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TEP5100

Industrial Ecology, Project

Choose study year
Credits 15
Level Second degree level
Course start Autumn 2024
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction English and norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Work

About

About the course

Course content

The industrial ecology project is a research-oriented project course at the Industrial Ecology Programme. You will apply systems analysis to address environmental issues from a technical, economic and societal perspective. The course involves use of one or several of the following system analysis methods: life-cycle assessment, input-output analysis, systems engineering, material flow analysis, cost-benefit analysis, risk analysis or related techniques. It addresses technical systems, product-service systems, or production-consumption systems such as households or organizations. The project may be conducted in connection with a company or institution, or with ongoing research activity.

Learning outcome

The student shall acquire knowledge for:

  • How the problem investigated in the project has been investigated by different disciplines in engineering, environmental science, economics and other relevant fields.
  • Theory and methods of industrial ecology and environmental systems analysis related to the selected topic.

The student shall build skills to:

  • Approach a new topic, including to conduct literature review, identify important issues, relate to different approaches and be able to describe the contribution of work by others.
  • Define concrete research questions to be answered.
  • Choose, adapt, describe and utilize transparent and reproducible methods to analyze the system and answer research question(s).
  • Handle, express and critically evaluate data, research results and their uncertainty, in own work and that of peers.
  • Reflect on stakeholder interests and consequences of sustainability measures, and be able to give recommendations on how to prioritize measures.
  • Draw conclusions from own work and identify own contribution to the research front.
  • Present and discuss, in writing and oral form, own work in the context of industrial ecology and sustainability transition.

The student shall attain general competence to understand research questions and the scientific approach, organize and conduct an independent research project, and contribute to sustainability research.

Learning methods and activities

Supervised independent project. Supervision will be provided in English.

Participation in group activity connected with parts of the learning outcome is required.

Course materials

To be defined together with the teacher, and in line with the nature of the project.