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Lecturer(s)
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Farka Dominik, MSc. Dr. rer. nat.
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Course content
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Content of tutorials/seminar: All activities will be conducted in English. The course consists of three parts: Preparatory Part ? Seminar: - Introduction to the technical basics and topics of sustainability. - Assignment of presentation topics. - One-on-one calls to prepare presentations. - (12 hours + approximately 16 hours of self-study for presentation preparation) Interactive Part: - Presentations by invited guests and industry experts, followed by networking. (8 hours of attendance at presentations) - Short presentations by students. (12 hours of presentation preparation + 4 hours of attendance at presentations) - Writing a reflection. (8 hours of preparation) Excursions: - Visits to Austrian companies and start-ups. (8 hours, visiting at least 2 companies) Changing Content: The content of all three parts will adapt to the expertise of the invited lecturers. For example: - An expert from the oil industry will emphasize resource treatment (mining, refining, production of functional oils), energy components (petrochemical components in batteries and accumulators, transformer oils), and automotive applications (fuels, tire production strategies). - An expert from a company specializing in batteries and accumulators will focus on electronics, batteries (Li-ion, Na-Ion, solid-state, conventional batteries), thermal management, legislation, and automotive applications. Focus Areas for the First Part of the Course: - Fundamentals and principles - Jurisdiction, regulation, norms, standards - Industry and society Indicative Content for the First Year: Based on current communication with companies, the first year's content will focus on: - Batteries and accumulators - Automotive - Petrochemicals and sustainability - Plastics and their sustainable use - Waste management and recycling
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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unspecified
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Learning outcomes
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- Familiarize students with the technical aspects of sustainability, including: o Technology (mobility, transport, energy) o Legislation o Waste management and recycling o Resource use (mining, energy) o Industry and society o Economic motivation o Communication strategy - Provide insights into the motivations of companies (corporate and start-ups) and industries based in Austria and Western Europe through expert lectures and excursions. - Equip students with the skills to engage in sustainable work processes and understand the associated mindset. - Build foundational knowledge and experience for sustainable practices in both professional and personal life. - Facilitate networking with invited lecturers and among students from different fields and years. - Encourage active participation in seminars through discussions, short presentations, and a final thesis (approximately 1 A4 page) on sustainability in personal life, employment, or unconventional contexts (e.g., sustainable leadership style). - Ensure presentations meet professional standards, including didactic processing, graphic design, and correct citations. One-on-one calls (up to 15 minutes) will simulate professional scenarios to enhance technical proficiency and graphic skills. - Adapt the detailed course content to reflect the expertise of invited lecturers.
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Prerequisites
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none
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Assessment methods and criteria
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unspecified
80% participation rate during in-house activities, participation on excursion, active participation during discussion, presentation of sustainability-related topic General Remarks: This seminar consists of three parts: - One day of lecture-type participatory education - One day of invited talks by representatives of industry and student talks - Excursions to select work-places in the industrial setting This seminar lives from the interaction between the lecturers and participants and therefore a wide variety of approaches to sustainability will be presented. Opinion-forming discussions are to be expected. Evaluation: There is no exam. Students will be evaluated based on their participation during the seminar such as posing questions during the seminar, participation in discussions, their interaction with invited lecturers, etc. and their own lectures which they will prepare. Both parts need to be evaluated positively in order to pass. A third point of evaluation lies in the closing essay. Preparation for the seminar: Students are expected to prepare for each seminar day in detail. A general understanding of what sustainability means, is expected. Beyond that, it is recommended to read and widen the horizons in-between seminar-days. Students are expected to inform themselves about the companies that our invited speakers work for (which will be announced in advance). Homework and other preparation: For the second seminar day it is expected to prepare one presentation on a sustainability-related topic. The students will gain the necessary know-how on presentation within the scope of the seminar by experienced lecturers. In lieu of a final exam an essay will be written by the students on what sustainability means for them and where they see themselves, their skills, and their place within this topic in their future professional existence. Midterm Examinations: Presentation on a sustainability-related project. Attendance (80%): Compulsory If attendance criteria are not met: Stand-in activities, such as an extended presentation, an extended essay, literature search, etc. are expected and will be discussed once the issues comes up. As this seminar is intended as a networking-tool, this is strongly discouraged. Preferential approach in case of limited capacities: no preferential treatment
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Recommended literature
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Directive (EU) 2022/2464 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 537/2014, Directive 2004/109/EC, Directive 2006/43/EC and Directive 2013/34/EU, as regards corporate sustainability reporting (Text with EEA relevance).
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Directive 2014/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain large undertakings and groups Text with EEA relevance.
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European Critical Raw Materials Act (Regulations (EU) 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/102; https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials/critical-raw-materials-act_en ).
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BECKER, Per. Sustainability science: managing risk and resilience for sustainable development. Second edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier, [2024]. ISBN 978-0-323-95640-6..
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