In consultation with the City Council, they will identify the most pressing problems within these areas. You can think of projects such as: How to promote organic waste collection and recycling? How to promote a plant-based diet? How to advance the reuse/recycling of e-waste? How to stimulate reuse/recycling of textiles (cloths)? How to use more biobased materials in buildings? How to advance the closed-loop use of plastics? 

The student teams will work on one of these problems and analyse it from a system-thinking perspective, thereby mapping its social, environmental, and economic implications. 

Then, with the use of Design Thinking, they will come up with a concrete, practicable solution to this problem, that contributes to the Circular Economy. Again, they will identify the - possibly unintended - consequences of this solution, thereby analysing how this solution affects the system at hand (I.e., the city of Amsterdam).  

At various moments during the course, the teams will update each other regarding their progress. They will serve as each other’s juries, asking critical questions and offering new ideas. Also, possible synergies between teams can be identified.

The course will be concluded with a presentation of the final solution to members of the Amsterdam City government. Furthermore, an advisory report will be written that substantiates the proposed solution with solid arguments.  

To help the students in this process, they will participate in workshops regarding systems and design thinking. Moreover, various experts in the field of sustainability and members of the Amsterdam City government will share their experiences and visions with the students. 

Timetable

We now expect that all lectures can take place on-campus. In case the situation changes, you will be notified. You can find the timetable on Datanose.

Registration

Registration is possible for 2nd year (or higher) students participating in an Honours programme. The registration for the Honours courses will start on November 29, 10 am -  December 6, 11 pm, You can register through the online registration form that will appear on Honoursmodules IIS. (registration is NOT through SIS or GLASS).

Please note: There is no guarantee for placement if you register after 6 December, so make sure you register on time. You will hear which course(s) you are registered for before 20 december. For questions about registration, please contact us at Honours-iis@uva.nl.

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