OSPCPTWN 90: Global Leaders and Innovators in Human and Planetary Health: Sustainable Societies Lab South Africa

Instructor: Sara Singer and Gordon Bloom (FIR) 

Are you interested in innovative ideas and strategies for addressing urgent challenges in human and planetary health and creating sustainable societies? This weekly seminar features a selection of noteworthy leaders, innovators, and experts in the region, working across diverse sectors/topics in health and the environment.  Potential topics include health innovation and environmental sustainability, social and environmental justice and equality, social innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems, AI and technology innovation, biotech and ag-tech, infectious disease, pandemics, public health and community wellbeing, food and water systems and agricultural innovation, hunger and nutrition, clean water and air, nonprofit and community action, public policy innovation and systems change, and the role of academia and you. Co-convened and co-designed by faculty and students and availing ourselves of local resources through field-based visits and on-campus discussions, the course invites consideration of global problems, interdisciplinary perspectives, and systemic solutions for the climate crisis and human health. Students will undertake individual or team project work in a related area of their choosing, with support of structured assignments and feedback. Projects may address root causes of the climate crisis and urgent challenges of human and planetary health, including sociological constraints, political objectives, economic incentives, technological limitations, and preservation of global stability, and suggest models of leadership, innovation, and sustainable social change. Students may also delve into efforts to catalyze long-term sustainability across the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Students from all backgrounds are encouraged to enroll.

Units: 3 | Grading Basis: Letter  | Component: Seminar/Workshop

*All courses are subject to change.