Courses
Here is a list of the courses offered by the Sustainability Transition Policy team. For questions about a specific course, please contact the responsible lecturer. As we are still building up the course portfolio, this page will be updated and expanded as we go.
Summer 2025
| Course | Bachelor/Master & Study program | Description | Course type | Time & Place |
Lecturer(s) |
| International Politics: Global Sustainability
|
Bachelor
(SozÖk) |
This course provides students with important knowledge of our international system, encompassing international organizations, international rules and state and non-state actors. We focus on two of the major challenges of our time, which are the need to govern our climate crisis more effectively and to protect human rights globally. Combatting climate change and protecting human rights are key concerns in international politics, as established by for example the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement and the international human rights system. Non-state actors such as companies and civil society organizations have increasingly become influential actors in international politics, both as rule-setters and rule-takers. In our course, we will critically reflect upon key concepts from the fields of international relations and global sustainability politics, focusing on the concepts of legitimacy, effectiveness and accountability. Thereafter, we will have one block focusing on global climate governance and energy transition, followed by one block on human rights, with a particular emphasis on business and human rights.While these topics are often discussed separately, we throughout the course identify links – be they synergies or conflicts – between them, reflecting on to what extent policy integration of climate and human rights governance is possible and desirable. This critical reflection on theories and creative solution of problems is the focus in the course’s exercise blocks, designed to engage students in application and discussion of concepts and current global sustainability topics. |
Lecture +exercise | Mondays from 15-16:30
Starts 28.4.2025 (Exercise Tuesdays afternoon) In FG 0.015 (exercises in LG and FG) |
Prof. Dr. Almut Schilling-Vacaflor |
| International Politics II
|
Bachelor
(IBS, IES, Management) |
This course provides students with important knowledge of our international system, encompassing international organizations, international rules and state and non-state actors. We focus on two of the major challenges of our time, which are the need to govern our climate crisis more effectively and to protect human rights globally. Combatting climate change and protecting human rights are key concerns in international politics, as established by for example the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement and the international human rights system. Non-state actors such as companies and civil society organizations have increasingly become influential actors in international politics, both as rule-setters and rule-takers. In our course, we will critically reflect upon key concepts from the fields of international relations and global sustainability politics, focusing on the concepts of legitimacy, effectiveness and accountability. Thereafter, we will have one block focusing on global climate governance and energy transition, followed by one block on human rights, with a particular emphasis on business and human rights.While these topics are often discussed separately, we throughout the course identify links – be they synergies or conflicts – between them, reflecting on to what extent policy integration of climate and human rights governance is possible and desirable. This critical reflection on theories and creative solution of problems is the focus in the course’s exercise blocks, designed to engage students in application and discussion of concepts and current global sustainability topics. |
Lecture +exercise | Wednedays from 8-9:30
Starts 30.4.2025 (Exercise Wednesdays afternoon) In LG H6 (exercises in LG and FG) |
Prof. Dr. Almut Schilling-Vacaflor |
| Global Energy Politics |
Bachelor
(Political science) |
Energy is central to almost any area of human activity and necessary for economic activity. Without energy supplies, the way in which we live our lives in the developed world would be dramatically altered. At the same time, around 1 billion people currently lack access to any form of electricity. Moreover, energy is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in climate change that could devastate our planet. The goal of this course is to provide an overview of the main concepts and approaches in the study of global energy politics. Grounded in the field of International Relations and related sub-fields (e.g., Geopolitics, International Political Economy), this course will equip students with a framework for understanding and analyzing the political stakes and trade-offs involved in addressing the global energy challenge of ensuring secure, sustainable and affordable access to energy supplies for all. Key questions that we will address include: How can we ensure that all people have reliable and affordable access to sufficient energy for their needs? How can this be achieved on a sustainable basis? When and how should states cooperate to achieve these ends? In what ways can energy be used as a tool for diplomatic coercion? And what are the geopolitical consequences of the shift to low-carbon energy sources?
Register here: https://www.studon.fau.de/crs6161313.html |
Lecture | Thursdays from 13:15-14:45
Starts 24.4.2025 In Erlangen, room KH 0.024
|
Dr. Moniek de Jong |
| Technology Assessment
|
Bachelor
(IBS, IES, Sozök, BWL, WING, TechFak) |
In this course, we will explore, discuss and apply interdisciplinary quantitative and qualitative concepts and tools for technology assessment. Technology assessment is an essential support tool to inform decision-making, in companies and in public administration, and is used to enable well-informed decisions regarding technology adoption, implementation, or regulation. The course will cover quantitative approaches to technology assessment, including Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) , how the two can inform each other or be combined, and how normativity affects both methods. It also holds qualitive approaches, such as SWOT analysis and Stakeholder analysis, again in their “pure” forms and with the connection to normativity. This course will also focus on method comparisons (i.e., when and in which context method A outperforms method B), so the strengths and limitations of each method will be discussed in the classes. The course will have a strong focus on application (hence the combination lecture+exercise). Empirically, the course will focus on, but not be limited to, technologies for the clean energy transition, such as renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen. This will visualize how to apply and combine tools necessary for technology assessment. The learning goals foresee that students successfully completing the course are able to formulate the whole process of technology assessment analysis; apply/combine tools for technology assessment in different contexts; discuss and evaluate risks and opportunities different (energy) technologies and strengths and weaknesses of assessment methods.
Register here: https://www.studon.fau.de/campo/course/481439 |
Lecture +exercise | Tuesdays from 15-18:15
Starting 29.04.2025 In Lange Gasse, room LG 5.152 (except Jun 24 in FG 2.024) |
Dr. Aksornchan Chaianong |
| Trade and Sustainability
|
Bachelor
(IBS, IES, Sozök, Political Science, BWL, Economics) |
In this course, we will look at how global trade impacts the environment and economic development. Using case studies of different products like soy, solar panels, and steel, we will look at trade between Europe and Brazil, China, the US and more. The course will explore how different actors including country governments, civil society and businesses react to sustainability and development changes, and supply chain regulation. By the end of the course, students will be able to compare how these cases compare with theories about international trade. They will understand under which contexts globalization has positive or negative environmental impacts, and consider supply chain management in terms of environmental and reputational risks. They will also better understand regulations like CBAM, the CSDDD, and Lieferkettengesetz, and how these affect European businesses’ position in global markets. | Lecture +exercise | Mondays from 13:30-17:00
In Lange Gasse, room LG 5.152 (except from July in FG 0.016) |
Dr. Silvia Weko |
| Thesis Seminar Sustainable Transition Policy
|
Bachelor & Master from all programs | This seminar is mandatory for anyone writing a thesis at the Sustainability Transition Policy chair (any advisor). We will deal with questions of how to write a thesis, how to do the research, how you can know when a result is good and/or the thesis is done, and many other things needed for successfully writing a thesis. We will also practice presenting and pitching our work in front of a group, both to learn how to do this well, and as a step to make sense of our work: what have we found out, and why is that interesting?
|
Colloquium | Date and time to be announced, online
|
Prof. Dr. Johan Lilliestam |