Phase
Flexible Phase | Food
Module 1The Food-Health-Environment Nexus
Flexible Phase | Food Module 1: The Food-Health-Environment Nexus Module Coordinator:
- Viktor G. Mihucz, Eötvös Loránd University
- Reflect on the multifaceted nature of the food-health-environment-inequality nexus taking into consideration influence from cultures, energy and society.
- Describe the impact of food and its interdependencies as a result of social, cultural, historical, environmental, economic, medical and political factors.
- Systematically analyse the connections between food and different health impacts (human health and ecosystem health); with health, poverty, and climate change; and the links with social and environmental dimensions of sustainability.
- Analyse the importance of diet in maintaining health and the impact of diet on diseases, including an appreciation of the multifaceted dimension of undernutrition and obesity.
- Define the environmental, social and health challenges (local and global) of food production, consumption and waste in terms of equity, justice, gender, different dimensions of sustainability, culture, geopolitics and other relevant dimensions.
- Articulate a critical awareness of the changes in nutritional requirements throughout the life cycle of individuals and on how traditional and current discourses (including media) influence nutrition and dietary patterns (taking into consideration the impact of gender, culture, age, lifestyle etc.).
- Analyse how and why food is produced, prepared, narrated and consumed, taking into consideration the impacts of gastronomy, gender, age, lifestyle, religion and culture on dietary choices, and the subsequent impact on health.
- Assess the role of biotechnology in the future of sustainable food consumption and dietary health, including the societal, economic and environmental implications thereof.
- Critically discuss key research and evaluate the different dimensions and causes of food inequality and insecurity from a variety of disciplines and from socio-ecological and socio-economic systems perspectives, taking into account nexus between water, food, waste, energy, biodiversity, climate, health, poverty, etc.
- Assess how (decisions around) the use of and access to water, energy and other (natural) resources are interconnected and impact food security from global to local levels.
- Food and diets: the importance of culture.
- Diets, nutritional requirements and health.
- Interactions between food and other sectors, in particular health, environment and social justice.
- Food related nexus.
- Food inequalities and insecurity and their causes.
- Access to resources and food insecurity.
- Special topic: the future of meat (environment, culture, technology, marketing and product development).
- Food waste.
- Nutritionism.
- Food and children.
- Obesity and fatness.
- Microbiome, Health and Dietary manipulation (including implication in disease development); the gut-brain axis (Microbiome and Behavioural modifications; CNS disorders).
- Food hygiene and safety, food traceability, food allergens.
- The concept of health, both physical and mental (spiritual) and how it is shaped by food, including a gender perspective.
- Religious perspectives and food consumption: an honest mind in a (healthy?) body.
- Cooking and eating as characteristics of human identity, taking into account anthropology and religion.
- Food as pleasure and civilisation: European gastronomy, an historical perspective.
Module 2 Sustainable Food Systems
Flexible Phase | Food Module 2: Sustainable Food Systems Module Coordinator:
- Clément Bonnet, University of Montpellier
- Describe a food systems perspective to evaluate food-related sustainability challenges and transformations.
- Identify and evaluate food systems transformations and their consequences in terms of different dimensions of sustainable development at different levels, from local to global.
- Analyse the public health, environmental and social consequences of food production and consumption in a transdisciplinary fashion.
- Recognise, explain and reflect upon the positions of different actors that influence or are affected by food insecurity and that play a role in food systems.
- Apply tools that help characterize food systems and evaluate them using various criteria, taking account of different dimensions of sustainability, democratic values, justice, equity, human rights, and other relevant dimensions.
- Critically discuss and evaluate the (un)sustainability of global supply chains of agri-food systems and demonstrate the connection between these, sectoral interrelationships and international interdependencies.
- Recognise, explain and reflect on how food systems components work and interact, including the (positions and power dynamics of) actors therein, and how these components influence sustainability at different levels.
- Investigate the global and local impacts of food systems across borders, including the effects of food consumption in one location on sustainability challenges elsewhere.
- Define the different paradigms to view and design food-related sustainability transformations to address environmental degradation and nutritional concerns related to food production, overconsumption, unequal distribution of food, food and nutrition insecurity.
- Differentiate between the different cultural, political and (inter)disciplinary framings of food systems and food-related sustainability challenges and explain how they relate to issues like gender, human rights, education, identity, ethics, religion sovereignty, perspectives on the environment.
- History of food and nutrition insecurity, hunger and famine from a systems perspective.
- Food system: definition and approaches.
- Food processing, consumption & dietary patterns, including product development, manufacturing, nutritional and sensory quality, storage, packaging engineering, marketing, advertising and distribution.
- The role of food producers, retailers, consumers, etc. along the entire value chain.
- Sustainable agricultural practices around the world (organic agriculture, nature-inclusive agriculture, agroecology, agroforestry, permaculture, etc.).
- Specific food industries, Big Food e.g. Nestle, Pepsi-Co, Kraft-Heinz; Danone (infant formula).
- The banana: production, distribution and consumption.
- Food and conflict.
Module 3Food Systems and their Transformations
Flexible Phase | Food Module 3: Food Systems and their Transformations Module Coordinator:
- Anna Moragues, University of Barcelona
- (Co-)design and monitor research and policy/social actions to promote socially just and sustainable food systems transformations.
- Describe the need for cross-sectoral sustainability considerations and integrated approaches to food system policies and practices, building on knowledge about different food nexus and food systems.
- From an inter- and transdisciplinary perspective, critically appraise the governance systems that seek to promote socially just and sustainable food systems and address food sustainability and security at local, national and international levels.
- Identify pathways, policies and actions to mitigate global and systemic planetary crises through socially just and sustainable food system transformations.
- Appraise and apply models and methods to (re)design policies and actions that advance robust, sustainable and socially just food systems in collaboration with different academic and extra-academic actors.
- Investigate, evaluate and design interventions for sustainable food systems in a transdisciplinary manner while taking account of the views and impacts on different dimensions of sustainability.
- Evaluate different solutions to sustainability challenges related to food production and consumption, including social movements, policies, market mechanisms and business innovations.
- Evaluate the role of innovation (the future of) sustainable, healthy, secure and socially just food systems, taking into account the societal, economic and environmental implications thereof.
- Communicate about policies and actions to address food-related sustainability challenges, including the appraisal and design of educational programmes that support sustainable and healthy food production and consumption.
- Evaluate (development) interventions for food and nutrition security, hunger and famine in developing countries, including from a historical/post-colonial perspective
- Assess to what extent and how the water-health-food-inequality nexus is reflected in different governance systems and social actions.
- Assess regulatory frameworks (including (legal/customary) rights) that influence the availability and access to food and related resources
- National and international policies and regulations around food safety, dietary recommendations and their political, economic, health and environmental implications
- Evaluating different solutions to sustainability challenges, including government-based interventions (e.g. taxes, subsidies, regulations, etc.), market-based interventions (e.g. fair trade/eco-labelling, payment for ecosystem services, etc.), business interventions (e.g. food innovations/biotechnology), civil society interventions (e.g. food projects/programs) and social movements (e.g. veganism movements).
Flexible Phase | Food Module 1: The Food-Health-Environment Nexus Module Coordinator:
- Viktor G. Mihucz, Eötvös Loránd University
- Reflect on the multifaceted nature of the food-health-environment-inequality nexus taking into consideration influence from cultures, energy and society.
- Describe the impact of food and its interdependencies as a result of social, cultural, historical, environmental, economic, medical and political factors.
- Systematically analyse the connections between food and different health impacts (human health and ecosystem health); with health, poverty, and climate change; and the links with social and environmental dimensions of sustainability.
- Analyse the importance of diet in maintaining health and the impact of diet on diseases, including an appreciation of the multifaceted dimension of undernutrition and obesity.
- Define the environmental, social and health challenges (local and global) of food production, consumption and waste in terms of equity, justice, gender, different dimensions of sustainability, culture, geopolitics and other relevant dimensions.
- Articulate a critical awareness of the changes in nutritional requirements throughout the life cycle of individuals and on how traditional and current discourses (including media) influence nutrition and dietary patterns (taking into consideration the impact of gender, culture, age, lifestyle etc.).
- Analyse how and why food is produced, prepared, narrated and consumed, taking into consideration the impacts of gastronomy, gender, age, lifestyle, religion and culture on dietary choices, and the subsequent impact on health.
- Assess the role of biotechnology in the future of sustainable food consumption and dietary health, including the societal, economic and environmental implications thereof.
- Critically discuss key research and evaluate the different dimensions and causes of food inequality and insecurity from a variety of disciplines and from socio-ecological and socio-economic systems perspectives, taking into account nexus between water, food, waste, energy, biodiversity, climate, health, poverty, etc.
- Assess how (decisions around) the use of and access to water, energy and other (natural) resources are interconnected and impact food security from global to local levels.
- Food and diets: the importance of culture.
- Diets, nutritional requirements and health.
- Interactions between food and other sectors, in particular health, environment and social justice.
- Food related nexus.
- Food inequalities and insecurity and their causes.
- Access to resources and food insecurity.
- Special topic: the future of meat (environment, culture, technology, marketing and product development).
- Food waste.
- Nutritionism.
- Food and children.
- Obesity and fatness.
- Microbiome, Health and Dietary manipulation (including implication in disease development); the gut-brain axis (Microbiome and Behavioural modifications; CNS disorders).
- Food hygiene and safety, food traceability, food allergens.
- The concept of health, both physical and mental (spiritual) and how it is shaped by food, including a gender perspective.
- Religious perspectives and food consumption: an honest mind in a (healthy?) body.
- Cooking and eating as characteristics of human identity, taking into account anthropology and religion.
- Food as pleasure and civilisation: European gastronomy, an historical perspective.
Flexible Phase | Food Module 2: Sustainable Food Systems Module Coordinator:
- Clément Bonnet, University of Montpellier
- Describe a food systems perspective to evaluate food-related sustainability challenges and transformations.
- Identify and evaluate food systems transformations and their consequences in terms of different dimensions of sustainable development at different levels, from local to global.
- Analyse the public health, environmental and social consequences of food production and consumption in a transdisciplinary fashion.
- Recognise, explain and reflect upon the positions of different actors that influence or are affected by food insecurity and that play a role in food systems.
- Apply tools that help characterize food systems and evaluate them using various criteria, taking account of different dimensions of sustainability, democratic values, justice, equity, human rights, and other relevant dimensions.
- Critically discuss and evaluate the (un)sustainability of global supply chains of agri-food systems and demonstrate the connection between these, sectoral interrelationships and international interdependencies.
- Recognise, explain and reflect on how food systems components work and interact, including the (positions and power dynamics of) actors therein, and how these components influence sustainability at different levels.
- Investigate the global and local impacts of food systems across borders, including the effects of food consumption in one location on sustainability challenges elsewhere.
- Define the different paradigms to view and design food-related sustainability transformations to address environmental degradation and nutritional concerns related to food production, overconsumption, unequal distribution of food, food and nutrition insecurity.
- Differentiate between the different cultural, political and (inter)disciplinary framings of food systems and food-related sustainability challenges and explain how they relate to issues like gender, human rights, education, identity, ethics, religion sovereignty, perspectives on the environment.
- History of food and nutrition insecurity, hunger and famine from a systems perspective.
- Food system: definition and approaches.
- Food processing, consumption & dietary patterns, including product development, manufacturing, nutritional and sensory quality, storage, packaging engineering, marketing, advertising and distribution.
- The role of food producers, retailers, consumers, etc. along the entire value chain.
- Sustainable agricultural practices around the world (organic agriculture, nature-inclusive agriculture, agroecology, agroforestry, permaculture, etc.).
- Specific food industries, Big Food e.g. Nestle, Pepsi-Co, Kraft-Heinz; Danone (infant formula).
- The banana: production, distribution and consumption.
- Food and conflict.
Flexible Phase | Food Module 3: Food Systems and their Transformations Module Coordinator:
- Anna Moragues, University of Barcelona
- (Co-)design and monitor research and policy/social actions to promote socially just and sustainable food systems transformations.
- Describe the need for cross-sectoral sustainability considerations and integrated approaches to food system policies and practices, building on knowledge about different food nexus and food systems.
- From an inter- and transdisciplinary perspective, critically appraise the governance systems that seek to promote socially just and sustainable food systems and address food sustainability and security at local, national and international levels.
- Identify pathways, policies and actions to mitigate global and systemic planetary crises through socially just and sustainable food system transformations.
- Appraise and apply models and methods to (re)design policies and actions that advance robust, sustainable and socially just food systems in collaboration with different academic and extra-academic actors.
- Investigate, evaluate and design interventions for sustainable food systems in a transdisciplinary manner while taking account of the views and impacts on different dimensions of sustainability.
- Evaluate different solutions to sustainability challenges related to food production and consumption, including social movements, policies, market mechanisms and business innovations.
- Evaluate the role of innovation (the future of) sustainable, healthy, secure and socially just food systems, taking into account the societal, economic and environmental implications thereof.
- Communicate about policies and actions to address food-related sustainability challenges, including the appraisal and design of educational programmes that support sustainable and healthy food production and consumption.
- Evaluate (development) interventions for food and nutrition security, hunger and famine in developing countries, including from a historical/post-colonial perspective
- Assess to what extent and how the water-health-food-inequality nexus is reflected in different governance systems and social actions.
- Assess regulatory frameworks (including (legal/customary) rights) that influence the availability and access to food and related resources
- National and international policies and regulations around food safety, dietary recommendations and their political, economic, health and environmental implications
- Evaluating different solutions to sustainability challenges, including government-based interventions (e.g. taxes, subsidies, regulations, etc.), market-based interventions (e.g. fair trade/eco-labelling, payment for ecosystem services, etc.), business interventions (e.g. food innovations/biotechnology), civil society interventions (e.g. food projects/programs) and social movements (e.g. veganism movements).
Preparatory Phase
Flexible Phase
Capstone Phase
Capstone Phase
Module 1Capstone Project
Capstone Project Module Coordinator:
- Marjanneke Vijge, Utrecht University
- Further develop communication skills and demonstrate those skills sensitively and professionally in teamwork, presentation, pitching, negotiation and coordination. [PLO.5, 6]
- Develop and demonstrate self-awareness of personal leadership style in the collaboration within an inter/transdisciplinary team.
- Demonstrate a creative mindset by designing new concepts / solutions for sustainability challenges.
- Demonstrate expertise in the identification and application of the latest technological tools to source, analyse, handle, use and communicate complex bodies of data ethically.
- Reflect on how the challenge can have a personal impact on the student.
- Analyse individual, societal and ecological needs and explore opportunities for solutions within a societal, scientific, economic context.
- Describe and critically appraise a real-world sustainability challenge from various disciplinary perspectives to determine and frame the challenge.
- Outline different disciplinary approaches, intercultural perspectives, and their interrelationships to identify (e.g. social, cultural, political, economic) actors involved in and affected by the challenge.
- Identify and execute methodologies, analyse data and synthesize information to understand the challenge and areas for innovation, relevant for addressing the challenge.
- Articulate and develop sustainable and ethical solution prototypes to a complex societal challenge, as part of a transdisciplinary team, while considering the needs and perspectives of multiple stakeholders and disciplines.
- Implement and monitor sustainable and ethical solution prototypes and validate in collaboration with extra-academic actors the solution based on its value for the planet and different groups of people.
- Critically reflect on one solution from the validated prototypes and design it.
- Formulate a systematic and holistic implementation plan for the sustainable and ethical solution within the environment of the extra-academic actors.
- Implement, monitor and critically evaluate the solution for the identified challenge, using appropriate (technological) tools and combining various disciplinary perspectives.
- Effectively communicate the inter- and transdisciplinary research results and developed solution to a diverse (academic and non-academic) audience through identification and use of the most appropriate media/technological tools/resources.
- Critically reflect on the individual and collaborative learning process, personal and professional developments and results of implementation.
- Team formation
- Transdisciplinary collaboration
- Transdisciplinary research
- Intercultural and interdisciplinary communication
- Stakeholder engagement
- Sustainability
- Design thinking
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Presenting
- Creativity
- Entrepreneurship
- Prototyping
- Personal development
Capstone Project Module Coordinator:
- Marjanneke Vijge, Utrecht University
- Further develop communication skills and demonstrate those skills sensitively and professionally in teamwork, presentation, pitching, negotiation and coordination. [PLO.5, 6]
- Develop and demonstrate self-awareness of personal leadership style in the collaboration within an inter/transdisciplinary team.
- Demonstrate a creative mindset by designing new concepts / solutions for sustainability challenges.
- Demonstrate expertise in the identification and application of the latest technological tools to source, analyse, handle, use and communicate complex bodies of data ethically.
- Reflect on how the challenge can have a personal impact on the student.
- Analyse individual, societal and ecological needs and explore opportunities for solutions within a societal, scientific, economic context.
- Describe and critically appraise a real-world sustainability challenge from various disciplinary perspectives to determine and frame the challenge.
- Outline different disciplinary approaches, intercultural perspectives, and their interrelationships to identify (e.g. social, cultural, political, economic) actors involved in and affected by the challenge.
- Identify and execute methodologies, analyse data and synthesize information to understand the challenge and areas for innovation, relevant for addressing the challenge.
- Articulate and develop sustainable and ethical solution prototypes to a complex societal challenge, as part of a transdisciplinary team, while considering the needs and perspectives of multiple stakeholders and disciplines.
- Implement and monitor sustainable and ethical solution prototypes and validate in collaboration with extra-academic actors the solution based on its value for the planet and different groups of people.
- Critically reflect on one solution from the validated prototypes and design it.
- Formulate a systematic and holistic implementation plan for the sustainable and ethical solution within the environment of the extra-academic actors.
- Implement, monitor and critically evaluate the solution for the identified challenge, using appropriate (technological) tools and combining various disciplinary perspectives.
- Effectively communicate the inter- and transdisciplinary research results and developed solution to a diverse (academic and non-academic) audience through identification and use of the most appropriate media/technological tools/resources.
- Critically reflect on the individual and collaborative learning process, personal and professional developments and results of implementation.
- Team formation
- Transdisciplinary collaboration
- Transdisciplinary research
- Intercultural and interdisciplinary communication
- Stakeholder engagement
- Sustainability
- Design thinking
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Presenting
- Creativity
- Entrepreneurship
- Prototyping
- Personal development