| Institute of Food and Resource Economics
66 % Department of Agricultural Sciences 34 % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | MSc. 1 year | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 15 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Level | MSc | ||||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination written examination and oral examination Portfolio Examination All aids allowed Description of Examination: Attendance, active participation and completion of specific tasks within initial course on Systems Thinking Evaluation of project reports Oral presentation of the project Weight: Attendance, active participation and completion of specific tasks within initial course on Systems Thinking (30%) Evaluation of project reports (60%) Oral presentation of the project)(10%) pass/fail, external examiner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures, exercises, excursions, project work | ||||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 3 Week Structure: Outside schedule | ||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Language | English may be conducted in Danish | ||||||||||||||||||
| Areas of Competence the Course Will Address | |||||||||||||||||||
| Basic Science: Understand key concepts in systems thinking, communication and learning theories. Understand the complexity of "real world" enterprises as systems. Comprehend the assessment of the overall performance of an enterprise and its subsystems in terms of human activity, business, natural and wider social, economic and natural environmental contexts Applied Science: Able to describe each component of an enterprise, the interrelationships between the parts and its wider environment and how the systems management has changed over time in response to changes in environment and needs of the humans involved. Critically apply theories, modelling techniques in conducting the multi-perspective analysis. Identify emergent themes, opportunities and issues critical to the present and future purpose of the enterprise. Ethics % Values Aware of the need to view the enterprise and situations from t | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Objectives | |||||||||||||||||||
| To promote interdisciplinary thinking within the context of real world situations, owned by potential clients in their natural setting, and it will provide an opportunity to bring together knowledge gained from a number of disciplines (e.g. agronomy, economics, animal production, food science etc) and help create integrated knowledge and promote the students' ability to manage complexity. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Contents | |||||||||||||||||||
| Integrating knowledge from the disciplines - drawing from disciplinary knowledge appropriate in the context of a problematic situation of real client(s) towards Managing complexity - learning to deal with complex problems and working out changes considered desirable and feasible by the client(s) and using a framework of Systems science and its methods and tools - Drawing from systems science in theory and practice and using appropriate methods and tools. Communication and consulting - Develop capacity to advise on a foundation of extension science and facilitate learning of the client(s). | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching And Learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||||
| Three week introductory classes - will include lectures, exercises and workshops covering concepts and themes relevant to the aim of the course. Students become familiar with the key concepts in systems thinking and management science in the context of enterprises related to agronomy, animal production, economics, forestry etc as production systems and also food and other systems involved in processing and sales. In addition, theories of learning, communication and advisory work will be a part of the course and the overall framework and tool for the activities. Selection of host enterprise will be completed. Off campus activities - Multi perspective analysis - The starting point will be the description and analysis of an enterprise as a system. Describing/modelling the enterprise system and sub systems, and its historical and wider environment context. Working with the enterprise for up to 5 weeks building relationships with all people associated with the system (host and family across generations and genders, owners, employees, peers, ,advisers, suppliers, regional county people etc.) by integrating all that is going on in the enterprise and the environment of it. Assessing the performance of each sub systems, the impacts and flows between the wider economic, social/legal and natural/catchment environments and the overall performance of the enterprise system against its purpose. Final issue identification and suggestion for action - Issues identification, discussing, evidencing and ranking emergent themes, issues, opportunities and critical success factors and negotiating with the client to identify one aspect to research to improve to the overall enterprise system - problem solving and suggestions for improvement Working with the enterprise the students will go through three key steps each concluding with a report on: - description and analysis of the enterprise - issue identification - problem solving and suggestions for improvement | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Litterature | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study material to be presented at the start of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||||
| Nadarajah Sriskandarajah, sri@kvl.dk, Institute of Food and Resource Economics/Consumption, Health and Ethics Division, Phone: 35283432 Vibeke Langer, vl@life.ku.dk, Department of Agricultural Sciences/Environment, Resources and Technology, Phone: 35332383 Vagn Olsen, vo@life.ku.dk, Institute of Food and Resource Economics/Consumption, Health and Ethics Division, Phone: 35332167 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee NSN | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Scope | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||