Home >
Programs Onboard >
Undergraduate Studies >
Learning Circles >
Sustainable Development
As economies around the world develop and expand, a critical issue is the sustainability of that development, both economically and environmentally. In this learning circle, students and academic teaching staff explore sustainability from the perspectives of such disciplines as geography, economics, sociology, anthropology, law, and environmental studies. Furthermore, our academically-oriented port program provides an invaluable learning opportunity for students to reflect on sustainable development outside the classroom, in a context that resonates long after their voyage concludes.
Fields of study commonly associated with the Sustainable Development Learning Circle
- Ecology
- Environmental Studies
- Marine Biology
- Maritime Studies
- Oceanography
- Public Health
- Urban/Regional Studies
Subjects
Download Subject Catalog >>
Themes
The following themes play a prominent role in the subjects offered:
- Concept of development and its relationships to sustainability
- Concept of sustainability (meanings; its evolution; strengths/weaknesses; measurement)
- Scale aspects of sustainability (global – regional – local)
- Interplay between scales (need to think and act both globally and locally)
- The need for a long-term view (precautionary principle)
- Sustainability in different geographic settings (rural-urban; coastal-inland; arid-tropical, etc.)
- Sustainability in and interactions between different environmental and atmospheric sectors
- Socio-cultural perspectives on sustainability
- Equity and fairness issues of sustainability (intergenerational responsibilities; developed/developing country interplay; and competing interests)
- Sustainability and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals
- Economic/political/social forces that threaten sustainability in different settings and the interconnections between these forces
- Sustainable ways of preserving health and food (production and quality) endangered or challenged by the development process
- Sustainable buildings and alternative materials in different geographic settings
- Critical pathways to sustainability
Learning Outcomes
The core learning outcomes for this learning circle are to enhance students’ ability to:
• Research sustainability issues
• Contribute to the sustainability debate
• Become agents of change for sustainability within their communities and nations
• Develop an awareness of the values, ethics and morals involved in the human factor put at risk by the development process
• Develop an appreciation of the:
- Concept of sustainability and development
- Threats to sustainability in various geographic settings
- Need for systems thinking (interconnections between economic/political/social/cultural factors and environmental sectors)
- Need for long-term perspectives in considering sustainability
- Equity and fairness dimensions of sustainability
- Interplay of geographic scales in understanding sustainability issues
- Differing cultural and socio-economic perspectives on sustainability
- Key sustainability issues and threats in students’ home countries