Sustainable education
Sustainable Education aims to strengthen and enlarge the sustainable development education at UM, and it wants to provide an overview for everyone who is interested in topics of sustainability. The project team is positioned at the heart of the academic community, and acts as a facilitator within the UM’s sustainability initiative.
Read more about:
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The topic sustainable development in courses and programmes at UM (see below)
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Minor Sustainability - click here
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Sustainability grant for course/module development - click here
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SDG Seminar Series - click here
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Student Projects - click here
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Education Liaisons - click here
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Strengthening competencies for sustainable development at UM - click here
The topic sustainable development in courses and programmes at UM
UM's aim is to integrate sustainable development in all programmes. Each educational program incorporates sustainable development (competencies) into the core curricula in a way that is appropriate and relevant to the programme. This is done by finding faculties' unique perspectives and ways to add value to contribute to a sustainable world.

Project owner sustainable education:
Ron Cörvers
Scientific director of MSI, Maastricht University
r.corvers[at]maastrichtuniversity[dot]nl
Project coordinator sustainable education:
Ceren Pekdemir
Assistant Professor at MSI, Maastricht University
ceren.pekdemir[at]maastrichtuniversity[dot]nl
Since the project team has started taking count of courses which integrate the topic of sustainability, sustainable development, and/or the Sustainable Development Goals into their course descriptions in 2018-2019, the number of courses has increased substantially. Since then, the count has gone up from 9 to more than 43 Bachelor level courses, and from 17 to more than 26 Master level courses. For an overview of the courses and programmes on various levels, please see the lists below.
Bachelor's
- Healthy Environments and Sustainability in the EU (FHML, 9 ECTS)
- Sustainability and Social-Ecological Systems (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)
- Sustainability and human health (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)
- Systems Thinking Competency (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 2.5 ECTS)
- Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)
- From Climate Conflict to Climate Justice (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)
- Collaboration Competency: Exploring Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (SBE, Minor Sustainability, 2.5 ECTS)
- Sustainability Project (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)
- Sustainable Development for Emerging Markets (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)
- Corporate Governance (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)
- Evidence-based Impact Assessment for Sustainable Business Practices (SBE, 4 ECTS)
- Operations Management (SBE, 5 ECTS)
- Authority, Expertise and Environmental Change (FASoS, 9 ECTS)
- Globalisation and Inequality (FASoS/part of minor globalisation and development, 12 ECTS)
- Sustainable Development: An Introduction (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)
- Globalization and Inequality: Perspectives on Development (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)
- Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)
- The Social Study of Environmental Problems: Between Nature, Society and Politics (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)
- Innovation Systems, Policy and Sustainability Transitions (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)
- Sustainable Development (FSE/UCV, 5 ECTS)
- Sustainable Food Production (FSE/UCV, 5 ECTS)
- Sustainability and Social Justice (FSE/UCV, 5 ECTS)
- Biobased Materials and Technology (FSE/MSP, 5 ECTS)
- Sustainable Development (FSE/MSP, 5 ECTS)
- Digital Society (FSE/DKE, 4 ECTS)
- Chemical Engineering (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Life Cycle Assessment Project (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Energy Systems (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Sustainable Food Production (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Polymeric Materials (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Sustainable Agronomy (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Horticulture Systems Design (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Design Project (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Design Project (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Design Project (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Chemical Eng. Thermodynamics & Kinetics (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Chemical Separations (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Chemical Plant Design (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Circular Process Design and Control (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Biotechnology for Sustainable Processes (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Sensors, Instrumentation and Measurement (FSE, 5 ECTS)
- Advanced Electronics Skills (FSE, 2.5 ECTS)
- Microbiology and Fermentation Skills (FSE, 2.5 ECTS)
- International Environmental Law (SSC/CES, 7.5 ECTS)
- Sustainable Development (SSC/CES, 6 ECTS)
Master's
- Sustainable Development (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)
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Sustainability Science, Policy and Society (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)
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Governance for Sustainable Development (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)
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Sustainability, Law and the Environment (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)
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Methodology for Sustainability Assessment (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)
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Integrated Sustainability Project (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)
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Innovation for Sustainable Development (SBE/MSI 5 ECTS)
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Thesis Research and Writing (SBE/MSI 15 ECTS)
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Sustainability Assessment Skills (SBE/MSI, 4 ECTS)
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Innovation for Sustainability (SBE/MGSoG, 4 ECTS)
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Innovation and Innovation Policy From A System Perspective (SBE/MGSoG, 4 ECTS)
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The Social Entrepreneurship Public Policy Nexus (SBE/MGSoG, 4 ECTS)
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Managing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (SBE/MGSoG, 4 ECTS)
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Solution Design and Policy Communication (SBE/MGSoG, 4 ECTS)
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Global Policy Challenges in Comparative Regionalism (SBE/MSI, 4 ECTS)
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Sustainable Finance, Management and Strategy (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)
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Sustainable and Responsible Investments (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)
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Real Estate Finance (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)
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Business Innovation and Sustainable Development (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)
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Supply Chain Relationships (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)
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Determinants of Health and Labour Participation (FHML, 6 ETCS)
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Strategies for Health Protection, Disease Prevention and Re-integration into Work (FHML, 6 ETCS)
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Occupational Health Management (FHML, 6 ETCS)
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Business Strategy in the European Luxury (Maastricht Summer School, 6 ECTS)
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Biobased Materials (FSE, 6 ECTS)
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Sustainability of Biobased Materials (FSE, 6 ECTS)
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Human Rights and Human Development (FoL, 6 ECTS)
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Law of the Sea (FoL, 6 ECTS)
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European Environmental Law (FoL, 6 ECTS)
Full time programmes
- Circular Engineering (BSc, 180 ECTS)
- Biobased Materials (MSc, 120 ECTS)
- International Business: Sustainable Finance (MSc, 60 ECTS)
- Sustainability Science, Policy and Society (MSc, 60 ECTS)
- Sustainability Science and Policy (PhD programme)
- Sustainable Business: Leadership, Innovation, Management (SUBLIM) Partnership between MSI and University of York. (Expected start: September 2022)
Minor & Specialisation tracks
Sustainability Grant for Education
One of the key aims of the strategy on sustainability at UM is to integrate sustainability into all educational programmes. The sustainability grant for education aims to integrate sustainability further into the various core course curricula at UM by providing teachers with the time to (re)develop educational modules to integrate the topic of sustainability and/or sustainable development competencies into the course.
At this moment, applications are closed. Three projects have been awarded with a grant. A new round will be announced in the new academic year.
Read the following press release to learn which projects have been awarded with a grant.
For any further questions or inquiries, you can contact Ceren Pekdemir.
SDG Seminar series on professionals in sustainable development
Together with Green Office we organise regular seminars in which professionals in the sustainability field share their successes and struggles. This is your chance to learn from their experience and to ask your questions! These SDG seminars are intended to approach sustainability issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN.
2022
- Seminar #1: Sustainability and Circularity (SDG 12) (Click on the event to download the presentation)
- Seminar #2: Alterna(ra)tives: Celebrating diversity and inclusion to inform the global climate agenda (related to synergetic strength of all SDG's)
- Seminar #3: Lobbying for climate (SDG 13)
Click here to rewatch a former recorded seminar on Transformative Change online
Student projects
Beyond the courses specifically incorporating sustainability in the course content, the topic of sustainable development can also be integrated in student projects within a course. For example, UM offers several honours programmes in which you can work on a sustainability project for a real client such as PREMIUM and MaRBLe. Or you can write your thesis on a subject related to sustainaibility. If you need help or would like to brainstorm together with the team of Sustainable UM2030 on further integrating sustainability into educational projects you may contact us.
Education Liaisons SUM2030
In November 2021, the Sustainable Education project team kicked-off its first Education Liaisons meeting. This collaboration with liaisons from the various faculties has been initiated to:
- deepen the embedding of sustainability in education across faculty programmes;
- share information and news concerning sustainable education with the project team and the faculties;
- identify and stimulate relevant faculty projects;
- seek intra-faculty collaboration where possible;
- share best practices but also challenges;
- involve UM faculties and centers in the UM-wide SUM2030 educational projects.
For this year, one major joint activity will be a symposium on integrating sustainable development further into curricula across all faculties at UM.
Strengthening competencies for sustainable development at UM
Within the international discourse on education for sustainable development, there is large agreement on key competencies. Thanks to UM's problem-based teaching method, a number of these skills are already amply covered, such as (integrated) problem solving, cooperation and critical thinking. It encourages students to work together in a critical and interdisciplinary way to solve problems. These competences are also recognised in UNESCO's skills in education for sustainability (see for example chapter 2 of Issues and Trends in Education for Sustainable Development).
Some competencies can be complemented or strengthened to enable students to think and act in a sustainable way. In the past years, the Global Citizenship project actively engages in the topic of incorporating global citizenship skills into the educational offerings across the faculty programmes, and within the minor Sustainability new courses have been developed on sustainable development competencies.
There are also courses and short trainings available for staff members via GoodHabitz, for instance on the topic of what it means to be really ‘green’ with various practical tips to be eco-friendly at work and at home.
A little peek behind the scenes of the development of the sustainability minor - spring 2020