Month: August 2019

The new academic year starts with interesting online courses for change makers.

 

Leadership for sustainable change is a course about how to lead change towards more sustainable society. In Autumn 2019, the course runs as a 5 ECTS online course in collaboration with University of Helsinki, Tampere University as well as Open university of Helsinki. Course material is available at: www.leadforsust.fi

• University of Helsinki: course code ATM373, next course 3.9.-20.10.2019, registration leadforsust.fi
• Open university of Helsinki: course code AYATM373, next course 3.9.-20.10.2019, registration leadforsust.fi
• Tampere University: course code HALYAS14 or KATVAS39, next course 3.9.-20.10.2019, registration leadforsust.fi

 

Circular.now is an online course about basics of circular economy. Continuous 3 ECTS online course is available 3.9. onwards in the University of Helsinki as well as Open University of Helsinki. 5 ECTS course can be done in LUT-University and University of Helsinki in spring 2020. On the website www.circularnow.fi is general information about the course and a button “Start studying” which leads you to the course platform, where you can register for the course or only look at the course.

• University of Helsinki: MAAT-051, 3 ECTS continuous, next 5 ECTS course in Spring 2020
• Open university of Helsinki: AYMAAT-051, 3 ECTS continuous, registration https://courses.helsinki.fi/en/aymaat-051/129763887
• LUT-University: BH60A5400 Introduction to Circular Economy, Autumn 2019

Climate.now is a course about basics of climate change that everyone should know. The multidisciplinary course was done in collaboration with University of Helsinki, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra in 2016. Currently there are Climate.now courses in seven universities in Finland. Some courses include contact teaching, some run fully online. Material is available at www.climatenow.fi.

• University of Helsinki: course code ATM302, next course 28.10.-9.12.2019, registration in weboodi
• Open university of Helsinki: course code AYATM302, next course 28.10.-9.12.2019, registration https://courses.helsinki.fi/en/ayatm302en/130814619
• University of Jyväskylä: course code BENA4036, next course 23.9.-20.12.2019, registration in Sisu
• University of Oulu: course code 766383A, next course 30.10. -28.11.19, registration in WebOodi
• Aalto University: next course in Spring 2020
• University of Tampere: next course in Spring 2020
• University of Eastern Finland: course code 3352703, next course in the autumn semester 2020
• LUT-University & open university: course code BH60A5900 Climate Change, 5 op, next course 7.1.- 17.4.2020, registration via open university.

 

See also UniPID online courses, for example “Towards sustainable development goals: the nexus of water, food and energy” by University of Jyväskylä 28.10.-20.12.2019.

• http://www.unipid.fi/virtual-studies/
• http://www.unipid.fi/virtual-studies/towards-sustainable-development-goals/

How to integrate climate change solutions and circular economy in teaching? What climate related projects are currently going on in the Lahti region? These themes were the focus of the workshop arranged at the new Lahti campus Mukkula. The first day was organized by Lahti University of Applied Sciences LAMK and the second day by Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT.

The first day gave an overview of inspiring climate-related projects and initiatives in the Lahti Region. However, first a LAMK student took the participants on a guided tour around the new campus. Then the participants had the chance to hear about how Finland’s climate policy is put into practice in the Lahti region, as Maarit Virtanen (Päijät-Häme Regional Council) told about the Canemure project. Furthermore, Eira Rosberg-Airaksinen explained how the City of Lahti offers companies opportunities for climate partnerships with Lahti Region Development and Lahti University of Applied Sciences (called “Ilmastohaaste”, meaning the climate challenge). Then the participants got an insight into how Lahti, as the first city in the world, trial a personal carbon trading scheme (CitiCAP project) – Anna Huttunen told about what the project is all about; Ville Uusitalo about how a personal carbon trading scheme for mobility works; and Markku Sihvonen gave an introduction to how to use the CitiCAP app.

The participants also got an insight into how a changing climate affects the ecotoxicity of micro plastics. Professor Stephan Pflugmacher Lima guided the participants through a screw cap experiment where Lahti was compared with Singapore. The seminar day was concluded by Juhani Järveläinen who put the spotlight on urban effects of climate change – increased amounts of rain and snowmelt and the challenges of handling it in constructed areas (also called stormwaters). Järveläinen went through stormwater research and objectives at the City of Lahti.

After this, the participants had a buffet dinner at the campus.

The focus of the second day was going out in the field, as well as connecting circular economy and renewable energy to teaching. The day started with an excursion hosted by Ville Uusitalo (LUT) who told how excursions and visits are used as part of teaching. The first stop were the Kymijärvi power plants owned by the City of Lahti, which produce electricity and district heating. Here, many steps have already been taken towards sustainable energy systems, the guide Olli Talvitie told us. A new bioenergy plant, Kymijärvi III, is currently being built to replace the old coal-fired power plant Kymijärvi I. Power plant II uses a unique process where, first, the fuel is gasified, secondly, the gas is cooled down and cleaned and finally it is burned.

The next stop of the excursion was Kujala waste- and recycling centre, which provides fuel for Kymijärvi power plants. Päivi Oksanen gave an insight in the processes that are taking place in the area, first gathering the participants in a meeting room for a presentation and discussion. Then it was time for a bus tour, which took the participants between mountains of plastic, piles of recycled wood, containers for e.g. different metals where inhabitants were sorting their waste, piles of mattresses, and passing by the final disposal site.

Rich on impressions the participants returned to the campus. After lunch, Anni Wärri spoke about developing working life skills as part of teaching. It turned out that practices in biomedicine studies and the Jobitti project can be applicable also in a climate and sustainability studies context, and vice versa. After this Sanni Väisänen (LUT) introduced the participants to teaching circular economy using the Circular.now digital platform.

The day was wrapped up by small group discussions around the themes of the day: teaching circular economy; brainstorming about connecting to working life as part of teaching; as well as a Climate.now workshop for teachers.

Blog by Tina Nyfors, LUT

Photos: Anne-Marie Tuomala, Tina Nyfors, Laura Riuttanen