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The world is changing rapidly due to land use changes and human-induced climate change. For example, land use change to allow the cultivation of biofuels can impact landscape drainage or deforestation while climate change has a big impact on the availability of water. Natural systems are further influenced by the behavior of humans and governmental decisions. What does the past and current situation teach us? And what can we expect in the future? More importantly, how can we create a sustainable world for nature and human societies?

This track deals extensively with the processes within natural systems, such as soil, plant, water and atmosphere, and how these processes and systems interact. You will study the interaction between ecosystems, humans and natural systems, and the nutrient and water cycle. You will be taught how to conduct field research and how to model systems at various spatial scales. You will be taught how natural systems function, why systems are degrading, and you will combine this knowledge to developing sustainable solutions for water management, natural-area management and restoration, and the use of land for different purposes, such as agriculture or energy-crop cultivation.

In this track you’ll be taking courses in:

• Chemistry and the Environment (year 1): What are the main, sustainability-related, chemical processes in natural systems?
• Global Climate Change (year 2): Which physical and chemical processes and feedback mechanisms play a role in the earth climate system? How can we study past, present and future global changes?
• Ecological Field Research (year 2): How can you collect and interpret environmental data in the field about the quality of soil, water and biodiversity in ecosystems?
• Ecohydrology (year 3): How do ecosystems, humans and the global, regional and local hydrological cycle interact?

In addition, you’ll be taking two courses from a list of 16 in the third year, for example:

• Integrated Water and Soil Management: What problems can you solve through integrated water and soil management?
• Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation: How do ecosystems function at landscape scale? How does conservation of natural system work? This course also includes fieldwork that is part of a larger ecological group-based research project.
• Land Change Science: How can you chart the current land-use situation, and the implications of a change in land use? What are the consequences of this change in terms of CO₂ storage and of the availability and quality of water?
• Environmental Chemistry & Health: How can you measure different forms of environmental pollution – particulate matter in the air, for instance – and (statistically) analyse it in the correct manner, so that your research actually makes a contribution to people’s health?

Bachelor’s thesis
You will conclude your track with an individual research project. You’ll be drawing on all the knowledge and experience that you have acquired in GSS and specifically the track of Water, Climate & Ecosystems. This project will allow you to show that you can go through the entire research cycle from the development of research questions and appropriate methods, which you will execute, analyze, visualize and finally clearly communicate in a report and presentation.

Future Dream Job

• Project Manager at WWF
• Researcher at TNO
• Sustainability Consultant at Wardenburg Ecology

The sustainable use of energy and resources lies at the centre of this track. People need energy, among other things, for their work, to keep warm and to light up the dark. Resources are being depleted and/or have a harmful impact on our environment.

To discover new sustainable energy sources, you’ll need a knowledge of physical and thermodynamic processes. You’ll also learn about how all the components of our climate system interact. What does the past and today’s situation teach us? And what can we expect in the future? In the third year you’ll build upon this knowledge by deepening your understanding of methods to analyse energy-production and -use cycles and the impact of product life-cycles (from raw material to production to waste). You’ll also study in-depth the possibilities of achieving a sustainable use of resources and a better use of sustainable energy sources, such as wind, water, solar and biomass.

In this track you’ll be taking courses in:

• Science of Energy Technologies (year 1): What are the main, sustainability-related, scientific and engineering laws and principles of different energy technologies?
• Applied Thermodynamics and Energy Conversions (year 2): How can chemical energy stored in the form of fossil or renewable fuels be converted into useful forms of energy for satisfying human needs (work, electricity and heat)?
• Global Climate Change (year 2): Which physical and chemical processes and feedback mechanisms play a role in the earth climate system? How can we study past, present and future global changes?
• Energy Analysis (year 3): How can you optimally match energy supply and demand by analysing the energy cycle, and by reflecting on the efficient use of energy and ways of storing it?

In addition, you’ll be taking two courses from a list of 16 in the third year, for example:

• Life-Cycle Assessment: How can you analyse the environmental impact of products from a life-cycle perspective, from production to waste?
• Sustainable Resource Use: What are the characteristics of different renewable and non-renewable resources, such as energy and metal sources (geographical distribution, availability, sustainability)? And how can we use them in a sustainable manner?
• Sustainable Energy Supply: What is the historical, current and the future role of innovative energy sources, such as wind, water, solar, biomass and geothermal. What is the potential contribution of innovative energy technologies to a more sustainable society?
• Energy Markets: how do basic economic principles, technical constraints, and sustainability goals shape the design, operation, and outcomes of markets for energy commodities?

Bachelor’s thesis
You’ll conclude your track with an individual research project. You’ll be drawing on all the knowledge and experience you will have acquired in the field of Energy & Resources. This project will allow you to show how you develop a plan of action, how you implement it and how you report and present it.

Future dream job

• Policy Officer at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
• Energy Analyst at the International Energy Agency
• Electricity marketanalyst at Tennet

A sustainable and healthy food system requires an interdisciplinary approach, balancing food security and fairness with environmental impacts.

Starting from understanding the current food system, the track explores alternative approaches to transform our food system to a more just, sustainable, and healthier one. This involves exploring the impact of agriculture on natural resource use, environmental quality, biodiversity, and design innovative solutions to sustainability challenges in agriculture and food systems based on ecological, circularity and fairness principles and try to understand how such innovations and supporting policies can trigger a transition towards a sustainable food system.

In this track you’ll be taking courses in:

• The Science of Food Systems (year 1): Which inputs, processes, outputs and impacts  are involved in the production and consumption of food?
• Agroecology (year 2): How can agroecological principles, such as recycling and efficiency, biodiversity or ecosystem services and multi-functionality, be applied for the development of sustainable and productive farming systems?
• Sustainable and Healthy Consumption (year 2): Why do consumers make unhealthy and unsustainable food choices? How can we influence these choices?
• Transforming Food Systems (year 3): What are the strategies to transform our current food system into a more sustainable and healthy one? Who is involved in this process and how can we adapt this transformation to the local context?

In addition, you’ll be taking two courses from a list of 16 in the third year, for example:

• Environmental Chemistry and Health: How can you measure different forms of environmental pollution – particulate matter in the air, for instance – and (statistically) analyse it in the correct manner, so that your research actually makes a contribution to people’s health?
• Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation: What impact do hydrological processes have on ecosystems? How can you develop an effective model for the management and restoration of natural areas? This course also includes fieldwork.
• Land Change Science: How can you chart the current land-use situation, and the implications of a change in land use? What are the consequences of this change in terms of CO2 storage and of the availability and quality of water?

Bachelor’s thesis
You’ll conclude your track with an individual research project. You’ll be drawing on all the knowledge and experience you will have acquired in the field of Sustainable & Healthy Food Systems. This project will allow you to show how you develop a plan of action, how you implement it and how you report and present it.

Future Dream Job

• Policy maker at the United Nations World Food Programme
• Sustainability Manager at Jumbo

This track examines the societal origins and consequences of sustainability challenges. It addresses the transformations in our sociopolitical systems that are needed to make society more sustainable, and the strategies required to achieve this objective. This involves examining the role of governments, international organisations, companies, social organisations and citizens in steering (or hindering) of transformation processes towards sustainability.

In the first and second year, you will learn how to analyse and evaluate the political and administrative processes designed to govern and address sustainability issues. By acquiring foundational knowledge of international and national legal frameworks, you will be able to form a well-founded opinion on the ability of governance systems to steer societal transformation in an effective and fair way. In the third year, you will deepen your understanding of specific sustainability challenges, such as sustainable land use, water- and nature-management, and energy supply.

In this track you will be taking courses in:

• Politics of the Earth (year 1): What are the political aspects of anthropogenic environmental change at and across various levels of social organization?
• Policy Evaluation and Design (year 2): Which methods can we use for the analysis, evaluation, and design of policies for sustainable development? You will gain hands-on experience with these methods.
• Environmental Law (year 2): What role does law play in shaping and responding to environmental issues across different contexts and scales? In what ways does it enable or constrain effective responses to environmental challenges?
• Sustainable Land Use (year 3): How can governments, companies, and private citizens contribute to a sustainable allocation and use of land, taking into account various societal interests (e.g. mobility, housing, biodiversity, the need for sufficient clean water etc.).

In addition, you will be taking two courses from a list of 16 in the third year, for example:

• Environmental Impact Assessment: How can you determine in advance the impact of a large project – e.g., construction of a road or factory – on the landscape, and thus anticipate the harmful consequences for the environment?
• Integrated Water and Soil Management: What are the interrelationships between human activities and their effects on water and soil (e.g. the water-energy-food nexus)? What problems can you solve through integrated water and soil management?
• Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation: What impact do hydrological processes have on ecosystems? How can you develop an effective model for the management and restoration of natural areas? This course also includes fieldwork.
• Sustainable Energy Supply: What is the historical, current and future role of innovative energy sources, such as wind, water, solar, biomass and geothermal? What is the potential contribution of innovative energy technologies to a more sustainable society?

Bachelor’s thesis
You will conclude your track with an individual research project. You will be drawing on all the knowledge, experience, and specific transversal skills (e.g., critical thinking, analytical judgement, time management, communication, problem solving) you will have acquired in the field of Governance & Societal Transformation. In this project you develop and implement your own  research proposal, using specific qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

Future Dream Job

• Project Manager at Greenpeace
• Policy Officer at the UnitedNations
• Sustainability Reporting Consultant at Deloitte

Are you interested in how organisations can help build a more sustainable and circular future? In this track, you’ll explore the vital role businesses and innovation play in tackling environmental challenges. Organisations are not only key players in developing sustainable technologies—they also directly impact the planet through the way they operate, produce, and use resources.

The Business & Innovation track equips you with the tools to understand how innovation happens, how it can drive sustainability and circularity, and how organisations can be structured and managed to remain both competitive and responsible. You'll explore how products and services can be designed with sustainability in mind, how to evaluate the environmental impact of different production methods, and how businesses can make smarter, more circular use of resources.

In this track you will be taking courses in:

• Principles of Economics (year 1): How do individuals and organisations make economic decisions, and what consequences do these have for governmental intervention in markets? How does innovation affect the dynamics of a market or industry? How is environmental impact accounted for in economic models?
• Organisation Theories (year 2): What types of organisations exist? How are organisations designed, and how and why do they change?  
• Innovation for Sustainability (year 2): What are innovations, and when do they contribute to sustainability? How do innovations come about and diffuse?
• Business, Sustainability and Innovation (year 3): How do organisations innovate their products, processes and organisational approaches to better contribute to sustainability and the transition to a more circular economy?

In addition, you’ll be taking two courses from a list of 16 in the third year, for example:

• Innovation Strategies of Firms and Entrepreneurs: What theories and models exist for the management of innovation, and the development of a successful, innovative start-up? You will research this in practice with your own start-up idea.
• Life-Cycle Assessment: How can you analyse the environmental impact of products from a life-cycle perspective, from production to waste?
• Sustainable Resource Use: What are the characteristics of different renewable and non-renewable resources, such as energy and metal sources (geographical distribution, availability, sustainability)? And how can we use them in a sustainable manner?
• Energy Markets: How do basic economic principles, technical constraints, and sustainability goals shape the design, operation, and outcomes of markets for energy commodities?

Bachelor’s thesis
You’ll conclude your track with an individual research project. You’ll be drawing on all the knowledge and experience you will have acquired in the field of Business & Innovation. This project will allow you to show how you develop a plan of action, how you implement it and how you report and present it.

Future dream job

• Global Sustainability Strategy Manager at Unilever
• Consultant at McKinsey & Company