Seminar of Science of Sustainability and Climate Change
Code
73224104
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Geografia e Planeamento Regional
Credits
5
Weekly hours
2
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
The Seminar aims mainly at showing students how to research in depth, how to debate a subject beyond the usual, mainstream opinions; and at inspiring themes and provide clues for the development of Ph.D. Thesis topics.
The students will develop skills of critical analysis to existing views, theories, and practices related to sustainable development and climate change current problems and solutions; of auto-analysis of their own views, positions and prejudices; of application of scientific methodologies, support and rigour; and of investigation, preparation, and oral and written communication of arguments.
In short this unit aims to prepare the students from a scientific and methodological viewpoint to successfully conceive, mount and present a Ph.D. Thesis.
Prerequisites
None
Subject matter
Historical responsibility and the right to the Development.
Sustainable use of Natural Resources - the argument of Limits to Growth
Integral Sustainability: a perspective from system theory and beyond.
For fighting Climate Change (CC), is the top priority Adaptation or Mitigation?
Relations of Sustainability Science to CC
Methodologies for adressing Sustainability Science and CC problems
Where is the capacity and responsibility for action against CC: public or private entities?
What should be the role and methods of research on CC and Sustainable Development issues?
Urban development models vs. climatic challenges
Are Renewable Energies really so \"green\"? And a final solution to the energy supply?
Many problems, limited humand and financial resources: is CC a top priority?
N.B. this set of themes is updated every year according to the currently more important issues debated at the SD and CC arena.
Bibliography
Pelo próprio conceito desta Unidade, os alunos devem explorar eles próprios bibliografia para suportar os seus argumentos para os debates e para o Ensaio. Os professores e oradores referem nas suas apresentações a bibliografia relevante, que é muito variável como o tema e serve antes de mais para demonstrar como referir e usar dados, relatórios, artigos, etc. e não como objectos de estudo em si mesmos.
According to the very concept of this Unit, the students are to themselves explore the bibliography needed to support their arguments at the debates and for the essay. The professors and speaker surely present bibliography (hugely variable according to the theme debated) but this serves more as examples of how to search and quote relevant scientific works, reports, data, etc. than as study material.
Teaching method
The Seminar sessions include talks that encourage debate, between the presenters as well as between students. Basic layout of the sessions: (i)
opening address, with the professor, a guest speaker, or else two teams of students, that present viewpoints on a topic. For more vivid debates,
there are contrasting, complementary or even opposite viewpoints. Students pose killer questions criticizing the different viewpoints. The
Seminar also provides a venue to addressing how senior practitioners approach wicked problems.
Evaluation method
Evaluation:
(i) Debate with another team of students with contrasting views on a same issue (40% weight; set of evaluation criteria disclosed to the students).
(ii) Written essay of 6 -10 000 characters on one of the topics debated (40% weight, set of evaluation criteria disclosed to the students).
(iii) Auto-evaluation, one page of self assessment of the academic, professional and private life performance regarding SD and CC (20% weight).