UNIDO Institute for Capacity Development

1-12 July, 2013 | Budapest, Hungary

Following last year’s successful experience “Green Industry: Moving Towards the Industry of the Future” the UNIDO Institute has designed a new summer course on Green Industry for 2013. The summer course “Green Industry: Pathways towards the Industry of the Future” provides young professionals and researches from the field of green industrial development with the opportunity to learn first hand from UNIDO experts, senior policymakers and internationally renowned scholars on how to improve industry’s environmental performance turn the concept of “Green Industry” into practice.

The course consists of a five-week online part taking place in March/April 2013 and a two-week in residence training, which will be conducted on 1 -12 July 2013 at the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest, Hungary.

The summer course is organized by the UNIDO Institute in cooperation with CEU’s Summer University and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland as well as with support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

To apply, please follow the instructions on the website of the CEU Summer University.

The application deadline has just been extended until 24 February 2013.

BACKGROUND

Trends in resource use and energy consumption indicate that current forms of industrial production are not sustainable in the long term. Many industrial production systems continue to be inefficient and wasteful and thereby threaten to overwhelm the assimilative capacity of our planet. In order to reverse these developments, industries need to radically improve their energy efficiency, reduce their resource consumption and curb the release of harmful by-products.

This calls for the development of new approaches towards industrial development. Building a sustainable economy requires greener industries and enterprises. Substantial steps in innovation, investment, implementation and mainstreaming are necessary to improve current systems of industrial production and consumption if they are to actively contribute to environmental and socio-economic progress.

The greening of industries and enterprises provides stability and resilience to economic development and improves
job and income security, energy reliability and human wellbeing. The Summer Course “Green Industry: Pathways towards the Industry of the Future”, organized together with the Central European University in Budapest, reflects UNIDO’s genuine commitment to seeking innovative solutions and building new capacities in industrial development.

CONCEPT

The Summer Course provides participants with the opportunity to improve industry’s environmental performance
and to turn the concept of “green industry” into practice. Participants will:

reflect on the technical requirements of green industrial development as well as on the strategies, policies, laws and regulations necessary for its successful implementation;
find ways to successfully commercialize green industry related products and services;
outline institutional platforms for the promotion and dissemination of resource-efficient, cleaner production methods and economically viable, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable technologies;
create and implement strategies for a green industry in line with environmental goals and targets.

The Course is targeted at:

young professionals in the fields of Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP)
members of non-governmental organizations involved in environmental advocacy
PhD students with a background in technical or policy related studies in green industry
individuals in industry or in institutions assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the implementation of RECP methods, environmental management systems (EMS), low carbon measures and eco-designs.

Participants are expected to have a high degree of academic or practical knowledge of environmental management systems, green industry, resource efficiency as well as of the global and national policy frameworks for green industrial development.

COURSE DESIGN

This course is based on a genuinely interdisciplinary approach. It sets out with a one-month preliminary distance learning component which ensures that all participants share a common knowledge base concerning issues of green industry and resource efficiency.

Active engagement in online discussions and the relevance and quality of a sample case study prepared by participants in relation to their field of expertise or organization are part of the selection process for the face-to-face component of the course.

The two-week residential part of the course offers a dynamic mix of lecture-based and participatory teaching methods. A database of key literature and case studies, a discussion forum and a shared virtual workspace complement the programme. Participants will be encouraged to apply environmental and environment-related management methods and tools in support of green industry.

Seminars and group discussions will foster intense debates on case studies while peer reviews and tailored exercises increase participants’ skills and effectiveness in designing and implementing policies, strategies and projects related to sustainable industrial development.

For the final assignment, participants will be required to develop a green industry strategy or transition plan for a particular region, organization, company or sector.