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One year ago, we sat down with Joost Vervoort, Associate Professor of Transformative Imagination at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, to get to know him and his teaching philosophy. At that time Joost was preparing an exciting new course for the Earth Systems Governance track of the Sustainable Development Master’s programme, entitled Theories of Change in Action. We recently got back in touch with Joost to find out how the first run of the new course went.

Can you tell us a little about how your new course went?

The course, Theories of Change in Action, explores how different people in the field think about and theorise social change. It covers a wide range of perspectives, from power and discourse to social movements, contestation, ideology, and framing, through a series of lectures on various theories of change. But the heart of the course was a practical assignment: students were asked to design and implement their own interventions. The assignment was open; the goal was simply to create a project aimed at doing something positive in the world. The only requirement was that it had to engage with society in some way. Students then reflected on why their intervention mattered and how it connected to broader ideas of change. The aim was to encourage them to develop their own theories of change and link these to the literature and their project work.

Everything was co-designed with the students, we discussed every aspect together.

What kind of projects did the students come up with?

We had three student teams working on different projects. Two of them focused on a social movement called , which brings together networks of organisations and volunteers to address societal challenges like sustainability, justice and equality. One group explored how language serves to connect the different elements of such a movement and conducted research into the way people communicate and express their intentions and share their commitments. The second group looked into the broader infrastructure of so-called meta-movements, examining how such movements can be supported in overarching inclusive moments such as gatherings and protests. Both groups joined a large protest organised by De Beweging to conduct research.

What did you learn about the course, and what will you be doing differently next time around?

Everything was co-designed with the students, we discussed every aspect together. Because we did that, we have a clear sense of what a strong structure for this course looks like. Next year, we’ll build on that foundation with more detailed assignments and additional support.

Students will still create their own projects and develop their own ideas. However, I plan to reintroduce an element that some students incorporated this year: interviewing two people from their networks who hold different theories of change. For instance, interviewing both a grassroots activist and someone working in sustainable business allows for a fascinating comparison of perspectives on how change happens. The essays that emerged from these interviews were excellent, and I’d like to make that component a more integral part of the course.

For those wondering whether the Earth System Governance track is the right fit, what can you say?

This track is all about understanding how change happens and how we can make it happen. How do we actually change the world? It's focused on the mechanisms, strategies, and conditions needed to create real-world impact. It's for students who want to build skills that can empower them to become changemakers.