290076 SE Globalisation and Sustainable Development (2023S)

This seminar is part of the specialization track on Socio-Economic Transformations in the Master program Geography: Global Change and Sustainability.

In recent decades, globalization has intensified and fragmented global production processes that also brought to light a number of critical concerns about the impacts on society and the environment. Today, end products are manufactured and assembled in multiple countries with each step in the process adding economic value to the product. Yet, a number of social and environmental costs urge for more sustainable design of these global production networks and global value chains. This seminar addresses some of the emerging geographical questions about sustainable development on a global scale by focussing on industries such as tourism, fashion, waste recycling, food and consumer electronics. Alongside the global drivers and restraints, the course also dives into international standards and certification systems as possible policy instruments to make economic processes more sustainable and socially more acceptable.

The seminar overall aims to enable students to understand, critically assess and engage with sustainability topics as part of complex global socio-economic structures. Through literature, writing and reading formats, students are introduced to relevant theoretical approaches to solidify their understanding of grand societal challenges in space and time. While some input is planned by the course leaders and guest speakers, emphasis will be placed on interactive learning through group discussions, assignments and constructive feedback.