Course descriptions

Overview: Dive into "Climate Actions of Organizations"! In one week, learn to assess climate impact, explore emissions reduction strategies, and adopt the Earthster tool for sustainability analysis. Real-world case studies & hands-on projects to make a difference! 
#Sustainability #ClimateAction #LUTUniversity

Year and period: Suitable for B.Sc. and M.Sc., 28 July − 1 August

Teacher: Associate Professor Michael Child, LUT University

Aims and learning outcomes:

The aim of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and tools to complete an accurate and transparent assessment of an organization’s climate impact using as well as an ability to direct appropriate climate actions to reduce that impact over time.

The main learning objectives of the course are:

• Provide students with an introductory yet comprehensive understanding of assessing an organization’s climate impact.
• Introduce tools for analysing and quantifying carbon emissions, with a focus on the GHG Protocol and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
• Guide students in creating specific climate actions that organizations can take and help them critically assess their effectiveness in real-world contexts.
• Enable students to communicate findings through a final collaborative case study and presentation on a chosen organization’s climate strategies.

Content: The core topics are as follows:

• Review organization sustainability report to gather data on GHG emissions according to three Scopes
• List any claims the organization makes related to climate neutrality goals
• Review general, suggested climate actions proposed by 2050Today
• Build a timeline for emissions reductions by the organization
• Suggest specific, context-relevant actions that can be achieved over the timeline, possibly in different scenarios
• Present solutions to the class for feedback
• Adjust proposed solutions accordingly
• Present solutions to the organization (optional)

Mode of study: 

• Daily morning lectures and discussions
• Hands-on sessions with the Earthster life cycle assessment tool
• Small group project work each afternoon
• Final presentation session at the end of the week

Pre work: Readings, instructional videos and data collection tasks
Post work: Individual Reflection: Reflect on personal learning outcomes, noting any new insights or perspectives gained on organizational climate actions and sustainability assessment.

Before the class: about 20 h workload
In class: about 40 h workload
Independent work, reading 20 h

Total workload 80 hours.

Evaluation: Passed / failed

In order to pass, students should participate in all teaching activities and submit all assignments to an acceptable level of completion.

Study material:

• GHG Protocol documents and Earthster tool access
• Case study examples and data sets for Earthster exercises
• Academic articles and reports on climate actions and sustainability reporting
   

Prerequisites: No formal prerequisites.

Overview: The electrification of transportation is one of the cross-sectoral megatrends of our time, playing a crucial role in the green energy transition of cities and the energy sector. However, this transformation does not come without challenges, not only requiring the advancement of new technologies, new markets, and new businesses, but also the reinvention of our relation with mobility systems, transport, and its infrastructure.

This course will take students on a journey to the multifaced world of electric mobility, touching subjects such as global technology trends, e-mobility market and its actors, impacts and synergies with the power grid, interoperability and connectivity challenges, societal aspects and the relations of users with the EV and with the charging infrastructure, technical approaches and solutions for smart charging, regulation, e-mobility policies, and city-level mobility decision-making.  

The course is a collaborative initiative offered by LUT University’s Laboratory of Electricity Markets and Power Systems and the Kempower Electric Mobility Research Center (EMRC). The lectures are provided by in-house and invited subject matter experts from industry, academia, and local government.

Year and period: Suitable for B.Sc. and M.Sc., 28 July − 1 August

Teachers: 

• Gonçalo Mendes, LUT/Laboratory of Electricity Markets and Power Systems (LEMPS)
• Ville Tikka, LUT Electric Mobility Research Center (EMRC)
• Eeva-Lotta Apajalahti, LUT Energy and Society (EaS)
• Ville Uusitalo, LUT Sustainability Change (SC)
• Koen Linders, TU Delft (Netherlands)
• Juan Pedrero Alegria, TECNALIA (Spain)

Aims:

The main objectives of the course are:

• To increase the understanding of different topics around electric transportation and mobility
• To raise awareness to the multifaceted nature of the societal challenge of transport electrification
• To inspire and motivate students towards the green transition and the role electric transportation can play in it
• To develop the ability for critical thinking among students
• To enhance the students’ teamwork and presentation skills 
   

Content: 

The core topics of the course are as follows:

• Key challenges and macrotrends in the e-mobility sector
• User and societal aspects of e-mobility
• Overview of the e-mobility market and its actors
• Innovative solutions for smart EV charging
• Grid integration of EVs, its impacts and synergies
• Major e-mobility policies and its targets
• Technology landscape in the e-mobility industry
• E-mobility roll-out and decision-making in cities
   

Mode of study:

Evaluation: 

Pass/Fail
0-100%

To be eligible to pass, the students must: 

• Participate in all activities in the work program.
• Participate in the peer review of students’ group work.

Study material: 

Pre-work:

• European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) - Charging ahead: Accelerating the roll-out of EU EV charging infrastructure
• E-Mobility Europe - European E-mobility at a Crossroads: Forecasting electric car sales in Europe in 2025
• EU Parliament - The future of European electric vehicles
• International Energy Agency - Global EV Outlook 2024
• Transport & Environment - Potential of a full EV-power-system-integration in Europe & how to realise it
• UNEP Global Electric Mobility Programme - Supporting the Global Shift to Electric Mobility
• World Bank Group - Enhancing Transport Decarbonization in the EU

Post-work:

• DriVe2X Deliverable D1.1 - Survey and review of worldwide V2X projects and scientific literature
• DriVe2X Deliverable D1.2 - V2X Visions for European smart cities 2035 and 2050
• DriVe2X Deliverable D7.1 - V2X technical and techno-economical gaps
   

Prerequisites: Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the course, there are no prerequisite requirements in terms of qualifications. Course is suitable for students with different backgrounds with some technical interest - including students from business and the social sciences.

However, students are expected to go through the study materials that have been provided as preparation and independent knowledge consolidation work.
 

Overview: This course provides an overview of recent theory, relevant challenges and global concerns. The course combines the aspects of economic, social and environmental sustainability aspects and the UN SDGs with managerial and entrepreneurial issues in international business, inspiring students to rethink and critically address ways forwards. Students develop skills and competences to tackle complex real-life problems in collaboration with others while facilitating their entrepreneurial mindsets and sense of purpose. The variety of practical applications for theory develops a global way of thinking and fosters students’ sensitivity in diverse aspects of international business.

Year and period: M.Sc. 1−2 (suitable for postgraduates), 28 July −1 August 2025

Teacher: Maria Elo, Associate Professor, University of Southern Denmark

Aims and learning outcomes:

• To be able to critically reflect and rethink theoretical assumptions and ways of doing business in different contexts
• To develop an understanding on complex, multi-stakeholder and transboundary challenges
• To develop skills and competences needed for sustainable and legitimate managerial and entrepreneurial action
• To enhance entrepreneurial innovativeness and thinking, global mindsets and collaboration skills for problem solving across contexts

Content and mode of study: This teaching approach builds on an intensive, collaborative four-day seminar format (total of 30 hours) that is complemented with a priori readings (30 hours), group exercises, a co-created workshop day with virtual group problem solving hackathon. The course combines interactive lecture parts during the first two days that conclude with a group exercise. After the intensive course, the students complete an individual essay as a final written assignment (20 hours).

The first day (7 hours) addresses globalization, international migration and shifting capitals. A group exercise concludes on questioning the dominance of the Western/first world lenses in international business and entrepreneurship and assessing more inclusive theories for real-word problems (task: identify impactful theories, present).

The second day (7 hours) concludes with a group exercise that addresses entrepreneurial strategies and international opportunities reflecting the SDGs (task: identify different strategies for international opportunity development in emerging/developing countries).

The third day (8 hours) is a collaborative virtual seminar day that starts with shared lectures by diverse experts on different grand challenges (e.g. geopolitics, population economics, climate change, poverty, inequality, international migration) and research on international business and entrepreneurship. Then, the students mix randomly into Zoom breakout rooms with other international students and develop an analytical canvas with solution models for a selected problem. In the end, they present/share those with all the participants via Zoom screen sharing in the end.

On the last day (8 hours), there are interactive lectures addressing place of business, transnationalism, innovation systems, entrepreneurial ecosystems, business-scapes and institutions. After that, the students join random groups in Zoom to discuss the role of location and regionalism in globalization and international venturing and investment while comparing two settings: Kingston, Jamaica and Lappeenranta, Finland. While the students engage in the classroom and in their different groups, they need to pay special attention to application of the SDGs in their tasks, starting from self-reflecting their views on inequality, inclusion, decent work and other concerns in line with the triple bottom line thinking. In the presentations and discussions vulnerabilities of e.g. migrants, women, new ventures from below and undocumented talent are introduced and reflected. 

Total workload 80 hours.

Evaluation: Final grade 0-5. Evaluation 0-100 points, consisting of:

• In-class assignments and participation 50 points:

Pre-readings combined with active doing, re-reading, collaboration and production of a case in the classes (including theory hackathon, case solutions, seminar participation, group work, presentation and critical discussions)

• Written assignment 50 points:

A short essay on a selected theme (academic writing, APA refs), highly individual reflection and critical thinking application

Study material: Selected journal articles and book chapters are provided as pre-readings and in-class readings throughout the course. Additional in-depth material is provided by request. The course builds on inclusive learning and uses videos, seminars and other types of materials to support the written sources.

Prerequisites: No formal prerequisites. Previous courses in entrepreneurship, international business and management are beneficial but not mandatory.

Overview: During the course, students will gain an understanding of sustainable food manufacturing and current food system transitions. The intensive course provides a holistic view of food systems, considering critical aspects such as processing, environment, economics, and social factors and their roles, capacities, and approaches in the sustainability transition.

Year and period: Suitable for B.Sc. and M.Sc., 4.–8.8.2025

Teachers: Samuel Perez Vega, Assistant Professor, LUT University. Marjo Pöysä, Postdoctoral researcher, LUT University and other lecturers.

Aims: After completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand the aspects of food processing.  
• Recognize the critical factors for process intensification for increased sustainability.
• Economic considerations in sustainable food manufacturing.
• Understand the elements of the sustainability transition in food systems.
• Recognize the different actors in the food system and their capacities in sustainability transition.
• Recognize justice issues and various ethical perspectives on food systems and sustainability transition.
   

Content:

The course is preceded by an independent study of the topic through literature. It starts with introductory lectures, which are followed by thematic group work. At the end of the course, the group work results will be presented and discussed in a seminar. Finally, an individual essay on one of the course themes will be written.

The course covers the following topics:

• Food processing for increased palatability and preservability.
• Sustainability in food manufacturing and transition aspects of food systems.
• Economic factors in sustainable food systems.
• Systemic approach to food studies, including global and local food systems perspectives.
• Actors and their roles in the food system.
• Justice transition and ethical perspectives. Issues include power relations, food security, poverty, and inequality in food systems.

Mode of study:

The course is preceded by an independent study of the topic through literature. It starts with introductory lectures, which are followed by thematic group work. At the end of the course, the group work results will be presented and discussed in a seminar. Finally, an individual essay on one of the course themes will be written.

• Individual reading work
• Introductory lectures
• Group work and presentations
• Individual essay writing

Total workload 80 hours.
 

Evaluation: Passed / failed

In order to pass, students should participate in all teaching activities.

Study material:

• Selected journal articles and book chapters are provided as pre-readings
• Literature related to lectures and seminar topics

Prerequisites: No formal prerequisites.

Year and period: Suitable for M.Sc., 4.–8.8.2025

Teachers: Pasi Heikkurinen, Professor, LUT University and Kiira Parikka, Assistant Professor, LUT University

Aims:

The course objective is to familiarize the students with new trends in management, especially regarding sustainable business. It particularly aims at developing students’ skills in identifying and analyzing the key problems and solutions facing contemporary organizations. This course will inspire students to become change agents for sustainable business by increasing their understanding of phenomena critical for business success and survival today and in future.

Content:

The course will focus on questions concerning technological advancement, social transformation, and perceptions of nature. It will begin by examining how management as a field is increasingly transdisciplinary and how it advances by connecting to both natural and social sciences, as well as to humanities. The course will then proceed to investigating the questions of responsibility and desires in business, including the potential and perils of technology. It will discuss the requirements of transformation in cultures of growth and the importance of how nature is perceived. Implications to practice are discussed in-class.

Mode of study: 

This intensive one-week course will comprise nine two-hour lectures and both individual and group in-class exercises. Before the course starts, the students are asked to read the course book, as well as to familiarize themselves with the additional readings. During the class students are expected to keep and diary and write a reflective individual assignment based on their notes. The pedagogical approach is based on the epistemological principle of perspectivism.

Pre work: Read the course book
Post work: Complete the assignment

Before the class: 30 hours workload
In class: 18 hours
Independent work: 32 hours workload

Total workload 80 hours. (3 ECTS)
 

Study material:

Course book (required): Heikkurinen, P. (2024). Degrowth: An Experience of Being Finite. MayFly Books. Available for free at: https://mayflybooks.org/degrowth-an-experience-of-being-finite/

Additional readings:

Guatteri, F. ([1989] 2000). The Three Ecologies, translated by Ian Pindar and Paul Sutton, Continuum.

Ellul, J. ([1954] 1964). The Technological Society, translated by John Wilkinson, Knopf.

Latouche, S. ([2007] 2010). Farewell to Growth, translated by David Macey, Polity Press. 

Recommended prerequisites: No formal prerequisites.