The minor in New Economy and Sustainable Transitions (NE&ST) helps students gain the knowledge and skills to understand and improve business practices for a more sustainable future. This 10-week program offers an engaging and practical learning experience, focusing on sustainability, multi value creation, and new economic models.

The students will take part in discussions, debates, hands-on workshops, and work on a real-world case. By working on these projects, they will learn how to identify key sustainability issues, consider different viewpoints, and create solutions that benefit all stakeholders, also non-human, involved. They will also train their uncertainty and (personal) pioneering skills to become green pioneers; young professionals that do not want to walk a paved path but want to pave the path themselves.

Unique selling points

• Real-world impact: Work directly with businesses and contribute to genuine sustainability improvements.
• Engaging and interactive learning: Participate in debates, workshops, excursions, and hands-on projects.
• Future-proof skills: Develop expertise in critical analysis, strategic problem-solving, and sustainability-driven innovation.
• Flexible and creative expression: Choose your preferred method of presenting solutions, from videos to interactive experiences.
• Career enhancement: Build the confidence and competence to lead sustainability transitions in various industries.

Course Structure

Weeks 1-3: Foundations for change

The first three weeks provide a strong theoretical foundation on sustainability and economic transition models. Students will:

• Participate in interactive debates and discussions to explore different perspectives on sustainability.
• Engage in critical thinking exercises to evaluate economic transformation theories and their real-world implications.
• Apply their knowledge in The Process Makeover, an assessment where they are given a real-world case and must redesign a business process using the Multi-Value Creation Map. This test includes an interview-style evaluation, mirroring real-world decision-making processes.

Weeks 4-6: Business excursion and process innovation

During this phase, students step outside the classroom and engage with a real business or organization. Activities include:

• An on-site business visit, where the company presents multiple processes in need of improvement.
• A three-week project where students work in teams to disrupt, redesign, and enhance these business processes.
• The opportunity to develop creative solutions that align with environmental, social, and economic sustainability principles.
• Acting as change agents, applying their knowledge and skills to develop practical strategies for real-world implementation.

Weeks 7-9: Intervention, presentation and reflection

The final phase focuses on communication, presentation, and self-reflection. Students will:

• Present their intervention solutions to the business client in a format of their choice (e.g., an infographic, video, or immersive experience).
• Process intervention outcomes to include in final assessment, and critically evaluate how their proposed solutions address sustainability challenges and engage stakeholders.
• Undergo a final assessment in week 9 to demonstrate their ability to apply sustainability concepts effectively and strategically, and reflect on their competency development, incorporating feedback from previous assessments.

1. The student understands how the principles of a post-growth economy and systems thinking help develop practical solutions that prioritize environmental sustainability, social equity, and long-term prosperity, while integrating these concepts into business or community initiatives. 
2. The student can critically review and compare the validity of contrasting perspectives and theories on sustainability by analysing their underlying assumptions, evaluating supporting evidence, and applying insights to real-world scenarios.
3. The student can act as a catalyst for change within their community by developing and applying their own skill set, enabling them to identify key issues, devise practical strategies and implement interventions that inspire and engage others.  

Target groups: all study programmes

Required prior knowledge: Business Economics OR Sustainability OR Entrepreneurship OR Design Thinking

Costs for:

• Excursion
• Guest lectures.
• (Library) Book: Impactvol ondernemen in de praktijk Zelf verantwoordelijkheid nemen en samenwerken: zo doe je dat! English version will be published in September 2025.

Description of meetings: Excursions, workshops and lectures

Contact times: Monday to Friday from 09.00am to 5.00pm.

Week 1-3 | High intensity contact hours, mostly at the HMSM. These contact hours include lectures, workshops and guest lectures.

Week 4 | Assessment one: business case.

Week 4 | Excursion to client and/or stakeholders.

Week 5 | Resit assessment one.

Week 4-6 | Researching options and designing the intervention (supported by additional workshops).

Week 7 | Intervention assignment at location.

Week 7-8 | Preparation professional product.

Week 9 | Assessment two: group presentation. Assessment three: individual defence.

Week 10 | Resit assessment two. Resit assessment three.

Business case, criteria based interview, 5 EC:

The student starts the individual assessment with a business case. In only two hours, the student needs to breakdown and analyse the current state of a client’s business case and redesign it. The goal is to shift towards a more sustainable and value-driven approach. In the criteria-based interview that follows, the student will present their outcome and answer questions based on their redesign. The assessment evaluates their knowledge, ability to create synergy, strategic decision-making skills, and critical thinking, preparing them for real-world sustainability challenges.

Real-world make-over – Group presentation, 5 EC:

The real-world make-over challenges a group of students to critically analyse and transform an existing business situation, using a sustainability framework. This involves:

• identifying and analysing the core problem of this business situation by breaking it down into smaller components;
• generating and evaluating alternative solutions within sustainability principles;
• making strategic choices;
• testing the solutions in practice;
• measuring the outcomes and adjusting the situation; and
• reflecting on the overall impact of the changes.

The assessment evaluates the students’ abilities to understand the impact and consequences of decisions made for all stakeholders involved.

Real-world make-over – individual oral defence, 5 EC:

In the final assessment, the Real-World make-over individual oral defence, the student will be asked to defend their project choices based on their accumulated research; theories and data that substantiate their claims. The student will also be asked to critically reflect on the project outcomes and their individual contribution. How did the student act as a catalyst for change within the project? Which tools and skills did the student use to tackle difficulties? And, what is necessary to create a movement?