Improving Planetary Health: A Learning Lab for Social-Entrepreneurship

Doel vak

Knowledge
- Students will understand the concept of planetary health and the key
challenges for improving planetary health.
- Students will understand the complex nature of wicked problems and the
implications for addressing them
- Students will understand underlying principles of social
entrepreneurship

Academic Skills
- Students can reflect critically on recent academic evidence and
practical issues related to social entrepreneurship and planetary
health.
- Students can present their ideas (in English) in convincing ways that
are grounded in academic knowledge
- Student are able to analyse complex problems using conceptual and
analytical models, and to develop solutions based on academically
grounded, structured approaches.
- Students are able to identify a challenge related to planetary health
and develop an idea for a social venture to tackle this challenge

Bridging Theory and Practice
- Students can use key principles and approaches from social
entrepreneurship to tackle wicked problems
- Students can apply key activities to develop a social venture idea
aimed at tackling planetary health as an example of a wicked problems.
- By collaborating with students and experts from different disciplines,
students are able to develop a solution for wicked problems and to
pinpoint implications for the implementation by taking into account
different disciplinary views that connect academia, policy and practice.

Inhoud vak

Improving Planetary Health: A learning lab for social entrepreneurship
comprises an introduction to concepts and various theoretical approaches
to solving societally relevant, wicked problems through the lens of
social entrepreneurship. Planetary health considers the the health of
human civilization and the natural systems on which it depends,
emphasizing the link between that human health and the health of our
planet (e.g. the importance of human health and the sustainable
management of natural systems as well as natural resources) .In this
course, you will design and develop ideas for innovative social ventures
aimed at improving planetary health. Social ventures are undertakings
aimed at solving a social problem or effecting social change. Well known
examples are TOMS shoes, or microfinance institutions. You will learn
about the concepts of planetary health, current challenges, and about
ways of responding to these “wicked problems” in adequate ways through
social ventures. You will learn that tackling wicked problems requires a
coordinated reaction on the part of governments, public and private
organizations, collaboration between different stakeholders, integration
of different activities and hence asks for new constellations of actors
and new forms of organizing and you will make use of design thinking
tools that will help you think about wicked problems in novel ways. You
will also learn that wicked problems can be tackled at various levels,
including regional, national and global. You will also learn how to work
in multidisciplinary teams and to pitch your ideas in compelling and
convincing ways.

Aanvullende informatie onderwijsvormen

Students will receive in an introduction into the concept of planetary
health, design thinking, how to create and measure impact, and how to
pitch an idea. Students will enjoy a combination of learning activities,
both on-campus and online, delivered by a transdisciplinary teaching
team consisting of different social science disciplines including
organization sciences, sociology as well as global and public health and
speakers from the private and public sector working on innovative
approaches to maintaining and/or improving planetary health. Interactive
sessions, guest speakers, and lab sessions, knowledge clips and other
online material will be combined with teamwork and student presentations
and faculty and peer feedback to stimulate self-activated learning.

The main teaching method used is a combination of interactive lab
sessions, both theoretical, in forms of interactive sessions and
practicals (see section 5). In the interactive sessions, scientific
research and core concepts on selected themes are discussed, applied,
and explained. During the course, you provide active and critical input,
while you are also working on developing a social venture idea in teams
of peers facilitated by the lecturers. In addition, we will invite field
experts that will present their experiences in approaching wicked
problems through social ventures and examples they have confronted
during their work lives.

Toetsvorm

GROUP ASSIGNMENT
The group assignments will consist of the presentation in which students
pitch their idea and a portfolio that students submit in which they
develop their idea reflecting on relevant literature.

Students will first pitch their idea in a presentation within their
subtheme. This round will also serve as grading round. The best pitch
from this round, as assessed by the fellow students and the theme mentor
will then compete against the best pitches from the other themes. A
committee will select the best presentation. This process is independent
from the grade, which will assigned by the theme coordinator.

In addition, student teams will submit a portfolio in which students
will present a critical analysis of a “problem” related to planetary
health and their social venture idea to solve this idea, making use and
reflecting on the literature students studied throughout the course.

INDIVIDUAL ANALYSIS
Students will write an individual analysis of 1-2 pages in which they
reflect critically on the team process, opportunities, and challenges in
tackling wicked problems. In addition, students will reflect on what
they would do differently next time.

Afwijkende intekenprocedure

It is only possible to take one of the courses "AI and Society," "The Human Dimension of Sustainable Development" or "Improving Planetary Health".

In this course, you cannot enroll for one of the study groups yourself,

but you will be assigned by the course coordinator. The allocation will

be announced via Canvas. Please note: You do have to register for the

course and the other course components on VU.nl.