Master's programme in Sustainable Digitalisation
The project develops courses for EECS's new master's programme, with progression in sustainability and equality, ability to deal with wicked problems, connection to the subject areas and adaptation to lifelong learning. The aim is to offer a master's programme with a clear +6sustainability focus and a connection between sustainable development and EECS subject areas. The project is carried out at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science within the framework of KTH's change program Framtidens utbildning.
Background
Society faces major changes linked to sustainability issues, some of which describe the future/present as VUCA - volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Engineering programmes have so far been successful in creating engineers and leaders who solve problems, but now our students need to deal with predicaments or intractable problems - which do not have a simple solution.
At EECS, there has not been a Master's programme with a clear sustainability profile; this Master's programme meets the sustainability target (requirement) that all degree programmes should be able to demonstrate a clear sustainability focus. In this project, we seek to develop courses that support students in dealing with complexity and uncertainty, while teaching them to lead themselves and others in co-creative processes.
Purpose
- Provide Master of Science in Engineering students with a strong sustainability profile.
- Prepare students to manage problems and lead change related to sustainable development.
- Modularise individual courses so that professionals can easily further their education in sustainable digitalisation.
- Contribute to sustainable societal development, especially in the field of digitalisation.
Challenges
There are areas where engineering education is and has been good - for example, dealing with complex problems systematically and with experience. In the current VUCA situation, we need to address intractable problems - problems or situations that, in the Cynefine framework, end up in the complexity space (or even in chaos). We do not have methods for this or much experience in which we want to develop courses and methods.
Results and lessons learnt
We will write a scientific article focusing on evaluating how to work with intractable problems in higher education. Present the results both scientifically and in popular science.
Suggestions for improvement
Modularise the course (DM2800) - not implemented - we need to give the course at least once + deal with conflicts of objectives
Hold the Art of Hosting part on a weekend or 3 consecutive full days - not implemented - possible to schedule?
Next step
Not applicable