‘Interdisciplinary Sustainability Sciences’ - a new virtual study programme for everyone

A virtual course ‘Interdisciplinary Sustainability Sciences’ JMU will be a central element in the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into all degree programmes. This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is being developed as part of the Transformation experiment Learning4Future at the Sustainability Laboratory (WueLAB) and should be available from 2025.

The virtual self-study course aims to provide students with a sound understanding of sustainability science. It covers fundamental principles of sustainability, the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students will learn to identify and analyse trade-offs based on scientific concepts such as planetary Boundaries and safe and equitable Earth system boundaries (ESBs).

The MOOC is being developed in line with the quality objectives of ESD as defined by UNESCO and the German Society for Sustainability at Universities (DGHochN). These objectives include the science-based and critically reflective transfer of knowledge about ecological and social challenges, the promotion of interdisciplinary learning and the support of students in developing skills that can turn them into shapers of sustainable development.