| Department of Agricultural Sciences | |||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 2 year to MSc. 2 year | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||
| Course Level | Joint BSc and MSc | ||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination written examination and oral examination Portfolio Examination All aids allowed Description of Examination: Class presentation Reflective essay International Group Project Main essay Weight: Class presentation 25% Reflective essays 15% International Group Project 30% Main essay 30% pass/fail, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||
| Requirement For Attending Exam | Attendance in 75% of class sessions | ||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures, Tutorials, International Student Group Projects | ||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 4 Week Structure: C | ||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Language | English | ||||||||||||||||
| Areas of Competence the Course Will Address | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic Science: Understand the concept of sustainability. Comprehend the global and Eurpopean nature and complexity of sustainability issues within agri-food systems and the natural environment. Understand ways of linking disciplinary knowledge with interdisciplinary thinking. Applied Science: Have knowledge and skills in complex problem solving and communicating in groups. Able to work in multicultural settings. Apply critical thinking skills and able to accommodate and work with multiple perspectives on social and environmental questions. Ethics and Values: Aware of ethical dilemmas and able to discuss different value positions in the creation of knowledge and construction of meaning in important societal questions. Reflects on own learning processes. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Objectives | |||||||||||||||||
| The goal is that students from different countries come into a classroom using scenario analysis methods to analyse plausible futures for the European food system. Objectives: - provide opportunity to analyse, discuss and formulate positions related to a case study on complex sustainability issues - interactive problem solving with international students - learn use of information and scenario analysis - develop critical reflection and project management capacities. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Contents | |||||||||||||||||
| This intended international course is based on the premise that issues related to environment and sustainable food systems transcend disciplinary and national boundaries. Students from different parts of the world are brought into a classroom and take part in guided discussions around a selected real life case study about the European food system. Each student has to take a role in the study theme. The case study looks at the production, proceessing and consumption of food in Europe under four scenarios based on those in the IPCC report on climate change. Relevant issues are energy availability, climate change, food safety, GMOs in food, organic agriculture and population. Students learn the techniques of scenario analysis and take part in in-class group work, and in international problem-solving group projects. | |||||||||||||||||
| Teaching And Learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||
| Four scenario case studies on the plausible future of the European Food System will be developed by the students. Guest lecturers on the case study theme will provide specialist input. Discussion and tutorial sessions will be used to help participants prepare their scenarios. Students will submit a reflective essay on the case study theme, complete an international group project and an extended essay and presentation in class. | |||||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||||
| Students in the course will learn the technique of scenario analysis, that is defined as examining plausible futures for a system given a set of overriding constraints. Relevant constraints for the European Food System (EFS) will be globalised versus local food production and consumption, the availability of energy for the EFS, global population demands for food and dietary preferences. Students will also learn to work in groups and present results to a wider audience. Students will also learn the different roles and actors in the EFS ranging form production to processing and food consumption. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Litterature | |||||||||||||||||
| Case study material, discussion boards. Additional text and references will be made available during the course. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||
| John R. Porter, jrp@life.ku.dk, Department of Agricultural Sciences/Environment, Resources and Technology, Phone: 35333377 | |||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee NSN | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Scope | |||||||||||||||||
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