Overall aims with this course are that the participants shall understand and be able to reflect on the set of problems with complex socio-ecological systems and to understand the importance of multi-disciplinary efforts and how to deal with current and future uncertainties. Sustainable development in the course refers to the development at the global, regional and local levels as defined in the Brundtland Commission report ‘Our common future’, with the three pillars of environmental, social and economic sustainability. The aim of the course is to give PhD students in depth knowledge of sustainable development. This knowledge will increase the student’s ability to identify possibilities and risks associated with sustainability when developing products, processes and systems.
This course is a longer version of the course "Sustainable development. Basics. 3 hp".The course literature in this course is more extensive than the literature in the "3 hp"-course. The course literature and the video material in this course have in some cases been replaced by summaries in the "3 hp"-course.
This course is identic with part 1 in the course "The Designer/Engineer and sustainable development", 7,5 hp. Part 2 in the "7.5 hp"-course, a project is thus not included in this course.