865-0067-00L  Foundations of Sustainable Development Practice

SemesterAutumn Semester 2016
LecturersD. Molnar, R. Batliner
Periodicitytwo-yearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish
CommentGenerally only for MAS in Development and Cooperation.

Two MACIS students will be admitted to this course. MACIS students are asked to directly contact the MAS administration NADEL for course enrollment.


AbstractThe course provides students with an introduction to concepts of sustainable development, with an emphasis on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Both conceptual and practical issues are presented, with the intention of challenging students to critically assess and debate on current issues of global development.
ObjectiveThe students are able to:
- define the main underlying concepts of the SDGs like "sustainability" and "development";
- explain the background of the Agenda 2030, its intention, the process of its development and the guiding principles for its implementation;
- discuss practical difficulties in pursuing and achieving sustainable development through development & cooperation interventions;
- describe the relevant actors and their roles and responsibilities;
- discuss the merits and the limitations of such an ambitious, multi-disciplinary, universally agreed upon framework;
- examine what the SDGs could mean for "developed nations" like Switzerland.
Content- Setting the stage: What is sustainable? What is development? Why Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
- The Agenda 2030: 17 goals and 169 targets
- Actors: Who are the actors in the SDG debate? How do these actors influence decisions? What are the roles of civil society, of the private sector, and of governments in implementing the SDGs?
- Switzerland: What does the Agenda 2030 mean for Switzerland's national and international agendas? Which SDGs does Switzerland focus on at home and abroad?
- Focus on a selection of SDGs and their related targets (not dealt with in other courses).