Course Overview
The Post Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Development is an internationally recognized training qualification that focuses on economic development with a focus on avoiding depleting natural resources. The concept of sustainable development arises from a worldview that sees the survival, progress, and continued maintenance of the human community as dependent on the continued health and viability of the earth’s life support systems. Sustainable development implies processes of fundamental change in our social system and institutions. The thrust of this change relates to addressing the challenges embedded in the new global awareness that the earth is finite, and all of the planet’s life support systems – including social and economic systems – are globally interconnected and interdependent.
Course Content
Module 1. Introduction to Sustainable Development
- Concepts and Components of Sustainable development
- Introduction to economic growth
- Environmental threats caused by economic development
- Pathways in sustainable development
Module 2. Sustainable Development goals
- The Sustainable Development goals
- Sustainable goals: Process or end result
- Education and Sustainable Development
- Role of Technology in Sustainable Development
Module 3. Dimensions of Sustainable Development
- Climate Change Adaptation
- Linking climate change mitigation research to sustainable development
- Sustainable Development of Water Resources
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Sustainable cities and local sustainability
- Corporate Social Responsibility, sustainability, and governance of business
Module 4. Government and Civil Society
- Making changes
- What is the role of government?
- National Strategies: putting sustainable development to work
- Citizens and Civil Society
Module 5. The three pillars of sustainability: Economic, environment, and Social
- Social, economic, and environmental impacts
- Crises and solutions
- The UN economic, environmental and social sustainability framework
- Future Perspectives on sustainability
Module 6. Measuring sustainability
- What should we count and when?
- The global dimension
- Assessing sustainability
- What constitutes the good life?
- Measuring the wealth of nations
Module 7. Energy and Sustainability
- Sustainable energy
- Sources of energy and their environmental impact
- Bioenergy and hydroelectricity
- Renewable energy sources
Module 8. Equity and Sustainable Development
- Human rights, equality, equity, and fairness.
- Human well-being and vulnerability
- Environmental justice and sustainability
- Vulnerability, poverty, and sustaining well being
- Ethics and sustainable development
Module 9. Way forward to achieving Sustainable Development
- The sustainable development goals
- New development trajectory
- Enhancing income growth and income distribution
- Addressing Gender-Based Violence to pave way for gender equality
- Addressing youth unemployment
- Policy options for sustainable and inclusive growth
Course Assignments
Participants will be required to submit 10 assignments, a research paper, and one final examination for the period of 12 months to demonstrate their understanding of the course content. Assignments account for 60%, research paper accounts for 30% while Examination accounts for 10% of the marks.
Merits
Upon successful completion of the course, the participant will receive a Post Graduate Certificate of Merit and a transcript.
