Sustainability and Circular Economy

About

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the goal to achieve a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, increasing pressures on veal industries, and the depletion of fossil fuels are recurring themes in daily news programmes. However, understanding the precise implications of these issues and their impact on individuals and businesses is crucial. But what does it exactly mean? What are the consequences on you? On business? And what can you do to make a positive change to this situation? How can you find your inner drive to stimulate positive change in business? Let’s find that out together in this Summer Course!

Course leader

Marcel Slootweg. Drs. Marcel Slootweg graduated at the State University of Leiden in 1993 as a Historian specialized in contemporary foreign politics. After his study, he started working for Rabobank as a trainee Investment Specialist. From then on he worked in the world of investment management and private wealth management for several Dutch private banks, included ING. He also graded as a Certified Financial Analyst in 2004. This is a post-graduate education in Business Economics, specialised in equity and liabilities. He gained most of his working experience at Staalbankiers (greenfield operation) and Van Lanschot Bankiers (managing two desks of investment specialist and later a greenfield operation in Wealth Management). After 25 years in banking industry he switched his career to education. He is a lecturer at Saxion University of Applied Science in subjects like Finance, Ethics and Sustainability.

Target group

Young professionals and university students with intermediate level of English

Course aim

Description
This summer course will prepare you to be ready to update traditional business models by exploring innovative approaches within the circular economy, emphasizing value creation throughout the product life cycle. Through engaging discussions, collaborative projects, and real-world case studies, you gain insights into sustainable business practices. Connect with like-minded individuals to have meaningful discussions and explore collaborations that contribute to the larger movement towards circularity. Stay ahead in the circular revolution by staying informed about the latest trends, technologies, and strategies in sustainable innovation, equipping yourself to navigate the evolving landscape of environmental responsibility. Embrace a culture of sustainability and be a driving force for positive environmental and economic impacts by visualizing your sustainable personality.
This course is not aimed at one-way transfer of knowledge, but rather aimed at creating a learning space in which you can develop yourself with the continuous support of a coach/lecturer.

Acquired skills & knowledge:
• Understanding of complexity of sustainable business transformation
• Ability to create tailor-made sustainable business transformation proposals
• Understanding of your own position in the movement to a more sustainable world
• Ability to find useful, reliable, and up-to-date information on sustainability and circular economy

Schedule
The schedule is subject to change because of the availability of external parties. All elements of this programme will be covered during the summer course.
Day 1 Introduction
Setting the stage: After introducing ourselves (Who am I? Why am I here? What is my carbon footprint?), you will be introduced into the history of sustainability. We will discuss some of the current sustainability challenges (e.g. CO2 reduction, energy transition, biodiversity, circular economy and human wellbeing).
Day 2 Planning
From theory to practice: company visit: we will visit the business challenge case company in Prague and study how the company operates. The company will provide you the information you need for your final (group) assignment.
Day 3 Analysis
Exploring the doughnut. The concept of “doughnut economics” is based on the idea that humanity needs to operate within social and ecological boundaries. The inner circle of the donut represents the minimum social standards that everyone on the planet should have access to, such as clean water, food, and health care. The outer circle represents the ecological limits of the planet, beyond which we are damaging the natural systems that support life on Earth.
Day 4 Analysis
It’s time to work on your project and take a deeper dive into the business challenge case company. What is their value chain? What sustainable practices do they already embrace? How do they do that? You will be in charge of the programme for today.
Day 5 Reflection
After four intensive days of working on your business challenge, we will board a (fictive) helicopter and review everything we have done so far. What are the preliminary conclusions we can take? How can we help the company to become more sustainable?
You are also going to reflect on your personal journey and can take some time to work on identifying your own identity.
Day 6 Innovation
Sustainable business transformation. We are going to explore different methods to innovate businesses to become more sustainable. How can circularity play a role in this? Based on your analysis, you will be able to apply this knowledge into the business challenge project.
Day 7 Innovation
Validation is key when it comes to changing business processes. Let’s see how the business challenge case company reacts to your ideas. Perhaps they can give you some additional and valuable insights?
Day 8 Creation
Today, all information should come together in one final product. Innovation, especially when making business processes more sustainable and circular, requires you to be creative and think outside of the box. Let’s see what comes out of your brain’s right hemisphere.
Day 9 Implementation
Decision-makers in companies are often too hesitant when it comes to embracing new, and innovative improvements for their business process. To make sure that your ideas are ready to be embraced by the business challenge case company, we are going to make sure that the implementation can be done as smoothly as possible by visualizing the steps.
Day 10 Presentations
Wrap up: save the best for last. You are going to present your ideas to the business challenge case company! Hopefully, your ideas will be used to make the case company more sustainable. Wouldn’t that be absolutely awesome!?

Professional development - Business challenge
Effective learning involves visualizing information and understanding its practical application (Oakley & Sejnowski, 2018). In this summer course, participants will engage in a real-world case study involving a company in Prague seeking assistance in enhancing sustainability through proposed circular solutions within its existing business model. Working collaboratively within (sub)groups, participants will develop and execute a plan, addressing key considerations such as analysing the business model, identifying improvement opportunities, and creating tailored circular solutions. Decisions on visualization methods for the proposed solutions rest with the groups, emphasizing the role of creativity in sustainability and circular economy initiatives.

Personal development – Identifying your identity
The course also prioritizes personal development, specifically in identity identification. While maintaining a fast-paced approach, the course recognizes the value of reflection, providing support through various models and group sessions with the coach. Taking time for reflection and evaluating one's current position are integral to making substantial progress, even in the pursuit of continuous advancement.

Fee info

Early bird fee 850EUR until 31.12.2024