COURSE DESCRIPTION
Learn more about climate change’s impact on society and how you can lead a wide range of transition processes and practically work with climate transitions within different areas.
Ongoing and future climate impacts on different parts of society, the attempts to try to build sustainability within planetary boundaries and interconnected international crises’ have created a unique situation concerning the issues’ urgency, complexity and uncertainty. Within this shifting landscape knowledgeable, creative and brave leaders and citizens are necessary to being able to fundamentally change how businesses, regions, municipalities and different organizations work and achieve results.
This online course introduces
This course is completly self-paced and will require about 20 study hours to complete.
An introduction to the challenges that both public leadership and governance face in an increasingly digital and globalized world. The content is based on theories and models with global applicability, and uses examples on how Swedish public leadership and governance have met real crises. About the course This course is an accessible introduction to the challenges that both public leadership and governance face in an increasingly digital and globalized world. The content is based on theories and models with global applicability, and uses examples on how Swedish public leadership and governance have met real crises such as climate change, COVID-19, migration crisis, ageing population. The course provides an understanding of how public leadership and governance can address digitalization in sustainable ways building on Swedish illustrations. Topic covered by the course You will get an comprehensive introduction to the challenges that public leadership and governance structure will face through digitalization process.Engage with the topic through your own work and reflection and practice on peer-review on a particular topic.Engage with a selection of relevant and up-to date literature that will be accessible through the course.Who can take the course?The course is open to everyone and free. There are no requirements for prior knowledge or special qualifications to participate in the course. Course structure The course is web-based and is conducted entirely remotely via a web-based course platform. It is divided into four modules: First module will give an overarching introduction to the overall concepts of sustainability, digitalization and democracy. We will be staying mostly conceptual and theoretical in the first week. At the end of the week there will be a digital quiz and an scrapbook assignment. Second module there will be a discussion around institutions and what digitalization has meant looking at practical examples such as Transportation agency and the Linköping Municipality. At the end of the week there will be a digital quiz and an scrapbook assignment. Third week will delve more into the practical implications of diglitalisation for areas such as E-government, social services and health care. At the end of the week there will be a digital quiz and an scrapbook assignment. The last module will be based around self-study and the compilation of a scrapbook that will be uploaded to Lisam and then discussed and reviewed in an online forum setting. Each participant will produce one scrapbook and review three different scrapbooks during the last module.
What can we do to address the sustainability challenges we face? In this course, you will gain insight into how individuals, organisations and societies approach sustainability challenges in different ways. In various parts of the world different challenges are prioritized and thereby, various approaches and solutions are needed. You will learn about the considerations needed to make decisions of how to prioritize sustainable development. You will also be introduced to different strategies for changing values, attitudes and behaviours. The course introduces enforcements that are applied to influence individuals within companies and in the society at large, including different incentives and instruments to ensure more sustainable behaviours. This course is relevant to professionals working in industry, policymakers, or students in engineering. What you'll learn Identify and prioritize solutions based on different perspectives About how the values, attitudes and behaviours for sustainable development are connected About different environmental management tools How to implement organizational learning, incentives and instruments to change behaviours for sustainable development Concepts used in the current sustainability debate See all free online courses that KTH offers
This course emphasizes that systems-based changes are needed to achieve a sustainable world. In the past, dominant theories of change have neglected these complex conditions. In part, it includes the belief that change can be managed, planned, and controlled. This course suggests more contemporary theories where you are more inclusive, being many stakeholders and use fluid ways of creating change. Similar compositions of ideas have been tested in the honours track Change Maker Future Track at LU School of Economics and Management. At the end of the course, the participants will have a better chance of: a. Understanding of the systemic nature of sustainability b. Understanding of systems theory, and the concepts of complexity and wicked problems c. Understanding of systems innovation and change d. Having an overview of some tools for describing and analysing complex problems and contexts e. Having an overview of contemporary theories of change f. Having an in-depth understanding of the concept of Catalytic Leadership and Change
Hydrogen will play a major role in the transition to a low-carbon society. Still, it also introduces demanding conditions for materials and components across the entire value chain, from production and compression to storage, transport, and end-use. Many of the most critical technical risks in hydrogen systems are materials-related, including loss of ductility and premature fracture, accelerated fatigue, unexpected leakage, seal degradation, corrosion, and performance degradation over time. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for making safe, reliable, and cost-effective engineering decisions. This course offers a practical, engineering-focused introduction to materials in the hydrogen economy, including catalysts in hydrogen production and materials used in hydrogen storage and transportation, as well as their impact on component lifetime and system safety. You will learn how hydrogen enters materials, how it moves (diffusion and permeation), where it accumulates (trapping sites), and how these processes can trigger degradation. A special focus is placed on hydrogen embrittlement in metals, particularly in steels and welded joints, because these materials are widely used in pipelines, pressure vessels, fittings, and structural components. The course also covers non-metallic materials that are crucial for hydrogen infrastructure, including polymers, elastomers, and coatings used in liners, seals, hoses, gaskets, and protective layers. In addition to the fundamental mechanisms, the course connects theory to real engineering choices. You will discuss which materials are suitable under different hydrogen conditions (pressure, temperature, purity, moisture, cycling), what typical failure modes look like, and what mitigation strategies can be used in practice, such as material selection, heat treatment, surface engineering/coatings, design measures, operating-window choices, and inspection/testing approaches. The course also introduces materials challenges in key hydrogen technologies such as electrolysers and storage solutions, highlighting how degradation and compatibility issues influence performance and maintenance needs. You will also discuss hydrogen carriers and their storage and utilization solutions. The teaching format combines short, focused lectures with seminar discussions and an applied assignment. Participants are encouraged to bring examples from their own work or studies (for example, a pipeline material choice, a valve and seal problem, a storage tank concept, or an electrolyser component, chemical and physical storage systems) and use these as case studies during seminars and in the final assignment. By the end of the course, you will have both the conceptual framework and the practical tools needed to evaluate materials risks in hydrogen applications and make better-informed decisions for real systems. What you will be able to do after the course After completing the course, you will be able to: Explain key mechanisms of hydrogen–materials interactions and their consequencesIdentify materials-related risks in hydrogen production, storage, and transportationEvaluate and justify materials choices for hydrogen components and systemsPropose mitigation strategies (design choices, coatings, operating conditions, testing/inspection approaches) Course structure (March 2–31) 6 lectures: Overview of hydrogen economy and materials, Materials in hydrogen production, Hydrogen materials interaction-core concepts, mechanisms, and engineering implications, Hydrogen Carriers, and materials selection and design2 seminars: discussion of case studies and participant problems/components1 assignment: applied analysis/report linked to a realistic hydrogen application (can be connected to your work/project) March 2 Lecture-Introduction 10:00-10:45 Farid Akhtar Introduction March 5 Lecture I 09:30-11:00 Valentina Zaccaria hydrogen production and utilization – An overview March 6 Lecture II 10:00-11:30 Farid Akhtar Materials in Hydrogen Infrastrucutre- An Overview March 12 Lecture III 10:00-12:30 Alberto Vomiero/Marshet Sendeku Materials in Hydrogen production and conversion March 17 Lecture IV 10:00-11:30 Farid Akhtar Hydrogen Embrittlement Mechanism and Theory March 19 Seminar I 10:00-12:00 Farid Akhtar Topic I March 23 Lecture V 10:00-11:30 Farid Akhtar Mitigating Hydrogen embrittlement: Materials selection and development March 26 Seminar II 10:00-12:00 Farid Akhtar Topic II March 30 Discussion/White Board 09:30-11:00 Farid Akhtar Sorting Challenges For whom Engineers and professionals working with hydrogen technologies (or planning hydrogen projects)Master’s students in relevant fields Entry requirements Recommended background in engineering/natural sciences (materials/mechanics/chemistry/physics or equivalent). Relevant professional experience can also qualify. Examination Based on: Assignment (report and/or presentation)Participation in lectures, seminars and discussions Course responsible/examiner: Farid Akhtar
This course has an English version. Look for course with title "Why choose wood for the next high rise building?" KursbeskrivningOlika typer av biomaterial (t.ex. trä) är mycket viktiga i utmaningen att avkarbonisera byggmiljön och minska koldioxidavtrycket för byggnader och infrastruktur genom att ersätta material som stål och cement som har höga koldioxidutsläpp. Samtidigt får vi inte glömma bort att biologisk mångfald, natur och sociala värden i våra skogar är viktigt att behålla samtidigt som skogsbruk bedrivs. I kursens 13 moduler tas skogsbrukets kretslopp upp inklusive avverkningsmetoder, biologisk mångfald, skogsskötsel, logistik, skogens roll i klimatomställningen, kolinlagring, miljöfördelar med att bygga flervåningshus i trä mm. Syftet är att ni som deltar i kursen ska få en gemensam förståelse av det svenska skogsbruket för att ni sen ska kunna fatta välgrundade beslut om materialval vid nästa byggprojekt. KursperiodKursen kommer att vara aktiv under 3 år. InnehållSkogshistoria: Skogens nyttjande i Sverige genom historienSkogsbruksmetoder och skogsskötselSkogsföryngringVirkets egenskaperMätning av skog och virkeSkogsträdsförädling: nutid och framtidSkogens kolbalans och klimatetAffärsmodeller och marknadsutveckling: Fokus flervåningshus med trästommarNaturvård och biologisk mångfald i skogen Kursens uppläggKursen är helt digital med förinspelade föreläsningar. Du kan delta i kursen i din egen takt. Modulerna avslutas med quiz där du kan testa hur mycket du har lärt dig. Du kommer få kunskap omEfter avslutad kurs kommer du att ha lärt dig mer om olika skogliga begrepp, förvärvat kunskap om skogens nyttjande i Sverige genom historien, ökat dina kunskaper om skogsskötsel och hur olika skogsskötselmetoder påverkar den biologiska mångfalden i skogen, lärt dig om skogsbrukets kretslopp – från föryngring till slutavverkning mm. Vem vänder sig kursen till?Den här kursen är tänkt för dig som är yrkesverksam arkiktekt, anställd på kommun som arbetar med stadsplanering och byggande, verksam i bygg- och anläggningsbranschen samt verksam i andra relaterade yrken. Detta är en introduktionskurs och kommer att bidra till en kompetenshöjning i hela byggsektorns ekosystem vilket ökar branschens internationella konkurrenskraft, samtidigt som det ger viktiga förutsättningar för utvecklingen av framtidens hållbara, vackra och inkluderande städer. Eftersom kursen är öppen för alla hoppas vi att fler grupper, exempelvis studenter, doktorander, skogsägare och andra med skogsintresse tar kursen, tar del av inspirerande föreläsningar där vetenskaplig kunskap som producerats huvudsakligen inom SLU presenteras.För mer information kontakta kurskoordinator dimitris.athanassiadis@slu.se
Virtual commissioning (VC) is a technique used in the field of automation and control engineering to simulate and test a system's control software and hardware in a virtual environment before it is physically implemented. The aim is to identify and correct any issues or errors in the system before deployment, reducing the risk of downtime, safety hazards, and costly rework. The virtual commissioning process typically involves creating a digital twin of the system being developed, which is a virtual representation of the system that mirrors its physical behaviour. The digital twin includes all the necessary models of the system's components, such as sensors, actuators, controllers, and interfaces, as well as the control software that will be running on the real system. Once the digital twin is created, it can be tested and optimized in a virtual environment to ensure that it behaves correctly under various conditions. The benefits of using VC include reduced project costs, shortened development time, improved system quality and reliability, and increased safety for both operators and equipment. By detecting and resolving potential issues in the virtual environment, engineers can avoid costly and time-consuming physical testing and debugging, which can significantly reduce project costs and time to market. The course includes different modules, each with its own specific role in the process. Together, the modules create a comprehensive virtual commissioning process that makes it possible to test and validate control systems and production processes in a simulated environment before implementing them in the real world. Modeling and simulation: This module involves creating a virtual model of the system using simulation software. The model includes all the equipment, control systems, and processes involved in the production process. Control system integration: This module involves integrating the digital twin with the control system, allowing engineers to test and validate the system's performance. Virtual sensors and actuators: This module involves creating virtual sensors and actuators that mimic the behavior of the physical equipment. This allows engineers to test the control system's response to different scenarios and optimize its performance. Scenario testing: This module involves simulating different scenarios, such as equipment failures, power outages, or changes in production requirements, to test the system's response. Data analysis and optimization: This module involves analyzing data from the virtual commissioning process to identify any issues or inefficiencies in the system. Engineers can then optimize the system's performance and ensure that it is safe and reliable. Expected outcomes Describe the use of digital twins for virtual commissioning process. Develop a simulation model of a production system using a systems perspective and make a plan for data collection and analysis. Plan different scenarios for the improvement of a production process. Analyze data from the virtual commissioning process to identify any issues or inefficiencies in the system and then optimize the system's performance. Needs in the industry Example battery production: Battery behaviors are changing over time. To innovate at speed and scale, testing and improving real-world battery phenomena throughout its lifecycle is necessary. Virtual commissioning / modeling-based approaches like digital twin can provide us with accurate real-life battery behaviors and properties, improving energy density, charging speed, lifetime performance and battery safety. Faster innovation (NPI) Lower physical prototypes Shorter manufacturing cycle time Rapid testing of new battery chemistry and materials to reduce physical experiments Thermal performance and safety It’s not just about modelling and simulating the product, but also validating processes from start to finish in a single environment for digital continuity. Suggested target groups Industry personnel Early career engineers involved in commissioning and simulation projects Design engineers (to simulate their designs at an early stage in a virtual environment to reduce errors) New product introduction engineers Data engineers Production engineers Process engineers (mediators between design and commissioning) Simulation engineers Controls engineer System Integration