ReCirc – feasibility study for a new Master’s programme in Sustainable Material Recycling

Mapped principles 

The project is mapped to the following framework principles:

P2. Ability to handle wicked problems for a sustainable societal development

Definitions of the principles

Contact

Bengt Peter Samuelsson researcher

petersam@kth.se

Profile

This project was implemented at the School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM) within the Future Education programme (project no. 2419-ITM). 

Project context  

In today’s world, the need for a transition to a circular economy is more urgent than ever. Climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation are global challenges that demand a shift in how we produce and consume. A Master's programme in Circular Economy is therefore both necessary and relevant to equip future leaders and organisations with the tools needed to address these challenges. Currently, no Swedish university offers a comparable Master's programme in Circular Economy. Interest in these types of issues – and consequently in such a Master's programme – is strong, both among students and external stakeholders. Experiences from courses such as MH2051 Circular Economy for Materials Processing clearly demonstrate this. 

At present, limitations related to the tuition cap (takbelopp) may hinder the implementation of a new Master's programme in the short term. However, the long-term prospects are considered favorable, why a feasibility study is needed.  

Purpose (outcome) 

The purpose of ReCirc is to conduct a feasibility study to determine the conditions for launching a Master’s programme in sustainable material recycling covering both structural and functional materials, by developing a proposed curriculum.  

Project results (output) 

A feasibility report that will serve as a basis for deciding on potential continuation toward establishing the Master's programme. Sub-results are: 

• Assessment of existing courses, primarily within the ITM School, but also relevant courses from other schools at KTH.

• Proposed curriculum for the suggested Master's programme.

• Identified needs for modification of existing courses and development of potential new courses.

• Proposal for entry requirements for the programme and possible credit transfer options.

• Proposal for a long-term organisational structure for the programme. 

Time plan 

Start date: 2024-05-31
End date: 2024-11-30 

Project documentation 

If you have a KTH ID, you can read the documents when logged in: 

• Poster: Poster_FrU25_2419-ITM_ReCirc_250520.pdf (English)

• Project initiation document: Projektdirektiv_FrU24_2419-ITM_ReCirc_240919.pdf (Swedish)