Course: People and the Sea: Systems Thinking for Coastal Communities

The course introduces systems thinking as a methodology to understand and provide solutions to sustainability challenges faced by coastal communities. These challenges range from global ones, such as climate change and ocean acidification, to local and regional ones, such as biodiversity loss, securing energy supply, connecting remote communities, or gentrification. Systems thinking offers a theoretical framework and methodological toolbox for understanding and addressing the complexity of these challenges. It facilitates the identification of leverage points of intervention for meaningful change, the anticipation of long-term consequences, and the design of strategies that support resilient and adaptive transitions. Rather than viewing problems in isolation, this approach considers them as part of a broader, interconnected system where social, environmental, and economic factors interact across local, regional, and global scales. 

Read more about the course here.

All master’s-level courses offered at UW are open to guest students, exchange students, and working professionals. The courses form part of UW’s two international and multidisciplinary master’s programmes: Coastal and Marine Management and Coastal Communities and Regional Development