BIP

FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

Elective course description

(Re)considering sustainability - Blended Intensive Program (BIP)

In cooperation of four different universities in three different countries, a completely new elective course will start in the spring semester 2023, with the participation of the following institutions:

• J. Selye University, Faculty of Economics and Informatics, Komárno, Slovakia, https://www.ujs.sk/en
• Partium Christian University, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Oradea, Romania, https://gtk.partium.ro/en
• Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Faculty of Economics, Socio-Human Sciences and Engineering, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania, https://csik.sapientia.ro/en
• John von Neumann University, Faculty of Economics and Business, Kecskemét, Hungary, https://gtk.nje.hu

Details about the course:

• Name:                                                           (Re)considering sustainability
• Language:                                                    English, Hungarian
• Level:                                                             BSc, economics, 3 credits (ECTS)
• Classification:                                               elective subject
• Date:                                                              13 March 2023 – 26 May 2023
• Number of teaching hours:                       10*45 min. online consultation

                                                                               5 days physical practice in Kecskemét (HU)

• Assessment method:                                  practical marks for project work at the physical week
• Form of implementation:                            online consultations and one-week physical practice
• Free of charge for students

At the end of the semester, a physical mobility of 5 days (22 May – 26 May) is organized in Kecskemét. This is mandatory for the students, which is free of charge to them. The lecturers are also warmly welcome, whose travel can be supported by (home) institutional Erasmus grants. This is the week when the course is formally closed, and the students are assessed based on their project work and theoretical knowledge. Outside the lessons, different kinds of social occasions are also organized.   

To whom do we recommend? To YOU!

• International teamwork – networking skills;
• up to date relevant knowledge;
• practical training based on project work built onto pertinent theory;
• critical thinking towards major areas globally affecting contemporary societies.

Are you studying economics, business or social sciences? Are you open to wide-scale thinking? Do you try to consider the world around you holistically and analytically? Are you interested in major issues around our contemporary age that affect the globe and the lives of the people? Do you care about the future and what it will be like? Do you consider the preservation and protection of the environment seriously? Then this course is made for you.

Objectives: Students will get acquainted with the major issues around the globe resulting from the prevailing working mechanism of consumer societies. The topics covered will primarily concentrate on, but will not be limited to, the pertinent phenomena of consumption and overconsumption, production and overproduction, the pollution of the environment regarding its current and foreseeable effects on the globe and societies, as well as social equality and inequality within and among societies. The introductory theoretical online lectures will introduce them to the United Nations’ seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their significance in the twenty-first century. In the sessions of the one-week course based on physical attendance, they will work in groups on practical projects based on the theoretical knowledge acquired beforehand. Their performance will be assessed based on their final projects resulting from their group research.

The course will be useful in developing the students’ critical and holistic thinking required from intellectuals in society, their collaborative learning and working strategies, abilities to conduct research, get to know and evaluate the world around us.

Pre-study conditions: The course is recommended for students specialized in economics, business, or social sciences. Fundamental knowledge on the working mechanism and structure of the consumer society and economy is advantageous, but not mandatory. Nevertheless, basic knowledge on SDGs is required, or to be acquired during the introductory theoretical phase of the course.

Content:

• the presence and amount of poverty in contemporary societies
• the problems of starvation, unhealthy and non-nutritious food, as well as unsustainable agriculture
• health problems and lack of well-being in societies
• the necessity for quality education and the adoption of the idea of life-long learning
• the question of gender equality
• the availability and management of water and hygiene
• the need for affordable, reliable and sustainable energy
• the issue of economic growth and working conditions
• the role of infrastructure in the industries
• the phenomenon of inequality within and among countries
• safety and sustainability in urban settings
• the issues of production and consumption
• the phenomenon of climate change and its role in the twenty-first century
• the preservation and protection of the water-world
• the role of environmental friendliness in forest life
• the importance of justice on the level of institutions
• the significance of cooperation for sustainability

In case of any questions, feel free to contact us. 

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