Master in socio-ecological transformations
Cross-disciplinary perspectives on socio-ecological transformations
Why this master
You might consider this (a bit) too late. But science can cure it all.
The Earth is deeply affected by climate crisis, we live in a state of climate emergency and perspectives for the future are not very optimistic. Unless we do something and this master is our contribution to doing something. We need to learn how things reached this point (so that we can fix them), what kind of public policies can be put in place (in order to stop this trend and to find the point of return) and to which extent governments, corporations and humans can adjust to required changes. So that the planet could go back to being bearable (for both humans and non-humans).
creating complex expertise into climate crisis
What we believe in
01
Responsibility
Tackling climate crisis means integrating science and care towards all forms of life (human and non-human). You will be trained into putting to optimum use the theoretical and practical skills obtained within this program into daily practices, no matter the job that you are doing (corporate, non-profit, public administration).
04
Community
Climate crisis affects us all - individuals, non-humans, companies or governments. Wee need to work together, plan for a better future for the Earth, develop optimism and find ways to collaborate. The fragile equilibrium between profit, sustainability and just transition requires scientific tools and theoretical background found all across sciences and in the expertise of the daily lives of communities.
02
Proficiency
Training future experts into research methodologies, public policies and corporate solutions aligned with the need to protect the environment and to promote responsible and sustainable corporate models and policies. Both academic and community-based activities from the program will prepare you to be one of the best experts into climate crisis.
05
Social Justice
Some are more affected than others by climate crisis. There is the need to identify forms of manifestation of these differences and tackle them in a just and urgent manner. No one left behind is a core value of this program and throughout our courses we are preparing you as an expert in distributing the benefits of cleaner energy, companies' profit and outcome of public policies towards all members of communities.
03
Transdisciplinarity
Climate crisis needs complex expertise and public participation of all. That is why we think that an expert into climate crisis needs knowledge from social, humanities and natural science and needs to stay connected to the whole human and natural ecosystem through consultation and bearing in mind the needs of the non-humans.
06
Innovation
This program is thought as an innovative master, with methodologies and scientific tools from all across sciences. We believe that urgent times calls for clever solutions. Clever solutions are to be found in science, solidarity and the power of communities. This program aims at training you to make the best use of all of these.
A transdisiplinary master program
Because there is the need of a deep understanding of the climate crisis, we are diving into a transdisiplinary approach and a very hands-on dissertation thesis.
Reasons for you to join this program
We are responding both to the need of understanding the social effects of climate crisis and delivering sustainable corporate and public models
After graduating this master, you can join public institutions, private companies or non-profit organizations. You will have the theoretical background and the practical tools to shape better futures no matter where you decide to develop your career.
Governamental agencies (local, national, european, global)
Climate crisis is a central theme for all public institutions. There is an urgent need of expertise in order to document causes and effects of the climate crisis, the knowledge to design public policies, the political will to implement measures aimed at combating distructive climate practices, the deep understanding of inequality implied by climate crisis. More and more public authorities are designing departments aiming at integrating sustainability as a core value in their activities.
Multinational companies
Developing sustainable strategies to obtain profit is a mandatory practice among multinational companies. In order to do so, one needs to have a deep understanding of the mechanics at play within the global markets and to propose both science based and cultural appropriate solutions. After graduating this master, you can join social corporate responsibility and sustainability departments within companies.
Non-governamental agencies
You can join organizations aimed at dealing with social justice or just transition, fostering for non-human environments while advocating for public policies or implementing, alongside governmental agencies, european policies aimed at dealing with climate crisis. There is a lot of power in engaging with local communities mostly affected by climate crisis or supporting these communities in participating directly in the making of public policies.
Journalism or consultancy (politicians, political parties, private companies etc)
You will develop the skills to critically understand all the phenomenon related to climate crisis and to publicly communicate science based solutions. Bearing in mind the trandisciplinary nature of the program, you will be able to handle information from all fields of science and to adjust the technical vocabulary to the understanding of the general public (with no expertise in the area of climate crisis).
Thoughts on this program
"A transdisciplinary master that addresses climate crises it’s such a great experience because it gives us the opportunity to understand the phenomenonfrom different perspectives - social, human and natural science. I am very grateful and excited that the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work launched this learning program. It is important and necessary to learn about these urgent global problems - climate and environmental change, transition to climate neutrality, etc. - in an academic and well-structured framework."
– Cristina Popescu, first generation student in the Master program
"Climate crisis is such a complex situation, with so many direct consequences upon our lives, that tackling this issue could be overwhelming. Taking small steps, within scientific framework, in trying to understand it and in finding solutions might be the only possible approach. With this master program we are trying to prepare future experts into better futures. We hope to build a community both engaged and specialized into healing the planet and all its inhabitants (human and non-human). We hope to enjoy the four semesters ride along us. "
– Irina Zamfirescu, coordinator of the Master program
" I strongly believe that climate issues must be addressed through a cross-disciplinary lens, as their impact is felt in diverse and complex ways across the socio-economic structure. That’s why training professionals who can approach these challenges holistically is essential. I’m proud and confident to be part of the first generation of professionals equipped to make a meaningful, positive impact at the socio-ecological level."
– Iulia, first generation student in the Master program