How do you translate global issues into concrete action at the level of the city? Eight lectures on sustainability, citizenship and innovation: the city as a living lab for issues of global scale?

Complex global problems call for worldwide action. However issues like the environment, our quality of life and the food supply all connect at a local level. This means that the city can be a living laboratory in the search for solutions.

Sustainable innovations are both technical and social in nature and both demand a new view on production and consumption. Will a young city population indeed pioneer a new sustainable life style? Can a smart local energy supply raise our environmental consciousness, while at the same time giving us more say in public services? How can we strengthen the revival of the region as an area that people identify with and are comfortable with? In which way can innovations, such as the upcoming gaming industry and new scientific insights, be connected to sustainability?

Keeping the balance between the local and global level is the major challenge in this. Will local governments and citizens feel sufficiently involved and interested to also work on global issues? How does global citizenship compare to local identity? The suburbs or linking areas between the city and the countryside often stay behind in our knowledge intensive economy. Can we think of new forms of collaboration between scientists and other parties to make sure these parts also keep up?

Study valuable

This programme is accessible to all students as part of the course Sustainability as a Worldview for 7.5 ECTS. It is organised in collaboration with the faculty of Geosciences, the city of Utrecht and the province of Utrecht, Rabobank Utrecht, and the Utrecht Sustainability Institute. Students can enroll the course via Osiris. All other visitors are of course also very welcome and for them, registration is not necessary.

Programme

(only the lectures in red are actually in English)

Tuesday February 5

Philosophy of sustainability

Prof. dr. ir. Harro van Lente (Philosophy of Sustainable Development, Maastricht University and Innovation and Environmental sciences, Utrecht University) and prof. dr. ir. Klaas van Egmond (Utrecht Sustainability Institute)

Tuesday 12 February

Beyond the big society

Phillip Blond (author Red Tory and director of the British think tank ResPublica) and dr. Albert Meijer (Public Administration, Utrecht University)

Lecture in English

Tuesday 19 February

Creative pioneers

Prof. dr. Valerie Frissen (ICT and Social Change, Rotterdam University)

Tuesday 26 February

Democratic science

Dr. Jerome Ravetz (Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, University of Oxford)

In English

Tuesday March 5

Green innovation

Prof. dr. Marko Hekkert (Innovation- and Environmental sciences, Utrecht University) and Harm van den Heiligenberg, MSc (strategist, Province of Utrecht)

Tuesday March 12

Feeding the city

Carolyn Steel, MA (author The Hungry city and architect) and prof. dr. Beate Völker (Sociology, Utrecht University)

Lecture in English

Tuesday March 19

Corporate social responsibility

Dr. Anniek Mauser (Sustainability Director, Unilever Benelux)

Tuesday March 26

The future electricity grid: from consumer to prosumer

Excursion with dr. ir. Martijntje Smits (Environmental sciences, Utrecht University) and dr. Wilfried van Sark (Energy Sciences, Utrecht University). The location will be published later on this page and on www.sg.uu.nl.