Industrial Ecology, Seminar – Critical Review and Communication of Science

It is increasingly important to be able to quickly familiarize oneself with new topics and to review, assess and communicate information critically. The aim of this seminar is for the students to, within the field of industrial ecology i) Familiarize themselves autonomously with a specific, new topic ii) Critically review and assess information from the scientific literature iii) Structure and communicate information on a complex topic in an understandable manner iv) Learn how to initiate, participate but also moderate scientific debates and discussions. The course is split in two parts. The first part consists of lectures and exercises on approaches for reviewing literature, synthesizing findings and structuring texts and presentations. Presentation and moderation techniques will also be covered. The second part will focus on the execution of the theory and skills obtained in part one. The core content will consist of sessions with presentations of assigned literature and moderated discussions of the students. For that purpose, the students will be provided with a set of scientific publications and reports on a given topic from the industrial ecology field.

In addition we organize several discussion sessions around Industrial Ecology topics that will also be used for reflecting on the role and importance of industrial ecology aspects in the students thesis. Presentation exercises in these sessions are mandatory for the students in the course.

Knowledge After the course the students has gained knowledge in - How to critically review and synthesize findings in the scientific literature - The scientific content of a specific sub-field of industrial ecology - How to structure scientific texts and presentations - Rhetoric and presentation skills - Participation in scientific debates. Competences The student shall learn how to critically review, reflect and discuss information from the scientific literature. The student knows how to clearly present results and scientific concepts to an audience, taking the knowledge level of the audience into account. The student is familiar with rhetoric principles and presentation techniques. The student shall be competent in leading a scientific discussion.

The course consists of two parts: (1) lectures and exercises (2) Presentations and discussions lead by the students. The whole lecture including the presentations will be in English. 40% of the grade consists of the oral presentation, the written summary and the moderation of the following discussion. 60% of the grade consists of an oral exam on the content of the lectures and the assigned scientific literature. Compulsory assignments: Each student is responsible for one presentation and the moderation of the following discussion. Active participation in the discussion rounds lead by other students is strongly encouraged. The teaching and exams will be in English only.