Ready to Lead the Shift to a Circular Economy?
The world is moving away from the wasteful linear economy toward a more sustainable, circular one, and it’s shaping the future of business. Engineers, business leaders, managers, and policy-makers are all needed to drive this change. Want to be one of the graduates leading the way? Circular Sustainable Business Development is the course for you! This exciting, multi-disciplinary course is open to all master’s students at UT.
Why Circular Economy Matters
In a world focused on sustainability, the circular economy is key to transforming how we produce and consume. As future decision-makers and leaders, it’s essential for students to understand the circular economy in relation to the triple bottom line: People (social impact), Planet (environmental impact), and Profit (economic viability). Through this course, you'll learn how to integrate these elements into business strategy and explore corporate social responsibility from all angles.
What You’ll Learn
The course kicks off with the basics of sustainable and circular economies, packed with real-world examples of success stories at the global, national, and regional levels. From there, you’ll work on a challenge-based group project (worth 25% of your grade) to tackle specific sustainability problems.
Core Topics Covered:
- Sustainable Business Models: Discover how companies can create value from an economic, environmental, and social perspective using the Triple Layered Business Model Canvas (BMC). This tool will allow you to think beyond just profits, incorporating life cycle and stakeholder perspectives.
- Real-World Impact: Explore how different sectors, from manufacturing to pharmaceuticals and agri-food, are affected by sustainability, and learn the techniques for measuring sustainability effectively.
- Sustainability in Supply Chains: You’ll dive into value recovery from end-of-life products and learn how businesses can shift from linear to circular models. A serious game simulating real-world decision-making will reinforce your learning (worth 25% of your grade). This game will take place at the campus of the University of Twente in Enschede, the Netherlands (see Participant information).
- Hands-On Experience: From Life Cycle Assessments to agent-based modeling and game theory, you’ll develop practical skills that will help you lead sustainable business practices.
Engage with Big Ideas
In the final weeks, you’ll explore cutting-edge topics driven by your own interests—like food waste, electronic waste management, or the evolution of eco-industrial parks. You’ll finish the course with a final individual written exam (worth 50% of your grade) that ties everything together.
This course is your gateway to becoming a key player in the circular economy transition. Ready to make an impact? Sign up for Circular Sustainable Business Development and start building the future!
