AØKK08435U Seminar: Ecological Economics
The aim of the seminar is to give students a broad introduction to the key elements of Ecological Economics. Students are welcome to write papers in pairs. Possible topics for seminar papers include (but are not limited to):
- The fundamental vision of Ecological Economics: the economy as a subsystem embedded in nature
- The history of humans in the environment
- The historical development of Economics and Ecology
- Implications of the laws of thermodynamics for economic analysis
- The relationship between Ecological and Neoclassical Economics
- Sustainable development from the perspective of Ecological Economics
- Herman Daly’s Steady-State Economics: sustainable scale, just distribution and efficient allocation
- Defining and predicting sustainability in ecological terms
- The paradigm of “Planetary Boundaries” and its relation to Ecological Economics
- Elements of Ecological Economics in the Dasgupta Review on the Economics of Biodiversity
- Economic growth and the environment: An Ecological Economics perspective
- Measures of human impact on the environment
- Can man-made capital substitute for natural capital?
- Fair and efficient instruments of economic and environmental policy from the perspective of Ecological Economics
- An Ecological Economics perspective on the Circular Economy
- National income accounting from the perspective of Ecological Economics
- International trade rules for sustainability
The seminar will start with a lecture which introduces students to key concepts in Ecological Economics and offers suggestions on the choice of topics for seminar papers, including references to relevant Ecological Economics literature.
After completing the seminar the student is expected to be able to fulfill the learning outcome specified in the Master curriculum and to be able to
Knowledge:
- Account for, define and scientifically reflect on key concepts in Ecological Economics
- Identify and discuss central contributions to Ecological Economics
- Identify relevant literature for the purpose of further study of Ecological Economics
Skills:
- Define and discuss the structure of a good (seminar) paper
- Present and debate issues in Ecological Economics to peers in a scientific and professional manner
Competencies:
- Independently plan and carry through a research project in Ecological Economics
- Independently be able to make use of the seminar course content in own academic work
Supplemented by an overall intended learning outcome outlined in the programme-specific curriculum
A good introduction to Ecological Economics can be found in the following e-book:
Costanza, R., Cumberland, J., Daly, H., Goodland, R., Norgaard, R., Kubiszewski, I., Franco, C. (2015). An Introduction to Ecological Economics. Second Edition, CRC Press.
The e-book is freely available on the internet: http://students.aiu.edu/submissions/profiles/resources/onlineBook/Z4y3V9_An_Introduction_to_Ecological_Economics-_Second_Edition.pdf
Further references to relevant literature will be posted on the Absalon page for the seminar.
Relation to subjects and courses: The content of the seminar relates primarily to our third-year course in “The Economics of the Environment and Climate Change” and to our graduate courses in “Advanced Economics of the Environment and Climate Change” and in “The Energy Economics of the Green Transition”.
- identify and clarify a problem,
- seek and select relevant literature,
- write an academic paper,
- present and discuss own paper with the other students at the seminar.
The aim of the presentations is, that the student uses the presentation as an opportunity to practice oral skills and to receive feedback. The presentations are not a part of the exam and will not be assessed.
Mandatory activities in the seminar:
- Kick-off meeting
- Finding literature and defining the project
- Writing process of the seminar paper
- Presentation of own project and paper
- Giving constructive feedback to another student´s paper
- Actively participating in discussions at presentations and other meetings.
There is no weekly teaching/lecturing, and the student cannot expect guidance from the teacher. If the teacher gives a few introduction lectures or gives the opportunity for guidance, this as well as other expectations are clarified at the kickoff meeting.
Process:
It is strongly recommended that you think about and search for a topic before the semester begins, as there are only a few weeks from the kick-off meeting to the submission of the project description/ agreement paper.
The seminar project paper must be uploaded in Absalon before the presentations, as the opponents and the other seminar participants must read and comment on the paper. It is important that you upload a paper that is so finalized as possible since the value of feedback and comments at the presentation is strongly associated with the skill level of the seminar paper.
After the presentations, you can, with a few corrections, improve the seminar paper by including the feedback and comments that emerged during the presentations. It is not intended that you rewrite or begin the writing of the full project after the presentation has taken place.
- Deadline for submission of commitment paper / project description: No later than 1 October.
- Deadline for uploading a seminar assignment paper in the Digital Exam portal: No later than one week before the presentations.
- Presentations: 20 November - 11 December
- Submission date: 20 December at 10.00 AM - latest uploading of Seminar paper to the Digital Exam portal for assessment.
All information regarding the seminar is communicated through Absalon including venue. It is very important that you by yourself log on to Absalon and read the information already when you are registered at the seminar.
- Category
- Hours
- Project work
- 186
- Seminar
- 20
- Total
- 206
Peerfeedback (studerende giver hinanden feedback)
Each student receives individually oral feedback on the paper and at the presentation from peers and from the supervisor.
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignment
- Aid
- All aids allowed
Use of AI tools is permitted. You must explain how you have used the tools. When text is solely or mainly generated by an AI tool, the tool used must be quoted as a source.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
- Exam period
Exam information:
The seminar paper must be uploaded in Digital Exam.
Common submission date for all seminars: December 20 at 10:00 for the autumn semester.
For enrolled students more information about examination, rules, aids etc. is available at the intranet for Master (UK) and Master (DK ).
- Re-exam
Reexam information:
The reexam form in seminars is a seminar paper with a synopsis.
Deadline and more information is available at MSc in Economics - KUnet
More information about reexam etc. is available at Master(UK) and Master(DK).
Criteria for exam assesment
Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- AØKK08435U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
Study board
- Department of Economics, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Economics
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinators
- Peter Birch Sørensen (peter.birch.sorensen@econ.ku.dk)