934306 Negotiating change: Simulating an international conference for sustainable development

Type
Lecture and seminar
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Organisation
Offered in
Wintersemester 2022/23
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

***Topic 2021/22: Energy***

The conference will take place at the Vienna International Centre (UN Vienna) if health regulations allow.

Each year, the course focuses on a global ‘hot topic’ in sustainable development. The final outcome of the course is a resolution, negotiated and accepted in a 2-days conference at the UN headquarters Vienna.

Doing self-organized research, you relate the topic to the socio-economic and agro-ecological background of a specific region (e.g. Haiti). Representing a region (e.g. Small Island States) and its interests, you have to develop suggestions for solutions to address the challenge. You will be supported by the trainers, and external experts from ministries, the UN, NGOs, etc.

Negotiating with other regional representatives (e.g. Russia), you experience the complexity of communication and negotiation in a realistic situation.

Based on the negotiations, all student teams have to agree on a UN-resolution for addressing the challenge in a general assembly.

The course is jointly organized with the Institute of International Development, University of Vienna. Participants come from University of Vienna, BOKU, bfi, Central European University.
Previous knowledge expected

Sufficient in English

Advantage: all courses at the Institute of International Development and the Centre for Development Research
.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

#Describe a sustainability challenge applying ecological, social and economic categories
#Develop interests a specific region will have facing this challenge and possible solution strategies.
#Based on the regions’ interests, construct a negotiation strategy to achieve international action towards addressing the sustainability challenge
#Debate solution strategies with peers representing other regions to experience strategic and communicative rationality.
#Recognise drivers and constraints of successful communication for change.
#Summarize the complex system that constitutes negotiations in sustainable development.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.