Topic outline

  • General

    Welcome to the Managing Circular Economy -course! 

    The course focuses on circular economy as a solution to the sustainability challenges mankind is facing. It introduces the key models and frameworks to understand what circular economy means for the society as well as for individual organizations. It also introduce systems thinking and sustainable development goals as tools to situate an organization in its broader societal environment.

    Special focus areas of the course will include circular economy business models and strategies, collaboration for circular economy, the role of different intermediaries such as public sector organizations and NGOs in the circular economy as well the role of new technologies as enablers of circular economy. Throughout the course, understanding nature of sustainability transitions and thinking in terms of systems will be important themes.

    The course schedule is outlined below. The teaching sessions are held on campus, in the classrooms listed below. All the other key details (assignments, grading, key readings) can be found on the course syllabus.

    #

    Date

    Topic

    Readings and

    deadlines

    Room

    Week 1: The fundamentals of circular economy

     

     

    1

    26.02.24

    Lecture – Introduction to circular economy – key concepts and drivers

    Reading: Geissdoerfer et al. 2017

    U356 (Alma Media)

    2

    29.02.24

    Exercise: Guided introduction to group work

    Learning diary 1 DL 03.03

    U119 (Deloitte)

    Week 2: Circular economy and systems thinking

     

     

    3

    04.03.24

    Lecture: Intro to systems thinking, CE as a systemic issue

    Reading: Sterman, 2001

    U356 (Alma Media)

    4

    07.03.24

    Exercise: Systems thinking assignment

    Learning diary 2 DL 10.03

    U119 (Deloitte)

    Week 3: Strategies and business models for circularity

     

     

    5

    11.03.24

    Lecture: circularity strategies and business models

    Reading: Bocken et al. 2016

    U356 (Alma Media)

    6

    14.03.24

    Exercise: Circular experimentation workbench

    Learning diary 3 DL 17.03

    U119 (Deloitte)

    Week 4: Circular economy ecosystems

     

     

    7

    18.03.24

    Lecture: The role of collaboration for circular economy

    Reading: Patala et al. 2022

    U356 (Alma Media)

    8

    21.03.24

    Exercise: Circular collaboration canvas

    Learning diary 4 DL 24.03

    U356 (Alma Media)

    Week 5: Circular economy and the role of new technologies

     

     

    9

    25.03.24

    Digital technologies and circular economy

    Reading: Rajala et al. 2018

    U119 (Deloitte)

    10

    04.04.24

    Guest lecture

    Learning diary 5 DL 07.04

    U356 (Alma Media)

    Week 6: Circular economy and the society

     

     

    11

    08.04.23

    Lecture: Circular economy and policy development, critical views of CE

     Group presentations

    Reading: Dzhengiz et al. 2023

    U356 (Alma Media)

    12

    11.04.23

    Group presentations

     

    Course wrap-up

    Learning diary 6 DL 14.04

     

    Group Assignment DL 19.04

    U356 (Alma Media)