Sustainability is a multidisciplinary field and thus, I am interested in learning what emphases are given to sustainability courses in curricula at universities around the world.
Greetings
Yes, in the College of Agriculture at my university (before my retirement) only my department (Soil Science) was teaching a course on Sustainable Soil Management. After a thorough introduction to Sustainability issues and Sustainable Agriculture, the emphasis was mainly on soil quality (health) management, prevention of soil degradation, and Soil Health Cards.
I had a positive feedback from the students about this course, most of the time.
@Bruno Borsari, Indeed sustainability is multi-disciplinary in nature. At Chinhoyi University of Technology, virtually all faculties have a sustainability focus. Of note is the faculty of Hospitality and Tourism where modules on Sustainable Tourism and Environment Management as well as Sustainable Recreation Facilities Design and Management are taught. Sustainability aspects are also emphasised in terms of Wildlife Management.
As written by Kumbirai Mirimi, sustainability is multi-disciplinary in nature and considering this fact different types of sustainability that focus on different directions are taught in our university.
Best Regards
Desalegn Abraha
At the University of the Technical University of Berlin there are the studies of "Ökologie und Umweltplanung" (ecology and envirnonmental planning)
https://www.tu.berlin/studieren/studienangebot/gesamtes-studienangebot/studiengang/oekologie-und-umweltplanung-b-sc/
and
"Landschaftsarchitektur" (Landscape architecture)
https://www.tu.berlin/studieren/studienangebot/gesamtes-studienangebot/studiengang/landschaftsarchitektur-b-sc/
also several master courses.
Both integrate sustainability in their courses. Of course, "Ökologie und Umweltplanung" (ecology and envirnonmental planning) focuses mostly on this.
All universities who offer courses in landscape and environment inform their students about sutainability, but how central it is depends on the specific courses,
The aim is to enable them to work on integrated planning where spatial arrangements, good design and sustainability with regard to biodiversity and water, climate, soil etc. aspects is combined.
Best regards
Almut Jirku
I think the optimum option would be for topics like sustainability to be taught in an independent department/institute that would be able to house courses from all the schools of thoughts and practice (for students to be exposed to diverse ontologies, epistemologies and methodologies and methods)
you could find more details about the University of Houston’s sustainability programs and courses at this link:
https://www.uh.edu/af-university-services/sustainability/academics/sustainability-courses/
The question if sustainability is taught at your university in what department the sustainability course/s is housed? What focus/i has the course/s? has led to a very interesting disucssion which has helped me to understand the subject matter adequately. I would like to thank you all for this interesting and scientific views.
Best Regards
Desalegn Abraha
Agronomy
Soil science
Environmental science as well as agromateorology
In the housing programme of the School of Built Environment and Development studies, sustainability is taught in the context of sustainable cities, and sustainable human settlements and housing. A range of aspects are explored ranging from sustainable location and sustainable energy, to sustainable construction, among others. The units of analysis range from city to neighbourhood to housing project level. And still this is merely a gist of a wide and complex subject.
Even though not an exclusive programme in the Department of Architecture, we sensitize students in construction, design, landscape, urban design and services towards sustainable Practices. Making them aware of the rating systems like LEED, Griha, BEE, etc.. is also one of the ways of teaching the sustainable issues.
Dear All,
It is very interesting to know that the very modern subject sustainability is being taught at diffeent level and in diffeent forms in different countries and or universities. That might depend on the fact that it is understood in different forms in different environments.
Best Regards
Desalegn Abraha
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