Sowing the seeds of sustainability

Faculty of Arts

From the introductory modules students take to establish the foundations of knowledge in their degree programmes, to the capstone projects in their final year where they apply their research skills, sustainability is discussed and critically assessed to ensure we use the arts and humanities to face this challenge of the next century.

For example, first year students within the Department of Philosophy examine the relationships humans have built with the wider environment within their module, “Philosophy and the Contemporary World”.

Similarly, students within English and American and Canadian Studies are provided with survey modules that engage with the literature of the environmental movement from the 19th century to the present day.

We also have specific modules that address areas for students to explore in the second year of their programmes, allowing them to build their disciplinary knowledge of the issues of sustainability and prepare them for the opportunity to conduct their own research within dissertations and research projects in their final year.

These threads of sustainability throughout our degree programmes ensure all Faculty of Arts students can place this issue as a central part of their degree, and can think creatively about how arts disciplines can help to address issues of sustainability.

Professor Ross Wilson – Director of Liberal Arts

Faculty of Engineering

Engineering is on the frontline of the battle to address the challenges of sustainable development. In the Faculty of Engineering, we are playing our part through cutting-edge research and by equipping future generations of engineering graduates to deliver sustainable engineering solutions.

How do we provide our graduates with the knowledge and skills to make a difference? All our programmes have core modules in which students are introduced to the engineering fundamentals and the key skills needed to be sustainable professionals.

These equip our students to make sustainable decisions on engineering processes, evaluate lifecycle impacts of design choices and select the most sustainable materials.

Engineering design is at the heart of what we do. All departments run design projects that allow our students to develop and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in real world contexts.

Students also benefit from working with staff who are active in researching sustainable solutions to global challenges: from transport infrastructure to renewable energy, from advanced manufacturing to delivering clean water.

Dr John S Owen – Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

The faculty encompasses the Schools of Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine and Science – all of which have sustainability high on the agenda, linking to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where possible too.

In teaching asthma in year one of the medicine course, the classic example of metered dose inhalers is introduced in relation to the SDG ‘climate change’. The carbon footprint of a metered dose inhaler is quoted as the equivalent of driving from London to Sheffield, whereas the alternative dry powder inhaler has the same carbon footprint as driving four miles within London. When GPs prescribe asthma medication, they are alerted to the environmental impact of inhalers.

In the second year students are invited to estimate their own annual carbon footprint (which is approximately two tons per person less than the UK average) and produce a menu which has a lower carbon footprint than their standard menu.

Working in partnership with students is also crucial and helping to support climate anxiety in our students, given the climate crisis unfolding.

Professor Michael D Randall – Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience), Faculty of Medicine and Health

Faculty of Science

From chemistry to mathematics and even computer science, the role of sustainability in science is explored in many ways within teaching across the faculty. Natural Sciences students are encouraged to shape their study to meet personal interests, and can choose streams and modules that focus on sustainability and environmental topics.

You may wonder how sustainability can be incorporated into the teaching of mathematics; modules taught include game theory, which examines voting systems and their links to inequality, responsible consumption and production, epidemic modelling and many others.

Elsewhere in the faculty our pharmacy students are learning how to minimise climate impact as health professionals and the School of Chemistry has been developing an innovative approach to teaching since 2019, which directly incorporates UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), encouraging students to take a wider view of the positive and negative impacts of their chemistry and put their learning into context.

Professor Katharine Reid – Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience), Faculty of Science

Faculty of Social Sciences

Creating a sustainable future will require an understanding of and engagement with human behaviour, culture, economics, politics and supply chains across different places and locations.

Social sciences are therefore fundamental to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within the Faculty of Social Sciences, sustainability is taught within particular modules, embedded across degree programmes, and encountered by students as part of practical immersive experiences.

One example takes place this autumn, with students in the School of Geography and the Nottingham University Business School (NUBS) participating in a new ‘ecoinduction’, comprised of a series of events and interactive experiences to raise their awareness and engagement on sustainability.

Students from any school within the faculty can also participate in the Social Sciences Placements Programme alongside their academic studies. These placements give students real-world experience working in sustainability and environment-related Government agencies, NGOs and trusts.

Dr Chris Ives – Associate Professor, School of Geography, Faculty of Social Science