Health, Environment and Sustainability, 15 credits

Aims and objectives

General aims for second cycle education

Second-cycle courses and study programmes shall involve the acquisition of specialist knowledge, competence and skills in relation to first-cycle courses and study programmes, and in addition to the requirements for first-cycle courses and study programmes shall

• further develop the ability of students to integrate and make autonomous use of their knowledge
• develop the students' ability to deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations, and
• develop the students' potential for professional activities that demand considerable autonomy, or for research and development work.

(Higher Education Act, Chapter 1, Section 9)

Course objectives

Knowledge and understanding
After completing the course, the student should be able to

• give an account of the ecological, economic and social aspects of sustainability,
• give an account of the basic causes of today's environmental problems,
• explain the central challenges global and national in order to achieve sustainable development,
• identify pathways and sources of human exposure to environmental pollution,
• explain how human exposure to environmental pollution changes during life,
• give an account for exposure, risks and risk assessment,
• be able to apply the language use that is important for the design of multilateral environmental agreements in speech and writing,
• give an account of for the processes that are important for the emergence of multilateral environmental agreements, and
• have the ability to design scientific studies with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of measures taken in multilateral environmental agreements.

Proficiency and ability
After completing the course the student should be able to

• apply an interdisciplinary system perspective to find solutions for, sustainable development,
• evaluate different tools for measuring sustainable development,
• perform exposure assessments,
• interpret the legal text based on a convention to follow up when it is implemented by an authority or interest organization, and
• evaluate progress on the objectives of international conventions.

Values and attitude
After completing the course, the student should be able to

• evaluate different solutions to key environmental problems from a sustainability perspective,
• evaluate measurements of the exposomet, and
• demonstrate good ability to understand and describe the interest organizations and authorities (eg political parties, academia, individual citizens / society, the business community and the offices of the relevant conventions) responsible for the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.

Main content of the course

The course is initially aimed at the causes of today's environmental problems and the economic, ecological and social aspects of sustainable development. Thereafter, the links between the global development in terms of sustainability and the environment and human health are discussed with respect to the exposome, the total exposure to environmental toxins man is exposed to during his lifetime, and other external influencing factors and effects on human health. Finally, national and international agreements on environmental pollution are dealt with, which aim to regulate the use of environmentally hazardous substances in order to protect people and the environment.

Subcourse 1. Global Sustainable Developmen, 6 Credits

The course consists of the following elements:

• sustainable development as a concept and its ecological, economic and social dimensions,
• various aspects of the human relationship to nature and the environment,
• the origin and causes of environmental problems,
• the function of the natural systems, energy and material flows, cycles, ecosystems,
• planetary boundaries: spreading poisoning, climate change, reduced biodiversity,
• resilience and complex systems, and
• tools and methods for measuring, evaluating and developing strategies for sustainable development.

Subcourse 2. Exposome, Human and Environment, 4,5 Credits

The course consists of the following elements:

• exposure, risks and risk assessment,
• pathways and sources of exposure to environmental pollution,
• exposure assessments, models and data,
• exposure from external sources, biomonitoring and biological response: metabolic biomarkers for exposure,
• exposure through life: childhood, adulthood and old age,
• measurements of the exposomet: strategies, sampling and statistics, and
• exposure assessments in epidemiology.

Subcourse 3. Multilateral Environmental Agreements, 4,5 Credits

The course consists of the following elements:

• the science-policy interface in multilateral environmental agreements,
• global chemical management,
• techniques for maintaining environmental agreements,
• current state of knowledge about global environmental pollution: production, uses and emissions into the environment, and
• methods for elimination and reduced production of environmentally hazardous chemicals.

Teaching methods

The course is structured according to the principle problem-based learning (PBL) that promotes student-active learning. The teaching consists of lectures, recorded lectures according to the flipped classroom model with subsequent group discussions, learning diary as tools for reflection and documentation, as well as seminar and case-based group work.

Students who have been admitted to and registered on a course have the right to receive tuition and/or supervision for the duration of the time period specified for the particular course to which they were accepted (see, the university's admission regulations (in Swedish)). After that, the right to receive tuition and/or supervision expires.

Examination methods

Subcourse 1. Global Sustainable Developmen

Global Sustainable Development, Theory, 3 credits (Code: A001)
Written assignment.

Global Sustainable Development, Project Work/Case Study, 3 credits (Code: A002)
Group oral presentation and written documentation as well as active participation in seminars.

Subcourse 2. Exposome, Human and Environment

Exposomet, Human and Environment, Theory, 1.5 credits (Code: B001)
Written assignment.

Exposomet, Human and Environment, Laboratory Experiments, 1.5 credits (Code: B002)
Laborations reported in writing.

Exposomet, Human and Environment, Project Work/Case Studies, 1.5 credits (Code: B003)
Group oral presentation and written documentation as well as active participation in seminars.

Subcourse 3. Multilateral Environmental Agreements

Multilateral Environmental Agreement, Theory, 2.5 credits (Code: C001)
Written assignment.

Multilateral Environmental Agreement, Project Work/Case Study, 2 credits (Code: C002)
Group oral presentation and written documentation as well as active participation in seminars.

For students with a documented disability, the university may approve applications for adapted or other forms of examinations.

For further information, see the university's local examination regulations (in Swedish).

Comments on examination methods

Absence from Mandatory Course Component
If a student is absent from a mandatory course component, the examiner determines if the student will be able to make up for the component during another scheduled class of the same kind. Otherwise, the student is referred to the next time the course is offered. As an exception the examiner may decide on substitute assignments. These shall then be carried out before or shortly after the end of the course.

Grades

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 6, Section 18, a grade is to be awarded on the completion of a course, unless otherwise prescribed by the university. The university may prescribe which grading system shall apply. The grade is to be determined by a teacher specifically appointed by the university (an examiner).

According to regulations on grading systems for first- and second-cycle education (vice-chancellor's decision 2019-01-15, ORU 2019/00107), one of the following grades is to be used: fail, pass, or pass with distinction. The vice-chancellor or a person appointed by the vice-chancellor may decide on exceptions from this provision for a specific course, if there are special reasons.

Grades used on course are Fail (U), Pass (G) or Pass with Distinction (VG).

Global Sustainable Development, Theory
Grades used are Fail (U), Pass (G) or Pass with Distinction (VG).

Global Sustainable Development, Project Work/Case Study
Grades used are Fail (U) or Pass (G).

Exposomet, Human and Environment, Theory
Grades used are Fail (U), Pass (G) or Pass with Distinction (VG).

Exposomet, Human and Environment, Laboratory Experiments
Grades used are Fail (U) or Pass (G).

Exposomet, Human and Environment, Project Work/Case Studies
Grades used are Fail (U) or Pass (G).

Multilateral Environmental Agreement, Theory
Grades used are Fail (U), Pass (G) or Pass with Distinction (VG).

Multilateral Environmental Agreement, Project Work/Case Study
Grades used are Fail (U) or Pass (G).

For further information, see the university's local examination regulations (in Swedish).

Comments on grades

ECTS grades
The grading is translated into the ECTS grading scale

Specific entry requirements

A first-cycle qualification comprising at least 90 Credits in Natural Science with 60 Credits in Chemistry. Or a degree in Chemical Engineering. The applicant must also have qualifications corresponding to the course "English 6" or "English B" from the Swedish Upper Secondary School.

For further information, see the university's admission regulations (in Swedish).

Transfer of credits for previous studies

Students who have previously completed higher education or other activities are, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, entitled to have these credited towards the current programme, providing that the previous studies or activities meet certain criteria.

For further information, see the university's local credit transfer regulations (in Swedish).

Other provisions

Language of instruction: Swedish and English

Reading list and other teaching materials

Additional Reading

Brennan, Andrew (2010)
Understanding Environmental Philosophy
Acumen Publishing, 187 pages

Meadows, Donella H. (2009)
Thinking in Systems
London: Earthscan, 210 pages

Robertson, Margaret (2017)
Sustainability Principles and Practice
New York: Routledge, 398 pages

Rockström, Johan et al. (2009)
Planetary boundaries: exploring the safe operating space for humanity
Ecology and Society 14(2): 32

Steffen, Will et al. (2011)
The Anthropocene: conceptual and historical perspectives
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 369: 842-867

UNEP, Basel Convention
Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste
https://www.basel.int/Portals/4/Basel%20Convention/docs/text/BaselConventionText-e.pdf

UNEP, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade
https://www.pic.int/Portals/5/download.aspx?d=UNEP-FAO-RC-CONVTEXT-2015.English.pdf

UNEP, Minamata Convention on Mercury
Minamata Convention on Mercury
http://www.mercuryconvention.org/Portals/11/documents/conventionText/Minamata%20Convention%20on%20Mercury_e.pdf

UNEP, SAICM, World Helath Organization
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/SAICM_publication_ENG.pdf

UNEP, Stockholm Convention
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
http://chm.pops.int/Portals/0/download.aspx?d=UNEP-POPS-COP-CONVTEXT-2009.En.pdf

White, Lynn (1967)
The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis
Science 155 (3767):1203-1207

Additions and Comments on the Reading List

Articles will be added.