Pre-University Honours Programme: Sustainable Thinking

Working towards a sustainable society means learning to live in harmony with our natural environment whilst consciously making changes which allow future generations to flourish. Young people today have grown up in a world where sustainability is one of the most pressing issues. But aside from its definition, what does it really mean, and how do we implement best practices in order to ensure a liveable future for ourselves and the generations that will follow? This summer programme will bring together high school students from across the world to study an important topic at the university level.

We are becoming more aware as a society that many of our habits are unsustainable. This two-week programme will delve into how we can change our ways in order to keep our planet habitable. We will explore sustainability in various dimensions, such as individual, organisational, political and more. This programme will ultimately give you insights to apply sustainable thinking to various contexts, so that you can incorporate this into whichever career you follow.

Course leader

Dr. Ernst van Weperen

Target group

For current high school students (must be 16+) interested in sustainability, enviromental studies, feasability of sustainable practices and how these can be carried out by individuals, governments and organisations.

Course aim

Approaching the concept of sustainability requires us to first determine what we are trying to sustain. This could be ourselves, the environment, or a company. The Sustainable Thinking programme explores the ability to sustain “the self”, “the planet”, “the organization”, and, as the course progresses, the interconnectedness of all three.

Using the awareness developed in “the sustainable self” and the knowledge gained in “the sustainable planet”, students adopt the mind-set of “the sustainable entrepreneur” operating in a complex and dynamic multi-stakeholder environment. In this process we will acquire skills, develop the knowledge and shape the attitude on their path to becoming well-versed, interculturally aware, global citizens.

Credits info

None

Fee info

EUR 1500: What's included in the fees?
All programmes organised through the Summer Programmes Office at the Graduate School of Social Sciences (including this programme) are designed so that you can focus on participating in the course and immersing yourself in your new environment. We make that possible by including the following in the tuition fee:

All course readings and materials
Online payment costs
Lunch on class days
Excursions and excursion lunches
Welcome and farewell events
Access to the digital learning environment and UvA (digital) library
A UvA Student Card
Access to all university buildings and facilities
An official transcript or certificate of participation
A public transit card with small starter amount (you will receive this at the Academic Opening on the Sunday at the start of the programme)
EUR 550: This is for a shared room and shared facilities. Registering for housing is mandatory. Read more about university-organised accomodation. Housing will be from 15 July till 27 July.

Scholarships

Please visit our website for scholarship opportunities.