Erasmus Mundus Master`s Programme in Industrial Ecology

Erasmus Mundus Master`s Programme in Industrial Ecology

Erasmus Mundus Master’s Programme in Industrial
Ecology (MIND)
Motivation
Title
MIND – Erasmus Mundus Master’s programme in
”Industrial Ecology” (IE) is an emerging
interdisciplinary field, that combines natural,
technical and social sciences in a systems view
at scale levels from the global to the local. In
particular, IE studies the material and energy
flows through industrial systems. IE’s core
concept is the analogy between processes in
nature (bio-sphere) and processes in society
(techno-sphere). Evolution has resulted in a
highly efficient use of materials and energy in
bio-sphere systems, as e.g. waste from one
process is a resource for another process. In
today's society, resources are often exploited,
unusable waste streams are produced and
pollutants are released to soil, water, and air,
leading to complex environmental and
sustainability problems. Our society might take
lessons from the biosphere to solve those
problems.
Industrial Ecology
Due to the current environmental and
sustainability problems and imminent EU and
global transitions in energy, transport, food
and other systems, there is a great need for IE
trained persons that have a grasp of the
complexities of the field of environmental
degradation and sustainable development.
Thus, a consortium of seven universities from
the EU, Asia and the U.S. took the initiative to
develop the first international IE master
programme.
1. edition: winter term 2011/12
Description of the Project
MIND (Erasmus Mundus Master's Programme
in Industrial Ecology) is a two-year master
course with 120 ECTS, offering a unique IE
education for 15 third country and 10 EU
students per edition. Those 25 students can
study at two or three universities of the MIND
consortium and also at one of the three nonEuropean partner universities. For the first
MIND edition (from winter term 2011/12 to
Project Type
ERASMUS MUNDUS Aktion 1a (EMMC)
Coordinator
Universität Graz
AT
Partner
Waseda University
JP
Delft University of Technology
NL
Universiteit Leiden
NL
Chalmers University of Technology
SE
Asian Institute of Technology
TH
Rochester Institute of Technology
US
Status
Contact
Dr. Ralf Aschemann
University of Graz / Institute for Systems Science,
Innovation and Sustainability Research (ISIS)
Merangasse 18 / 8010 Graz
emmind@uni-graz.at
www.emmind.eu
summer term 2013), 18 students have been
awarded with an Erasmus Mundus scholarship
from the European Commission, covering the
participation costs (tuition fees, insurance
etc.), travel costs and monthly allowances of
the scholarship holders.
Before being enrolled for MIND, all its students
will join an introductory orientation week in
order to get to know each other and the MIND
programme.
In the first study year, the MIND students are
taught in IE basic courses.
online-compendium: EU-Third Country Projects with Austrian Participation
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Between the first and second study year, a
summer school will be organized for all MIND
students.
Afterwards, each MIND partner university
provides a special IE focus for the third
semester:
 IE methods and tools, in particular modelling
certain material systems (Leiden, Delft)
 Sustainable technical systems (Gothenburg)
 Human dimension of IE - Decision-making
models and sustainability assessment (Graz)
 Asian perspective on IE and technology issues
in IE (Asian Institute of Technology)
 Alternative energy and decision
(Rochester Institute of Technology)
analysis
 Industrial ecology methods based on inputoutput analysis, with special emphasis on
waste and resource management (Tokyo)
Mind Selection Committee © Ralf Aschemann
analysis (i.e. analysing the full range of
environmental and social damages assignable
to
products,
services,
processes
or
technologies by looking at raw material
production, manufacturing, distribution, use
and disposal including all necessary or caused
transportation steps; thus life cycle analysis is
using a “cradle to grave” approach), material
and substance flow analysis, input-output
analysis,
environmental
assessment
instruments or environmental management
systems.
The unique MIND programme offers crucial
benefits for its students and outstanding
possibilities for its scholars, as well: Those
from the four EU universities can visit the nonEU universities for guest lectures and vice
versa. This mutual exchange is fruitful for the
further development of IE and supports
networking and research.
Partners
Graphic © Ralf Aschemann
Finally, students will do their master thesis in
the fourth semester. For the graduation
ceremony, all MIND students will come
together again and present the main results of
their master theses.
Typical methods and tools that are frequently
used and applied in IE are e.g. life cycle
The MIND consortium consists of seven
universities from three EU countries and three
non-European countries, namely
 University of Graz as co-ordinator
 Chalmers
University
(Gothenburg, Sweden)
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OeAD.EU plus │ Martina Friedrich │ Daniela Schier │ July 2011 │ Version 10.1
of
Technology
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 Leiden University and Delft University of
Technology (The Netherlands)
 Asian
Institute
of
(Pathumthani, Thailand)
Technology
 Rochester
Institute
of
Technology
(Rochester, New York State/USA)
 Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan)
Overview of First Results
The selection committee did its first students’
choice in February 2011 and did a ranking
from the overall some 150 applications. As
MIND is a new Erasmus Mundus master
programme, starting with winter term
2011/12, no further experiences have been
gathered, yet.
all
of
which
gained
internationally
acknowledged IE expertise in teaching and
research.
online-compendium: EU-Third Country Projects with Austrian Participation
OeAD.EU plus │ Martina Friedrich │ Daniela Schier │ July 2011 │ Version 10.1
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