140387 VO+UE VM5 / VM8 - Change through Negotiating, Understanding through Experience (2017W)

Joint course with the Centre for Development Research of BOKU Vienna. 30 participants from University of Vienna, 30 participants from BOKU.
The conference will take place at the Vienna International Centre (UN Vienna).

Each year, the course focuses on a global ‘hot topic’ in sustainable development - in 2017, we will work on ENVIRONMENTAL MIGRATION.
Doing self-organized research, the students relate the given topic to the historical socio-economic and agro-ecological background of a specific region (e.g. Ethiopia). Representing a region (e.g. Ethiopia) and its interests, the students develop suggestions for solutions to address the challenge (e.g. environmental migration).
Negotiating with other regional representatives (e.g. India), the students experience complexity and communication in a “realistic” situation.
Based on the negotiations, the students agree on a resolution for addressing the challenge (e.g. land grabbing) in a general assembly. Finally, the complex system of international interests in development is re-conceptualized drawing from the experiences of students.

Learning outcomes:
# Describe a challenge in sustainable development applying historical socio-economic and agro-ecological categories.
# Hypothesize interests a specific region will have facing this development challenge and possible solution strategies.
#Based on the regions’ interests, construct a negotiation strategy to achieve international action towards addressing the development challenge.
#Debate solution strategies in an “assembly” setting with peers representing other regions. Guidance by lecturers and external trainers.
#Recognise drivers and constraints of successful communication for change. #Participate in a simulation of multi-stakeholder processes to experience strategic and communicative rationality.
#Summarize the complex system that constitutes negotiations in international development.