CI9 - SD-1-2 Sustainable Development

Course Director: Dr James Keirstead

 Entry requirements

•   dependent on your being made an offer on one of our core MSc courses, and

•   the submission (and evaluation) of a 500‐word essay entitled " What challenges face my country in the next twenty years that threaten its sustainable development?"

Introduction

•   Numbers are limited to 20 in each year.

•   The module runs over the two taught terms, from October‐December and January‐March. Lectures run on Friday morning and afternoon in each week of term.

•   Only available to MSc students of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering  

Module Description

This module equips students with the skills to incorporate the concepts of sustainable development in all the stages of an engineering project’s development. They gain a good working knowledge of the background to the concept of sustainable development and learn to contribute with confidence to a debate on the issues raised by an engineering project or management plan.

The module is designed to complement core material in the four clusters of MSc courses offered in the Department: structural, geotechnical, environmental or transport topics. While each of these clusters contain some material relevant to sustainable development issues, this module will look more deeply at the topic in a holistic and cross‐cutting approach, which reflects its interdisciplinary nature. This is a very challenging course, and probably quite unlike any other course in engineering that the student will have taken before. Because of its time demands it is not recommended for students who anticipate difficulties with aspects of their core subject. In addition to the core course entry requirements, applicants must submit a 500‐word essay on which entrance to this module is decided; details may be found on the Application Information section of the Department website. In the essay (as with the programme itself) applicants must be prepared to demonstrate that they can discuss and write fluently about different political, economic and social real world issues.

The module is suitable for those who wish to direct their career towards issues of development and redevelopment, especially in the provision of infrastructure, and its renovation and renewal. It will give them the practical tools necessary to apply the principles of engineering for sustainable development in real world contexts. Its scope includes not only sustainable development in the developed world, but in developing economies, and the perspectives of key players. 

Course Contents

The basic curriculum will consist of three units, with the first two run concurrently in the first term:

·   The concept of sustainable development

This unit covers the history and origins of the concept. It will look at the economic, social and environmental drivers for sustainable development and factors that militate against its achievement, through the use of systems analysis and cognitive mapping techniques.  An engineering approach to sustainable development based on the so‐called 'triple bottom line’ (or ‘three capitals’) approach is emphasized.

·   Sustainable development and engineering innovation

This unit covers the role of innovation in maintaining a sustainable development path. It looks at the problems of managing the concept within real engineering projects, how to use local and national sustainable development indicators, the use of integrated life cycle analysis, and the modification of value engineering with concepts such as real options analysis. At the end of this unit students will be required to draft their own design manual for sustainable development that applies the methods discussed in the first term for an enterprise of their choice. The ERM prize for Engineering for Sustainable Development is awarded each year for the best design guide.

·   Applying the principles

This unit consists of a series of in‐depth studies given by staff in the Department and external advisers focusing on cross‐cutting urban and infrastructure issues including: enabling sustainable cities, water supply and management, waste management, transport infrastructure, energy, air pollution, sustainable construction, sustainable development in developing countries. The emphasis is on ‘wicked problems’ that are hard to solve by technology alone.  

Special Project

Students wishing to pursue their interest in engineering for sustainable development through an individual research project may do so through an approved topic within their core subject. This must demonstrate the principles of the “triple bottom line” design approach and the ability to conceive an engineering project, or product, in temporal as well as spatial terms.

Assessment

•  Written examination

This will consist of one paper, three hours in length and administered in May.  Answer 4 questions from 5.  Weighted at 60%.

•  Course work, including design guide

Coursework may be set by the tutors for each lesson and students will be notified of relevant due dates.  Weighted at 40%.