This course seeks to improve the students' understanding of intercultural practices and policies in diverse cultures and institutional contexts. The course will focus on Cultural diversity. The aim of the course is to enable participants to reflect upon intercultural practices in diverse contexts. The course will be divided into the following themes:  
• Welfare systems as the context for discussing cultural diversity.  
• Transnationalism, migration and return migration and transnational lives.  
• Intercultural practices and reflection on welfare and social workers sensitizing activities.

Students will after having completed a five week study program, hand in an individual home exam.

**Description of learning methods and activities**

Lectures, seminars, group work and individual work adapted to different modes of study. All students are expected to read the syllabus and participate in group discussions and thereby develop analytical reflections in a productive environment with fellow students. The students will also go on field visit or collect information about relevant practices or/and welfare institutions. The students will themselves be in charge of the organization of field visits.

**Learning outcome**

***Knowledge:***

After completing the course, the students shall  
• Have advanced knowledge on intercultural practices in diverse contexts  
• Have an increased understanding of cultural diversity and transnationalism  

***Skills:***

After completing the course, the students shall be able to  
• Identify complexities within cultural diversity  
• Develop communication skills through the international classroom experience

***Competences:***  
After completing the course, the students shall be able to  
• Participate in a dialogue to improve awareness of and respect for cultural diversity  
• Development of reflective processes on how personal beliefs, values and knowledge influences welfare practices

This is a document from a Institution or University that proves that the Learner has specific knowledge and/or has taken University grade courses.

Transcript of Records

University of Stavanger

Cultural Diversity

The course seeks to enable participants to reflect upon intercultural practices in diverse contexts

Critical and innovative thinking

We are living in a time of energy innovation: growing need for energy supply, energy (in)security, changing markets, climate change and other driving forces increase the need for new technological solutions. The resulting advances affect patterns of wealth, trade, power, and politics worldwide. These processes have an important international dimension and cannot be understood without taking international affairs into consideration. In this course, we study energy innovation from this international point of view. State involvement in energy innovation is an important starting point in that regard. Industrialised as well as upcoming countries are currently in a race for yielding the benefits of developing new energy technologies. Other countries struggle for their place in the future world of energy. By studying the race for energy innovation, the course aims at shedding a new light at the global energy transition. This includes the potential of international agreements such as Paris and organisations such as IRENA to distribute the benefits of energy innovation in a more just way. The module includes guest lectures from leading experts across Europe. 

**Learning outcomes**

*In terms of knowledge, students will have insights into the following areas:*

- energy innovation at different levels

- the significance of energy innovation for international affairs

- the fragmented system of global energy governance

- the impact of new energy technologies on geopolitics

*In terms of skills, students should be able to achieve the following:*

- description of cases relevant to energy innovation

- description of the relationship between innovationand politics

- discuss the politico-economic implications of energy innovation

- critically assess the challenges involved with the global energy transition

*In terms of general competencies, students should be capable of:*

- formulating and communicating social and environmental challenges associated with energy

- processing qualitative and quantitative data on energy and innovation

- making effective written presentationsshowing a good capacity for independent learning

**The challenge**

The topics of energy, innovation, and geopolitics are highly prominent in the academic literature. The concept of energy transition is central in that regard: it captures changes in the overall energy system, from one particular fuel source or technology to another. Numerous papers are dealing with these issues, many new papers are being published almost daily. Furthermore, the topic is becoming more and more prominent on the curricula of universities across Europe and worldwide.  

Energy innovation is an important aspect of today’s energy sector. Almost daily, we hear about the introduction of new processes, methods or devices that somehow improve how energy is being generated, transmitted or used. Classic economic theory assumes that these novelties are produced by the dynamics inherent to the capitalist, private economy. In that view, state intervention to change the overall energy system works against the progress (that is innovation). 

However, the energy sector is unique in a sense that state involvement – one way or the other – is very strong. The reasons for this can be found at the international level. The energy sector is of fundamental importance for the functioning of the economy; the state therefore has a high interest to ensure energy supply. Moreover, the state has an interest in keeping its national economy competetive. The energy sector is an important economic sector in many countries. State involvement is therefore very high.  

In short: energy innovation needs to be understood in relation to state policy, not least policy in response to pressures coming from the international level. The motives behind the promotion of energy innovation by the state (for example through science parks, university research projects, subsidies, or public private partnerships etc.) are, however, not mecessarily directly apparent. With this challenge, we want to shed light on the connection between energy innovation, state policy, and international affairs. 

**Exam information**

Your task will be to identify a significant case of energy innovation in your area (city or region) and to find information material about it (for example websites, brochures, policy documents, interviews, or surveys sent by email). Furthermore, you will describe this case by finding answers to the following questions:  

- What are the motivations and/or driving forces behind this case of energy innovation?

- Is this a case of private enterprise or is the state involved in any way?

- If the state is involved, in what form does it take part?

- Why is the state involved?

- Does the information material about the case refer to the national economy?

- Does your case include a form of international cooperation?

In the exam (short essay), you will discuss the information that you have collected against some of the contents of the course. This must also be presented at the end of the course.

Motivation Letter

Energy Innovation Across the Globe

Study module and a practical challenge on energy innovation worldwide

Energy presents a fundamental challenge shared by cities and regions across Europe as well as globally, characterised by the ‘trilemma’ of seeking to achieve secure supply, affordability, and environmental sustainability. Tackling this trilemma involves maximising efficiency across the system, from the generation of clean energy to power buildings and transportation, the storage and distribution of energy when and where it is needed, and the smart consumption by end-users.

Energy and sustainability

Innovation is increasingly important for the development and competitiveness of firms and to deliver social as well as economic va lues for societies. Today's most successful firms compete mainly through innovation, whether in the form of continuous development of new products, improvement of processes or organizational forms, or identification of new markets. In order to survive in the knowledge economy, firms need strategies for what kind of innovations to pursue and how to promote innovation by designing the necessary preconditions. In this context, knowledge, and understanding of innovation is an important assets. Additionally, innovations increasingly should contribute to generating social and environmental values, addressing Grand Social Challenges. Through this course, students will develop a critical perspective of the firm strategies for the management of the innovation process. Through investigation of the innovation processes in real private or public organizations during the course, students will acquire the skills to assist in managing the firm innovation process in a responsible way. Students enrolled in this course have the opportunity to work with local firms. 

**Contents**

The course will take up the following topics:

- Disruptive innovation
- Exploring innovation space
- lnnovation as a process
- Sources of innovaion
- Dynamic capabilities
- lnnovation strategy
- Lean for innovation
- lnnovation in public organizations
- Sustainable innovation
- Gate stage process, agile model of innovation
- Open innovation

**Learning outcome**:

***Knowledge***  
Through the course, students will develop a solid understanding of the scholarly de bate on innovation in the management sciences, including

- The importance of innovation to firms
- ldentifying strategic capabilities
- Sources of innovation
- The process of innovation
- Leadership an organization of innovation
- Strategies for innovation
- Getting innovations to market
- Responsible and social innovations
- User as innovators

***Skills***

Students will be able to:

- present and critically assess different scholarly theories and hypotheses, as well as strategy and/or policy statements, related to innovation
- conduct an analysis of the drivers and/or outcomes of innovation in real organizations
- discuss different strategies for promoting innovation in a firm
- contribute to the management of a firm's innovation process

***General competence***  
This course will contribute to student's general competence in

- academic writing
- search and review relevant literature
- presentation and academic discussion
- ability to conduct fieldwork in the organizations
- ability to analyze firm innovation standpoint through theoretical lenses

Business Development and Innovation

Business Development and Innovation: the firm perspective

Education in ECIU University drives European values and strengthens European culture and citizenship. We support the development of creative and resilient European citizens with an entrepreneurial mindset, critical thinking and agility. Essential skills such as project management, social innovation, entrepreneurial skills and the ability to adapt and work with technology are key in order to achieve keeping up with the needs of today’s labour market.

Member university

University of Stavanger

Member university

University of Stavanger

Learning opportunities of University of Stavanger