GEO8000 - Global Sustainable Futures: Solutions, Concepts, and Skills

• Offered for Year: 2024/25

• Module Leader(s): Dr Ingrid A. Medby

• Owning School: Geography, Politics & Sociology
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

• Capacity limit: 999 student places

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

What are global sustainable futures and how might we achieve them? What does a health planet and vibrant humanity mean to you? What are some of the biggest obstacles to sustainable futures and how might we work toward removing them? And most importantly, what global issues are most important to you and how can this module provide you with the concepts and skills you need to understand and address them – not just as a student, but as a future worker or employee, and as a global citizen?

This module introduces students to key themes and issues in global sustainable futures with the following aims:

1. To foster critical thinking about sustainable futures and interconnected global challenges.
2. To equip students with the conceptual tools and skills to engage with and propose solutions for global sustainable futures and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Outline Of Syllabus

The module is split into four substantive sections, each of which offer a critical engagement with several UN SDGs and which teach cutting-edge research and innovation in a specific domain of global sustainable futures. The sections are:

• Environment and Climate
• People and Society
• Economy and Policy
• Politics and Security

Each section challenges students to think about three primary questions:

1. What theories or concepts can best help me to understand and explain contemporary developments in the area of environment and climate/people and society/economy and policy/politics and security.
2. What are the most pressing problems in the area of ‘environment and climate/people and society/economy and policy/politics and security, and what are the most effective solutions?
3. What knowledge and skills are needed for the creation and realisation of global sustainable futures and what can be learned from research and best practice in the area of environment and climate/people and society/economy and policy/politics and security.

In and across each section, students will be encouraged to think about the interlinked nature of global sustainable future challenges and solutions. Seemingly discrete issues – climate and environmental change, war and conflict, poverty, inequality, housing, cities and economies – are inextricably linked and cannot be properly understood in isolation from one another.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Upon completion of the module, students will develop a comprehensive critical understanding of:

1. The major challenges surrounding global sustainable futures and potential solutions
2. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including their strengths and limitations
3. The inextricable links between seemingly unconnected issues with regard to global sustainable futures
4. Interdisciplinary perspectives and cutting-edge research on global sustainable futures

Intended Skills Outcomes

Upon completion of the module, students will be able to:

1. Critically analyse global challenges facing different communities, stake-holders, and populations in specific empirical context from interdisciplinary perspectives.
2. Apply problem-solving skills to address global sustainable futures and communicate their understanding in person and in writing

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Other Assessment

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The oral presentation assesses oral communication skills, while the written assessment evaluates written communication skills.