Circular Economy and Sustainable Development (academic track) (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Content scheduling

13 weeks (starting in week 36, and ending in week 49 excluding the autumn holiday in week 42)
2 sessions per week, 2.5 hours per session

Objective

This academic track will help you to understand the strategies and determinants of circular economy and sustainable development. Topics of the track include circular economy business models, corporate social responsibility, creating shared value, sustainable development, and sustainable development goals.

The competences to develop in this course are sustainable development, learning to learn, and ethics.

Sustainable development:
You are able to understand the concept and principles of sustainable development in the context of business, and recognize sustainability challenges and their consequences for businesses, local communities, and global society,

Learning to learn:
You learn to formulate relevant questions and seek information. You can review relevant theoretical and empirical literature to comprehend diverse perspectives, understand new developments in your field of study, and make informed decisions based thereon. You can acquire the researcher’s mindset to problematize, explore, and understand real-life phenomena.

Ethics:
You understand and apply the well-established principles of responsible conduct in research.

Content

Circular economy, circular economy business models, corporate social responsibility, creating shared value, sustainable development, and sustainable development goals.

Materials

The below course literature as well as other learning materials will be provided by the teacher. In addition, you will select additional learning materials based on your research interests and thesis topic.

Course literature:
1. Lacy, P., & Rutqvist, J. (2015). Waste to wealth: The circular economy advantage. Palgrave Macmillan. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.jamk.fi:2443/lib/jypoly-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4008839
2. Scott, J. (2010). The sustainable business. European Foundation for Management Development. https://www.efmdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Sustainable_Business_fin.pdf
3. Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2011). Creating shared value: How to reinvent capitalism and unleash a wave of innovation and growth. Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb 2011, 62-77.
4. Strand, R., Freeman, R. E., & Hockerts, K. (2015). Corporate social responsibility and sustainability in Scandinavia: An overview. Journal of Business Ethics, 127, 1-15.
5. Akpinar, M., & Saleem, S. (2019). Creating shared value in international business: A research agenda. Finnish Business Review, 6, 41-51.
6. Akpinar, M. (2020). Creating shared value in the circular economy of Finland: A quadruple helix perspective. Finnish Business Review, 7, 27-40.

Teaching methods

Blended learning: a combination of face-to-face learning and independent learning

Your primary learning takes place in the classroom through lectures and workshops. That will be complemented by independent study on your assignments.

Employer connections

There is no internship.

Exam schedules

There is no exam.

International connections

You will learn about practices of circular economy and sustainable development in different countries.

Completion alternatives

You have the right to apply for recognition of your studies if you have prior learning (e.g. university studies completed elsewhere) that can be accredited towards the degree you are currently completing.

The recognition of prior learning is possible in three primary ways: accreditation (replacement or inclusion), recognition of informal learning and studification. More precise info: JAMK Degree Regulations, section 17.

Student workload

Lectures 40 hours
Preparing for lectures 40 hours
Individual literature review assignment 55 hours

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Sufficient (1):
You are aware of the core concepts of circular economy and sustainable development. You can review academic literature in your research field. You understand the well-established principles of responsible conduct in research.
Satisfactory (2):
You are well aware of the concepts of circular economy and sustainable development. You can review academic literature in your research field in a relatively systematic manner. You understand and attempt to apply the well-established principles of responsible conduct in research.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good (3):
You understand well the concepts of circular economy and sustainable development. You can recognize sustainability challenges and their consequences for businesses, local communities, and global society, You can review academic literature in your research field in a systematic manner. You understand and apply the well-established principles of responsible conduct in research.
Very good (4):
You understand very well the concepts of circular economy and sustainable development. You can discuss insightfully sustainability challenges and their consequences for businesses, local communities, and global society, You can review academic literature in your research field in a systematic manner and synthesize it insightfully. You understand and apply insightfully the well-established principles of responsible conduct in research.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

You understand exceptionally well the concepts of circular economy and sustainable development. You can discuss insightfully and critically sustainability challenges and their consequences for businesses, local communities, and global society, You can review academic literature in your research field in a systematic manner and synthesize it insightfully and critically. You understand and apply insightfully and critically the well-established principles of responsible conduct in research.

Qualifications

This academic track is for second-year students in the IB bachelor's degree programme.

Further information

You will be assessed based on a literature review for your selected thesis topic and active participation in the class.