Study Guide

Objective

Student understands how a circular economy changes the way in which value is created and how it is an indispensable part of the sustainability transformation. Student knows how circularity works for people, organisations, cities and regions. Student can apply principles of green and just economy and promote climate neutrality and resource efficiency. During this course, students are working and familiarising themselves with circular economy cases from e.g. working life, industries, or municipalities. The aim is to build up the theoretical knowledge required for Master’s Thesis.

Competencies emphasised in the course: learning to learn, ethics, proactive development, sustainable development, internationality and multiculturalism, critical and future oriented thinking

Content

- Economic and social system from a circularity and sustainability perspective.
- Circular economy frameworks and policies as well as instruments available internationally to finance circular economy solutions.
- Regional and national examples of circular economy development, e.g. industrial ecosystems, national roadmaps towards circular economy etc.

Location and time

Course will be done as online studies, (remote meetings in Zoom, exercises and independent and small group work).

Scheduling: Course will start during the orientation week in September and continues on October - December 2023 (app. 8 weeks), joint meetings are planned to be organized in the evenings. The schedule will be specified by the beginning of the study period.

Detailed instructions will be given in the start of the study period.

Materials

Current scientific articles and other publications. The tutors put together a collection of material related to the content of the course in the learning environment of the course in Moodle to support the starting of the course. Recommend orientation material, which will also be part of the course material:

2020 Circular Economy Action Plan – International aspects (2020) https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9dc6aa01-39d2-11eb-b27b-01aa75ed71a1

Leading the cycle: Finnish road map to a circular economy 2016-2025: https://www.sitra.fi/en/publications/leading-cycle/

Sustainable growth with circular economy business models (2022): https://www.sitra.fi/en/publications/sustainable-growth-with-circular-economy-business-models/

The Critical Move – Finland’s Road Map to the Circular Economy 2.0: https://www.sitra.fi/en/projects/critical-move-finnish-road-map-circular-economy-2-0/#the-challenge T

he European Green Deal – Communication from the Comission (2019): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1588580774040&uri=CELEX%3A52019DC0640

What is a circular economy? – Ellen MacArthur Foundation: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview?gclid=CjwKCAiAuOieBhAIEiwAgjCvchchq6f6igtfno-oYQGA-Ee2_2z9XtyhL36QQxo-_XVu-H_H3ZaFwRoCOnMQAvD_BwE

Teaching methods

• Exploratory learning/transformative learning
• Online learning environments (Moodle and Zoom)
• Collaborative group working meetings, small group work and independent work between the group meetings
• Independent information search and processing, and self-assessment of competence development

In the course, you will not only familiarize yourself with already existing knowledge, but also create sustainability knowledge and skills through social interaction. The course is based on independent work, but we also create space for ideas and experiences to collide and for a co-creative learning process that takes place in a 'mirror relationship'. This is connected to the goal that each learner reflects and evaluates the development of his own competence and meta-skills during the study period, relating his development to other learners.

Being in interaction opens the possibility to approach things from many perspectives, to create new meanings for circular economy in organization’s processes and a more holistic understanding of things. All participants (tutor supervisors and those completing the study course) have multidisciplinary competence based on their own history of experience and based on a wide range of knowledge, which by bringing together new ideas and learning experiences can be born. Working in a community enables creative work around a complex phenomenon.

Employer connections

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Exam schedules

No exam. The approved completion of the course requires the approved completion of the course assignments (assignments, participation in group and small group events and course portfolio).

The course assignments are presented at the start of the course during the orientation week and in the Moodle learning environment.

Plagiarism and use of references:
Please notice that in study unit assignment returns the plagiarism detection programs (for example Turnitin) will be used. Also notice that you need to use Lapland UAS templates (essay, thesis, report etc) and writing instructions. Textual references must be done according to the given instructions. Please download the thesis template and the referencing instructions here: https://www.lapinamk.fi/en/Students/Study-Guide,-Degree-Programme-Students/Thesis https://lib.luc.fi/c.php?g=662513&p=4803830
Submitting assignments against given instructions may lead to failing and other possible consequences according to the Degree Regulations.

International connections

Participating students form an international study group and are able to share their knowledge about circular economy in different countries and organisations. Global perspective of the current state and future of the circular economy will be built up during the course.

Completion alternatives

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Content scheduling

1. Presenting of the course contents on Thu 7.9.2023 (part of the orientation week program).

2. The preliminary assignment of the study course, done and returned to the Moodle learning environment by the start of the study course.

3. Starting meeting of the course: on Mon 30th of Oct., 2023.

4. Joint meeting Mon 13th of Nov., 2023.

5. Small group meeting at the time agreed by the group before the last meeting of the course.

6. The closing meeting of the course Mon 4th of Dec., 2023.

7. Completion and return of course portfolio and final task to the Moodle return box by the 11th of the Dec., 2023.

Further information

Recommended previous courses:
Students should have at least a basic level understanding of circular economy, sustainable development and responsibility, for example described in Sustainable.now- course description (https://climateuniversity.fi/portfolio-items/sustainable-now/) or Sustainability in Business (https://sustainablebusiness.aalto.fi/en/course/).

Circular economy for sustainability transformations is one of the core studies of the Managing Sustainability and Systems Change (MaSS) Master’s Program. The course provides opportunity to enhance the theoretical background for the Master’s Thesis. The course is also suitable for students outside of the MaSS program.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

1-2: Student
● understands main frameworks of circular economy in national and international level.
● identifies the principles of circular economy as a part of the transformation towards sustainability.
● presents at least one real-life development case of circular economy as a part of the organisation network, municipality or national level operations.
● knows the main points about how to promote circular economy as a part of the operations.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

3-4: Student
● can assess the impact of organisations’ circular economy operations or development activities on their stakeholder network and how the “industrial symbiosis” is shown in this context.
● can assess the key factors of operations, which are influencing the transformation towards sustainability in the operations
● is able to define progress measures for circular economy in the chosen organisation and the potential of those development activities.
● can propose at least one real-life example of how to improve the circular economy as a part of the organisation's operations and how this promotes the transformation towards sustainability.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

5: Student
● can apply and analyze development ideas to enhance circular economy principles in the organisation’s operations.
● can evaluate the impact of circular economy development activities in the organisation or in the chosen context
● shows knowledge of complex systems which are implementing circular economy principles as a daily basis in their operations and is able to evaluate how symbiosis is supporting the organisation network.

Assessment methods and criteria

Fail,1 to 5 (pass to excellent)

Assessment criteria, fail (0)

0: The student does not participate in the course or he/she does not meet the minimum requirements for course approval.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

1-2: Student
- is able to understand main frameworks of circular economy in national and international level.
- is able to identify the principles of circular economy as a part of the transformation towards sustainability.
- is able to present at least one real-life development case of circular economy as a part of the organisations, municipalities or national level operations.
- is able to tell the main points about how to promote circular economy as a part of the operations.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

3-4: Student
- is able to present the impact of organisations circular economy operations or development activities on their stakeholder network and how the “industrial symbiosis” is shown in this context.
- is able to asses the key factors of operations, which are influencing the transformation towards sustainability in the operations and is able to define promoting measures and the potential of development activities.
- is able to propose at least one real-life example of how to improve the circular economy as a part of the organisation's operations and how this promotes the transformation towards sustainability.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

5: Student
- is able to apply and analyze development ideas to enhance circular economy principles in the organisations operations.
- is able to evaluate the impact of circular economy development activities in the organization or in the chosen context
- presents knowledge of complex systems which are implementing circular economy principles as a daily basis in their operations and is able to evaluate how symbiosis is supporting the organisation network.