Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to:
a. Understand the concepts, rules and principles of Belgian, European and international law applicable to sustainable development objectives;
b. Carry out critical and interdisciplinary reflection on the way in which the law, combined where appropriate with economics and/or sociology, protects the environment, contributes to greater social justice and seeks to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals;
c. Be aware of the relative and evolving nature of legal solutions, which depend on scientific progress and expertise, economic constraints and political power struggles;
d. Explain the potential, qualities and shortcomings of legal instruments in the transition to sustainable development;
e. Explain the potential, qualities and shortcomings of regulatory instruments other than the law in the transition to sustainable development.

In addition to these legal skills, students must also acquire a series of essential transversal skills relating to sustainability:
a. Applying different frameworks to complex sustainability problems;
b. Reconsidering their worldview and behaviour in the light of the Sustainable Development Goals;
c. Enrich the material taught with personal contributions and reflections (orally, during the course and in writing for the examination);
d. Develop a critical approach to a legal rule, a legal solution, a political proposal or any other resource seen during the course;
e. Understand the reasoning of disciplines related to law, such as economics, sociology, physics or political science;
f. Demonstrate autonomy and responsibility in the implementation of tools leading to success;
g. Be able to reflect on the environmental and social impact of their actions;
h. Learn to work and think in a group.
 

Goals

Education for sustainable development is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4).
The transition to sustainable development presupposes a substantial change - for some, radical, in the sense of "going to the roots" - in our ways of thinking and acting. These are mainly guided and framed by education and the law.
The aim of this inter-faculty course is to help students acquire the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, while reflecting specifically on the place, legitimacy and effectiveness of the legal instrument as a vector for change and transformation in favour of sustainable development.
This does not mean that sustainable development is blindly endorsed. It is assessed and criticised in the light of social movements and the latest scientific knowledge.

 

Content

After an introductory section explaining what the law is and situating it among the other modes of regulation at a time of transition and sustainable development, the course addresses the following themes:
- Law, Ecology & Transition
- Law, Digital & Transition
- Law, Governance & Transition
- Law, Spirituality & Transition
- Law, Gender & Transition


The Law & Transition course is also a full partner in the Journées d'Education au Développement Durable et à la Transition (JEDDT) institutional project. Organised for the very first year at UNamur, this two-quarter educational programme looks at transition and sustainable development from all angles (law, political science, economics, medicine, philosophy, IT, etc.), without neglecting the spiritual dimension of the ecological and civilisational crisis we are going through (more information on the JEDDT unamur and WebCampus pages). As such, the Law & Transition course enables registered students to put their participation in the JEDDT to good use (details on WebCampus).
 

 

Table of contents

The table of contents may be adjusted according to current events and/or interactions with students.

introductory part: what is law? What is Sustainable Development? What is Transition?

PART I. Law, Ecology & Transition

PART II. Law, Digital & Transition

PART III. Law, Governance & Transition

PART IV. Law, Spirituality & Transition

PART V. Law, Gender & Transition


 

Assessment method

Assessment takes the form of a written examination worth 40% of the total course mark and a reflective and creative assignment worth 60% of the total course mark. The precise instructions for the assignment are available on the course's WebCampus page.
The written exam is composed as follows:
1. Several "true or false" questions to be answered;
2. An open-ended question OR a commentary on an extract from a text (court decision, political text, press article, etc.) seen in the course, requiring the student to draw on knowledge from the course as well as to think critically.
Students taking part in the JEDDT will be assessed separately, as explained on the course's WebCampus page. Assessment at JEDDT is based on the completion of an assignment. Generative AI tools may only be used in accordance with the instructions given by the course tutor on the course WebCampus page.

 

Sources, references and any support material

- Slides (PowerPoint) available on the course Webcampus page;
- Readings available on the course Webcampus page;
- Short videos available on the course Webcampus page and/or broadcast during the course;
- Reference work: R. BEAU, C. COURNIL, K. MARTIN-CHENUT, e.a., La société écologique : normes et relations, Paris, Les liens qui libèrent, 2023.

Language of instruction

Français