Global Challenges: Sustainable Innovation

On successful completion of the module you will be able to:

• Identify and explore different global issues
• Research and analyse high-tech solutions and identify potential sustainability issues
• Develop potential low-tech solutions that help alleviate global issues in a more sustainable way
• Develop a change maker mindset and reflect on how this might help you with problem solving in the future

In this module, you will be introduced to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and you will investigate a global challenge of your choice. You will work collaboratively with your fellow students to identify potential research topics and explore them both as a group and individually. We will consider the technological revolution and how this has introduced high-tech as a way of living, working and managing the world around us. We will reflect on different global issues and how this high-tech approach to problem solving may create sustainability issues of its own. We will then develop low tech action plans to create change and help alleviate global issues.

Although you will contribute individually to your projects, you will also be working in a student team During the module we will help you to consider what skills are needed to tackle global issues and help you to set goals and work on these skills for yourself.

What you will learn: 

• How a broad range of global issues are facing the world today
• How to work collaboratively to research a contemporary global issue
• How your own skillset surrounding the study of Global Challenges can be enhanced

What you will do: 

• Familiarise yourself with a range of global issues facing the world today
• Choose a global issue to research further in teams, supported by staff
• Share your findings with other students
• Reflect on the process of learning and engaging with Global Challenges

The learning and teaching approach provides you with significant freedom and choice to explore relevant contemporary Global Challenges. After considering an overview of Global Challenges facing the world today, you will be supported to engage in your own research, both individually and collaboratively within a team. You will be supported in developing your own study skills and knowledge surrounding the research of a topic of your own choosing. There will also be considerable opportunity for peer work and sharing of findings.

This is an active learning module with continuous assessment. This helps to minimise hard deadlines and encourages you to work a little at a time throughout the course. We will engage in many practical large and small team activities to develop an understanding of the complexity of global issues. There will be many opportunities to receive feedback – both from peers and the module leaders.

We recognise the interrelated nature of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and do not consider individual SDGs in isolation.  We adopt a systems-based approach that recognises their cross-cutting nature. 

In this module you will have the opportunity to focus your studies on any SDG. After completing some exploratory activities to identify the topics that interest you the most, you will be considering a problem of your own choosing. This could address a single SDG, or impact on a number of SDG areas. You will also hear about the work of other students, so gain a broader awareness of further SDGs.

In previous years students have considered solutions to improve access to education (SDG 4), to eliminate infectious diseases (SDG 3), to improve resilience to natural disasters (SDGs 9, 11 and 13), to create clean energy (SDG 7), to tackle discrimination on the basis of gender and sexuality (SDGs 5, 10 and 11), to tackle food waste (SDG 2 and 12) – as well as many other pressing issues.

• Coursework: Researcher Reflection (a research journal that may be written or presented using multimedia entries) - equivalent of 600-1000 words (100%)

This module will be assessed both formatively and summatively. This means that you will receive feedback following each activity that we complete together in class. The summative assessment consists of a reflective journal with prompt questions that you will be able to answer in classtime each week.

• ECTS value: 0
• Requirements: You must be prepared to attend all classes and to spend about an hour a week preparing for each session
• This module is designed as an undergraduate Level 4 course. For an explanation of levels, view the Imperial Horizons Level Descriptors page.‌