COURSE DESCRIPTION
Course start: January 2026
Toxic substances in recycled products, “forever chemicals” in batteries, unknown health effects of rare earth elements are all examples of potential risks arising from the development of climate-friendly solutions. The urgency of climate change requests for new solutions at a very fast pace, with the danger of dismissing other threats that can become equally impactful. This reminds of the industrial revolution where thousands of new products were invented in a short time but at high costs for human health and the environment. Integrating today’s knowledge on chemical safety into the green transition can prevent the reiteration of such mistakes.
This course examines the health and environmental impacts of chemical toxicants in the environment that have emerged from technological advancements, focusing on both historical and recently developed chemicals. Students will explore the origins, actions, and regulatory frameworks for known toxicants, alongside emerging risks of new chemicals. In parallel, students will be presented with real-life success stories showing how innovative approaches to technology development can address chemical pollution challenges and contribute to building a healthier green transition.
This course is fully digital with pre-recorded lectures. You can take part in the course in your own pace.
By the end of the course, you will be able to: identify major classes of environmental contaminants, describe diseases that are known to be produced by environmental contaminants, formulate questions about chemical safety in relation to chemicals with unknown effects, access and understand information related to health effects of environmental toxicants, broadly describe of regulatory frameworks and agencies related to chemical safety.
This course is designed for any person involved in the development of new technologies, products, or industrial processes, for example engineers from different areas, R&D scientists, or entrepreneurs.
This is a course for professionals and PhD students seeking a wider understanding of our current global predicaments, how to make sense of them, and how to respond. The first module introduces the Anthropocene, The Great Acceleration, Planetary Boundaries along with causal relationships between energy, technology, economy, values and the human and more-than-human experience. The second module explores how our own cognition, values, norms and emotions guide our responses to the crises of our time, and how we can formulate coherent responses based on our experiences. The third introduces a way of reasoning about the world in terms of interconnected systems instead of independent problems, and explores what such a view means for us. The course is run online with 2h highly interactive seminars connected to each module along with recorded material, readings and exercises.
Målet med kursen är att ge lärare fortbildning inom ämnet djurvälfärd och hållbarhet. Kursens mål är också att ge lärare inspiration att designa sin egen undervisning, att ge lärare möjlighet att ta till sig ny forskning och att dela med sig av läraktiviteter som kan användas av fler.
Miljö, klimat och hälsa Kursen ger en fördjupad förståelse för hur hälsa samspelar med globalisering och miljö- och klimatförändringar, och hur hållbara lösningar kan utvecklas på lokal och global nivå för att möta framtidens utmaningar. Kursens innehåll Globala processer såsom miljö- och klimatförändringarDe globala hållbarhetsmålen / Agenda 2030HälsokonsekvensanalysKlimatanpassningRamverk inom miljö- och klimatpolitik. Vidare behandlar kursen specifikt klimatförändringar och deras effekter på hälsa i vårt nordeuropeiska klimatområde. I det sammanhanget behandlas också särskilt utsatta miljöer respektive känsliga patientgrupper och individer. Även värmens effekter vid arbete samt klimatanpassning och förebyggande av väderrelaterade risker för boende och inom hälso- och sjukvård ingår. Larmkedjor, handlingsplaner och beredskapsfrågor inom vård- och omsorg tas upp, och effektiviteten av förebyggande åtgärder inom vård- och omsorg. Omfattning Kursen är uppdelad i tre delar, med totalt 15 filmade föreläsningar. Medverkande Christofer Åström (Medicine doktor, Folkhälsa och klinisk medicin, Umeå universitet) Maria Nilsson (Professor, Epidemiologi och global hälsa, Umeå universitet) Chris Ebi (Professor, Center for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington) Eva-Lotta Glader (Docent, överläkare, Folkhälsa och klinisk medicin, Umeå universitet) Gustav Strandberg (Filosofie doktor, SMHI)
Why markets for electricity? How do they function? This introductory course explains how incentives shape outcomes in the electricity market. It brings out the implications for businesses and society of electricity pricing in the shadow of the energy transition. The course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the electricity market's role in ensuring an efficient electricity supply and addressing key public questions, such as What is the purpose of the electricity market? Why do electricity prices vary by location? How can electricity prices surge despite low production costs? Are there alternative ways to sell electricity? Why is international electricity trading important? The course emphasizes the role of economic incentives in shaping market behavior and addresses critical issues such as market power and its consequences. You will also explore the inefficiencies stemming from unpriced aspects of energy supply and the role of regulation in mitigating these inefficiencies. As the global push toward decarbonization accelerates, the course delves into the challenges posed by large-scale electrification, the implications of climate legislation for energy systems, and the impact of protectionist national policies. The course offers a comprehensive introduction to the electricity market, provides you with analytical tools for independent analysis and brings you to the forefront of current energy policy debate. The course will enable you to Describe the interaction between the electricity system and the electricity market. Explain how the electricity market can increase the efficiency of electricity supply, e.g. with respect to market integration. Show how market power reduces the efficiency of the electricity market. Categorize fundamental market imperfections and describe their solutions. Explain economic and political challenges associated with the green transition. Apply economic tools to analyze the electricity market and examine how changes to the electricity system and regulation affect market outcomes. Target group This course is designed for engineers and managers eager to enhance their understanding of electricity markets within the context of the industrial green energy transition. The purpose is to increase the understanding of the scope of the electricity market and its role in achieving efficient electricity supply. Digital seminars The course includes five scheduled digital seminars. The seminars will be recorded to provide flexibility in completing the course, although we highly recommend to participate in the seminars if possible. November 4, 9:15 - 12:00 November 11, 9:15 - 12:00 November 25, 9:15 - 12:00 December 2, 9:15 - 12:00 December 16, 9:15 - 12:00 Study effort: 80 hrs
Kursperiod 1/11 till 19/12 2025 Innehåll Batterivärdekedjan: från processer uppströms till nedströms Åldrande batterier: Hur batterier förändras över tiden och vilka risker det är med. Toxicitet: Fokus på material och deras påverkan på miljö och hälsa. Säkerhetsaspekter: Riskbedömning och hantering av batterier i olika skeden av deras livscykel. Livscykelanalys: Miljö- och hållbarhetsperspektiv. Kursens upplägg Kursen kommer att ske som en synkron onlinekurs (fjärrundervisning) för maximal flexibilitet för deltagarna. Kursen kommer att innehålla onlineföreläsningar, diskussionstillfällen, ett kort individuellt projekt, skriftliga reflektioner. För att slutföra kursen krävs en arbetsinsats på ca 40 h. Du kommer att få kunskap om Kursdeltagaren kommer att lära sig följande: Grunderna för batterisäkerhetsfrågor och toxicitet längs batterivärdekedjan En introduktion till livscykelanalys Kunskaper för hantering av åldrande batterier Vem vänder sig kursen till? Kursen vänder sig till personer inom logistik, automation, energiproduktion och byggsektorn. Främst de som hanterar batterier i fordonsflottor, arbetar med säkerhets- och hållbarhetsfrågor inom fordonsindustrin, arbetar med integration av batterier i lokala och nationella energisystem/infrastruktur. Helst har deltagarna en utbildning inom teknik eller naturvetenskap. Deltagare bör ha vissa förkunskaper om batterier, genom teknisk/naturvetenskaplig universitetsutbildning, eller genom en grundläggande öppen kurs.
Batteries and battery technology are vital for achieving sustainable transportation and climate-neutral goals. As concerns over retired batteries are growing and companies in the battery or electric vehicle ecosystem need appropriate business strategies and framework to work with.This course aims to help participants with a deep understanding of battery circularity within the context of circular business models. You will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to design and implement circular business models and strategies in the battery and electric vehicle industry, considering both individual company specific and ecosystem-wide perspectives. You will also gain the ability to navigate the complexities of transitioning towards circularity and green transition in the industry.The course includes a project work to develop a digitally enabled circular business model based on real-world problems. Course content Battery second life and circularity Barriers and enablers of battery circularity Circular business models Ecosystem management Pathways for circular transformation Design principles for battery circularity Role of advanced digital technologies Learning outcomes After completing the course, you will be able to: Describe the concept of battery circularity and its importance in achieving sustainability goals. Examine and explain the characteristics and differences of different types of circular business models and required collaboration forms in the battery- and electric vehicle- industry. Analyze key factors that are influencing design and implement circular business models based on specific individual company and its ecosystem contexts. Analyze key stakeholders and develop ecosystem management strategies for designing and implementing circular business models. Explain the role of digitalization, design, and policies to design and implement circular business models. Plan and design a digitally enabled circular business model that is suitable for a given battery circularity problem. Examples of professional roles that will benefit from this course are sustainability managers, battery technology engineers, business development managers, circular developers, product developers, environmental engineers, material engineers, supply chain engineers or managers, battery specialists, circular economy specialists, etc. This course is given by Mälardalen university in cooperation with Luleå University of Technology Study effort: 80 hrs