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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Beyond the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Addressing Sustainability and Development by University of Michigan

4.8
stars
678 ratings

About the Course

We’re excited you’re here! This course, “Beyond the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Addressing Sustainability and Development,” is the first course in the Sustainability and Development MasterTrack® Certificate, but you can also take this course as a stand-alone learning opportunity. Sustainability and development pose unprecedented challenges as human societies grow and seek to ensure future wellbeing and prosperity. In this course, we’ll focus on addressing the twin challenges of sustainability and development with actionable knowledge for innovating solutions to the world’s most pressing problems like climate change, poverty and inequality, and biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Rather than sustainability being a qualifier for development (e.g. sustainable development), we conceptualize Sustainability and Development as co-equal fields of inquiry and action that seek to build bridges between the natural, social and applied sciences and the humanities. When sustainability and development are placed on an equal footing, it requires us to think more explicitly about the trade-offs, co-benefits and synergies between them, which we will be exploring in depth in each week. Throughout the course, you will be introduced to the theoretical currents in Sustainability and Development, and will garner an in-depth understanding of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We will also consider the methods and skills necessary for designing innovative solutions to sustainability and development problems through the emerging field of Sustainability Science. In this course, we will explore three of the most pressing challenges undergirding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including climate change, poverty and inequality, and ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, with case studies to guide and challenge our thinking. In the final week of the course, we will discuss the trade-offs, co-benefits and synergies between these challenges, especially as they relate to designing innovative solutions for achieving our sustainability and development goals. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1. Understand and explain the world’s most pressing problems with a specific focus on poverty & inequality, ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, and climate change. 2. Critically analyze the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their relationship to the world’s most pressing problems. 3. Use frameworks and evidence necessary to develop solutions. 4. Assess relevant solutions that would help realize the SDGs and at the same time solve the pressing problems. 5. Apply skills learned to implement solutions....

Top reviews

AP

Oct 13, 2020

Course topics and materials are up to date. It even gives a sustainability and development lens on the Coronavirus and COVID-19 Pandemic

BW

Oct 20, 2020

Very informative high level overview course that goes deep enough into key topics to make the theory quite practical.

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126 - 142 of 142 Reviews for Beyond the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Addressing Sustainability and Development

By Brian W

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Oct 21, 2020

Very informative high level overview course that goes deep enough into key topics to make the theory quite practical.

By hemendra j

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Jun 18, 2020

Evaluation exams needs to be more competitive and use of different questions when person opt for retest.

By JESS Y

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Jun 5, 2020

Simple concepts. Loved the last lecture - with examples on co-benefits. Could improve on sound quality.

By Li C

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May 25, 2021

It is a good course to introduce SDGs, however, I feel course material is quite light...

By Ashika K

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Aug 21, 2020

This course is very benefical , simple and easy to understand .

By BEESETTI S

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May 22, 2020

good course to understand the situation towards sustainabilty

By Gayatri C

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Jun 7, 2020

Helpful for anyone wanting to learn more about the SDGs.

By Jamal A

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Jan 13, 2022

Great Course but i cannot view my certificate

By Anand N P

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May 2, 2020

Excellent Subject & Excellent teaching

By Nisadur R

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May 8, 2020

Its a unbelieveable journey.

By Abhishek K

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Oct 11, 2020

Very knowledgeable course

By Assoh F G

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Mar 26, 2021

j'ai beaucoup apprécié

By Ajah A A

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Sep 1, 2021

amazing learnt a lot

By Symbat

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Feb 20, 2023

It was great course

By Maximiliano R G

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Jan 30, 2024

Muy buen curso.

By Monica P K

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Feb 2, 2025

good learning

By Angelo J I S

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Apr 1, 2025

Me gusto, me ha gustado mucho esto del desarrollo sostenible, sobre todo por que ve todo los problemas mundiales, aunque lo de defender delicuentes no lo paso