Full length ArticleEducation for a biobased economy: Integrating life and social sciences in flexible short courses accessible from different backgrounds
Graphical abstract
Knowledge integration at educational level
Introduction
By 2050, it is expected that the Earth will have at least 9 billion inhabitants and our common desire is to secure a relatively high level of prosperity and welfare for all. However, by continuing to adopt the current linear model of growth, this goal is not achievable, as the natural resources of the planet are already being depleted, while social or gender inequalities are unresolved. To disentangle this dramatic contradiction, a profound reversal is needed, and a complete re-thinking of the Western industrial system and economy has to happen. What is really needed to promote this transition? The photographer and ecologist Yann Arthus Bertrand recently stated that what will save us will not be a scientific or technological but a spiritual revolution [1]. Maybe provocative, this sentence contains a message that is in line with our own thoughts, as technological advances need to be coupled with social consciousness to become ground breaking. Where to start from? Education is the basis for the transition, as in a few decades a new ruling class will have to take over in the social and economic context. In this paper, we exemplify these concepts focussing on our experience with the Summer School “Towards a bio-based economy: science, innovation, economics, education“, in which life and social sciences were equally embedded in the training course.
Section snippets
The integration of life and social sciences: not only a choice, but a need
To achieve the ambitious 21st-century goals, such as feeding a growing population, offering alternatives to fossil fuels and decreasing the environmental footprint of economic production, the bio-based economy would be required to adopt an interdisciplinary approach and combine different skills, methods and knowledge. In the term “bio-based” itself, many sectors related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are involved and interconnected for the valorisation of biomass,
New educational programs around bio-based economy
To address such complex issues, bridging life and social sciences is required not only in terms of research but also education [22]. Developing a more flexible educational framework that could facilitate integration is probably one of the crucial challenge scientists, educators and practitioners will be called upon to face in the near future [[23], [24], [25], [26]]. Different levels of training and education are being implemented by universities, national and international bodies devoted to
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Acknowledgements
Authors are grateful to all participants and teachers who have worked together to develop the concepts reported in this paper. We wish to thank in particular Prof. Maurizio Bettiga (Chalmers University) for his constant support in planning and performing the school and the University of Milano Bicocca for hosting and support.
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