2493.16 - Governance and Sustainable Management in the Faroe Islands

2493.16

Governance and Sustainable Management in the Faroe Islands

10

Bachelor degree or equivalent with adequate component of social science.

The course will offer students an in-depth understanding of Faroese (local and national) approaches to and experiences with governance and sustainable management. The course will bring relevant social science theories in play through case studies. This will qualify students to work in policy, business, and education with questions of sustainable resource management.

Through case studies of local and national examples relating to governance and management of resources (mainly energy and fish), students will apply and discuss theories of 1) New Institutionalism (Rational Choice, Historical, Sociological, Discursive, and Narrative Institutionalism) and 2) Governance theory (Political Science theories about the state and government, Network Governance, and Reflexive Governance). The course content is based on ongoing research activities at the University of the Faroe Islands.

The course is based on 40 hours of teaching in a combination of three types of approaches: 1) Classroom teaching (20 hours) will introduce different topics, and will be used to reflect upon and discuss the other activities such as guest lectures and field visits. 2) Practical learning (10 hours) with the specific topics through dissemination of new knowledge gained through e.g. own interviews and observations. E.g. through writing a blog, making videos, posters, public speaking, or a radio programme. The lecturer functions as supervisor. 3) Dialogue sessions (10 hours) where teachers and students engage in dialogue with society, e.g. political, business, and civil society actors. Students will help prepare the dialogue.

At the end of the course the students will be able to: • Describe, analyse and discuss difficult and complex challenges facing the Faroe Islands relating to resource governance and sustainable management. • Describe, analyse and discuss strengths and weaknesses of theories of New Institutionalism and Governance. • Demonstrate skills in communication of new knowledge based on own material to a non-academic audience. • Present academic reflections about own dialogue with society on a given topic.

• Following the case studies, students will produce a written, audio, or visual presentation of one case targeted a non-academic audience. • Based on the communication product, students must write a synopsis paper that explains the communication product in relation to a chosen problem and the course literature. It must also reflect upon the presentation and reception of the product. The written paper must be maximum 1.500 words. • The overall course will be assessed through an oral exam using the synopsis paper and case presentation: External examiners (with teacher).

External

P-

800 pages research literature in English. 200 pages empirical material in English.

Lau Øfjord Blaxekjær