SUSD 3160 Systems Thinking and Sustainability

This course provides the student with an introduction to systems thinking within the context of sustainable development and the need for a change of perspectives in a globalized, post-pandemic world facing climate change. It examines systems thinking theory in a fun and dynamic manner with practical examples taken from everyday life as a means to gain a greater understanding of how and why systems work the way they do. The student will learn to discover, understand and appreciate the systems of which we are part, how we function (or don't) within them as individuals and as society, and hone our skills so our involvement in systems dynamics - whether at the personal, local, national, international or global levels - can contribute to sustainable development in one way or another and thus to more positive outcomes over time. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development1 adopted in 2015 at the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly provide the backdrop to the course.