Here below you can find all master courses the University Centre offers. All courses are taught in 1-3 week modules running from August through June. See how the courses are organised in the teaching schedule for both programs. Usually 2-3 courses are taught at the same time, but students may only enroll in one course at a time.
The master courses are available to you whether you plan to pursue a degree or just take a course or courses. Please review the options for guest studies to determine how you can apply.
For further information, contact the Administrative Director of Education and Teaching.
Just Transitions in the Coastal Zone
- Autumn 2024
- Instructor: Dr. Patrick Heidkamp
About the course
This course introduces students to the burgeoning and often conflicting Blue Economy discourse and challenges students to critically analyze community development efforts that are sold as Blue Economy initiatives. Students will engage with a variety of concepts such as the Geography of Transitions, Just Sustainability Transitions, and Critical Pragmatism in order to help them develop their own framework for critical analysis. The course will include a field component consisting of two parts: (1) a field-based exploration of Blue Economy initiatives in Reykjavik, and (2) attendance at the Arctic Circle Assembly in order to understand the transdisciplinary context of the Blue Economy in the Arctic. In this course, different approaches to achieve the sustainable use and conservation of ocean resources for improved wellbeing, social equity, and healthy aquatic ecosystems will be discussed. The course focuses on the blue economy paradigm, which connects environmental, social, and economic sustainability by promoting the improvement of human wellbeing and social equity. The Blue Economy has gained attention among government organizations, development agencies, politicians, academics, entrepreneurs, and businesses as being a new integrated approach to community and regional development. This course shifts the attention from traditional economic analysis to alternative economic models and measures.
Participation in the conference Arctic Circle in Reykjavík is an integrative part of this course. Registration, accommodation, and transport to/from Reykjavík is the participants' own responsibility and expense.
Instructor
Patrick is a Professor in the Department of the Environment, Geography and Marine Sciences at SCSU, and also a co-director of the Connecticut State University Center for Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Education. His current research focuses on transdisciplinary engagement with the blue economy and just sustainability transitions in the coastal zone. Patrick has international teaching and/or research experience in Africa, Central America, and Europe and has been organizing and leading a Summer Field Course focused on studying Economy-Environment interactions to Iceland for the last decade.
Learning outcome
On completion of the course a student:
- can understand the dependency of ocean industries, marine ecosystems, and societies who rely on them.
- can identify and interpret challenges that come with the increase in the economic value of the oceans and resulting threats to the oceans.
- can describe alternative economic approaches in addition to traditional economic analysis.
- can understand the conflicting discourse concerning the Blue Economy.
- can demonstrate an understanding of just transitions/just sustainability and environmental justice concepts.
- can demonstrate an understanding of transdisciplinary action research as a framework for the co-creation of knowledge.
Prerequisites: No prerequisites registered for the course
Assessment: 10% class participation, 40% group project, 50% final project
Final Exam: Assignment