PLANETARY BOUNDARIES AND HUMAN OPPORTUNITIES

This is a course for professionals and PhD students seeking a wider understanding of our current global predicaments, how to make sense of them, and how to respond. The first module introduces the Anthropocene, The Great Acceleration, Planetary Boundaries along with causal relationships between energy, technology, economy, values and the human and more-than-human experience. The second module explores how our own cognition, values, norms and emotions guide our responses to the crises of our time, and how we can formulate coherent responses based on our experiences. The third introduces a way of reasoning about the world in terms of interconnected systems instead of independent problems, and explores what such a view means for us. The course is run online with 2h highly interactive seminars connected to each module along with recorded material, readings and exercises.

Målet med kursen är att ge lärare fortbildning inom ämnet djurvälfärd och hållbarhet. Kursens mål är också att ge lärare inspiration att designa sin egen undervisning, att ge lärare möjlighet att ta till sig ny forskning och att dela med sig av läraktiviteter som kan användas av fler.

Miljö, klimat och hälsa Kursen ger en fördjupad förståelse för hur hälsa samspelar med globalisering och miljö- och klimatförändringar, och hur hållbara lösningar kan utvecklas på lokal och global nivå för att möta framtidens utmaningar.   Kursens innehåll Globala processer såsom miljö- och klimatförändringarDe globala hållbarhetsmålen / Agenda 2030HälsokonsekvensanalysKlimatanpassningRamverk inom miljö- och klimatpolitik.  Vidare behandlar kursen specifikt klimatförändringar och deras effekter på hälsa i vårt nordeuropeiska klimatområde. I det sammanhanget behandlas också särskilt utsatta miljöer respektive känsliga patientgrupper och individer. Även värmens effekter vid arbete samt klimatanpassning och förebyggande av väderrelaterade risker för boende och inom hälso- och sjukvård ingår. Larmkedjor, handlingsplaner och beredskapsfrågor inom vård- och omsorg tas upp, och effektiviteten av förebyggande åtgärder inom vård- och omsorg.   Omfattning Kursen är uppdelad i tre delar, med totalt 15 filmade föreläsningar.   Medverkande Christofer Åström (Medicine doktor, Folkhälsa och klinisk medicin, Umeå universitet) Maria Nilsson (Professor, Epidemiologi och global hälsa, Umeå universitet) Chris Ebi (Professor, Center for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington) Eva-Lotta Glader (Docent, överläkare, Folkhälsa och klinisk medicin, Umeå universitet) Gustav Strandberg (Filosofie doktor, SMHI)

Opens in May 2025. The Swedish version of the course, namely ”Varför välja trä vid nästa byggprojekt?” will open already in februari 2025. For more iformation contact course coordinator dimitris.athanassiadis@slu.seCourse DescriptionDifferent types of biomaterials (e.g., wood) are crucial in the challenge of decarbonizing the built environment and reducing the carbon footprint of buildings and infrastructure by replacing materials like steel and cement, which have high carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, we must not forget that it is important to preserve biodiversity and the social values of our forests. The 13 modules of the course cover many forestry related subjects, including harvesting methods, biodiversity, forest management, logistics, the role of forests in the climate transition, carbon storage, environmental benefits of multi-story buildings with wood, and more. The goal is that participants will gain a shared understanding of Swedish forestry so that they can make well-informed decisions about material choices for their next construction project. Course PeriodThe course will be active for 3 years. Content Forest history: The utilization of forests in Sweden throughout the past years Forestry methods and forest management Forest regeneration Wood properties Forest mensuration Forest tree breeding The forest's carbon balance Business models and market development: Focus on wood high rises Nature conservation and biodiversity in the forest Course StructureThe course is fully digital with pre-recorded lectures. You can participate in the course at your own pace. Modules conclude with quizzes where you can test how much you have learned. You will learn aboutUpon completion of the course, you will have learned more about various forest-related concepts, acquired knowledge of forest utilization in Sweden throughout the past years, increased your understanding of forest management and how different management methods affect biodiversity in the forest, and learned about the forestry cycle—from regeneration to final harvesting, etc. Who is this course for?This course is designed for professionals such as architects, municipal employees working with urban planning and construction, individuals in the construction and civil engineering sector, and those in other related fields. This is an introductory course and will contribute to upskilling of the entire construction sector, thereby increasing the industry's international competitiveness while also providing important prerequisites for the development of future sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive cities. Since the course is open to everyone, we hope that more groups, such as students, doctoral candidates, forest owners, and others with an interest in forestry, will take the course and engage with inspiring lectures where scientific knowledge primarily produced within SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) is presented.

  About the courseRenewable hydrogen stands out as a highly promising solution to decarbonize heavy industries and transportation sector, helping to achieve the climate goals of Sweden- reaching net zero emissions by 2045. The terms renewable hydrogen, clean hydrogen or green hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced from renewable energy or raw material. The utilization of renewable hydrogen for industrial applications necessitates the development of the entire value chain, from generation and storage to transport and final applications. Unlocking the potential of hydrogen economy in Sweden involves not only technological advancements and infrastructure development but also a skilled workforce. This course offers an introduction of renewable hydrogen as a pivotal component for industrial applications, focusing on its generation, storage, transport, and utilization within industrial contexts. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of renewable hydrogen technologies, such as electrolysis, fuel cell, and hydrogen storage and distribution solutions, preparing them with essential knowledge and foundational insights for advancing the decarbonization of industrial processes through the adoption of hydrogen-based energy solutions. Aim and Learning OutcomesThe goal of this course is to develop a basic understanding of renewable hydrogen as a pivotal component for industrial applications, focusing on its generation, storage, transport, and utilization within industrial contexts.The learning outcomes of the course are to be able to: Explain the fundamental knowledge and theories behind electrolysis and fuel cell technologies. Compare and describe the differences of existing renewable hydrogen generation technologies (PEM, AE, AEM, SOE, etc.), and existing fuel cell technologies (PEMFC, MSFC, SOFC, etc.. Describe the principles of hydrogen storage, including gas phase, liquid phase, and material-based storage and thermal management of storage systems. Identify the challenges of hydrogen transportation and be able to describe relevant solutions. Examples of professional roles that will benefit from this course are energy and chemical engineers, renewable and energy transition specialists, policy makers and energy analysts. This course will also support the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries, such as metallurgical industry and oil refinery industry, by using renewable hydrogen. This course is given by Mälardalen university in cooperation with Luleå University of Technology. Scheduled online seminars April 22nd, 2025May 19th, 2025 Study effort: 80 hours  

Målet med kursen är att ge lärare fortbildning inom ämnet djurvälfärd och hållbarhet. Kursens mål är också att ge lärare inspiration att designa sin egen undervisning, att ge lärare möjlighet att ta till sig ny forskning och att dela med sig av läraktiviteter som kan användas av fler.