Course Catalogue

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In this interdisciplinary course students will critically examine the social, political and economic structures that shape inequality across the globe. Through workshops, seminars and project-based learning, students will develop their critical consciousness and explore their positionality and roles as socially responsible citizens. The course engages with systems of power and privilege, encouraging learners to analyse how inequitable structures intersect with gender, race, disability, class, migration status and other dimensions of identity.

Students will explore the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for advancing social justice and inclusion and will develop practical strategies to promote equity in education, community and workplace settings. This will include different contexts, for example health inequalities by examining how structural and social factors influence access to healthcare and wellbeing. Students will engage with the concept of decolonising knowledge; learning to recognise and challenge dominant narratives, value diverse knowledge systems, and apply decolonial principles to their academic and professional practice.

Workshops, seminars, lectures etc as organised

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Summative 1

Reflective Portfolio (40%, individual) [ILO 1, 2, 4]. Students will produce a reflective portfolio consisting of multiple entries aligned with key stages of the course. Entries may use mixed media, including written, audio, video, photo-based, or blended formats. A written equivalent is approximately 1500 words. Students will select which prompts or experiences to include in their final submission.

Summative 2

Group Publicity Campaign (60%, group) [ILO 2, 3, 4]. Students will work in groups to design a publicity campaign aligned with a selected Sustainable Development Goal. The campaign will be assessed through a group presentation, with students offered a choice of communication format (which may include oral presentation, poster, video, or other professional formats). Assessment criteria will be consistent across all format options. The group grade will incorporate peer assessment.

Where a student requires an alternative assessment, an alternative assessment of equivalent weighting and aligned to the same ILOs will be provided. Where reassessment of the group component is required, an alternative individual assessment of equivalent weighting will be provided.

The course aims to develop students' skills in critical analysis, interpretation, and discussion of issues related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals from a STEM‑informed but interdisciplinary perspective. It encourages students to examine how knowledge is constructed, communicated, and valued, and to reflect on how their own positionality shapes their engagement in professional contexts. Through explicit engagement with SDGs such as SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), the course supports students to cultivate critical awareness of equity, inclusion, and socially responsible citizenship. Students will learn to translate their learning into public‑facing, evidence‑informed communication by designing and presenting a publicity campaign for a defined audience; and to work collaboratively and inclusively, drawing on peer and staff feedback to refine ideas and communicate them professionally.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Critically reflect on learning and development across the course, evaluating how perspectives and assumptions have changed (summative 1)

2. Apply decolonial principles to disciplinary concepts and analyse a contemporary equity or inclusion challenge linked to a selected SDG (summative 1 and 2)

3. Design and present a publicity campaign aligned to a chosen SDG in an appropriate communication format, using evidence-informed rationale. (summative 1 and 2)

4. Collaborate effectively and inclusively in a diverse team to co-construct knowledge and deliver shared outputs, receive, and act on peer and staff feedback to iteratively improve coursework. (summative 1 and 2)