The Circular Economy as a Social Innovation

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What is the circular economy, and what can it mean for our life, study, and work? In this course, you will engage in active and creative workshops and excursions, next to lectures from circular economy experts. The course will teach you what the circular economy is, how it tackles environmental and social problems, and which social innovations are crucial to transition towards a circular economy. At the end of this course, you will be inspired and empowered to create social innovations for the circular economy.

Course description

Maybe you have heard about the circular economy, and that it can help in solving environmental and social problems. But what is the circular economy, and what can it mean for our life, study, and work? In this course, you will learn about the environmental and social reasons why Europe and the Netherlands aim to transition towards a circular economy. You will also learn that this transition needs social innovations to work: Innovations in society, business, and how people relate to each other.

The current linear take-make-waste economy negatively impacts the natural and social environment. The circular economy is an alternative that promises ways to regenerate the natural environment. In addition, the circular economy also promises to enhance social justice and it relies on innovative forms of social organizing. However, despite these promises, the social aspects of the circular economy are often overlooked in teaching.

This course is one of the first to focus on the social side of the circular economy. It draws from experiences in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Europe, where social innovations and social justice are part of various circular initiatives. The course is also developed as part of two large research projects. A first research project investigates social innovations for the circular economy, and focuses on organizations such as Repair Cafés. A second project investigates attempts to green city buildings in a way that creates social and environmental benefits, and focuses on phenomena such as green roofs.

The course draws on previous work conducted by the (guest) teachers as part of a community focusing on people at the heart of circularity. This community consists of researchers and professionals and is organized by Het Groene Brein.

Continue reading below for course topics and more.

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Course level

Advanced

Credits

3 ECTS

Contact hours

Language

English

Tuition fee

€735 - €1310

Course topics
The course lasts two weeks and contains 7 lectures, 4 excursions to illustrate circularity - in nature, in the city, and in (business) organizations, and 2 one-day workshops to create social innovations for circularity.
The course contains four topics:
- What is the circular economy and what are reasons to transition towards it: 1 guest lecture, 1 lecture and 1 excursion to the forest with an international guest.
- What is the donut economy: 1 lecture and 1 excursion to the city
- What are social barriers of the circular economy: 1 lecture
- What are social innovations for the circular economy: 1 guest lecture, 1 lecture and 2 excursion to (business) organizations
These four topics are integrated in one lecture where the most effective and motivating social innovations are evaluated. This lecture is developed in collaboration with Effective Altruism, and more specifically Koen Schoenmakers (MIT, USA), the founder of an Effective Altruism student group in Rotterdam. Further practical integration happens in co-creation sessions and individual study where students investigate and create the most effective and motivating social innovations for the circular economy.
The classes and co-creation sessions will be on the VU Campus. The excursions will all be in the city of Amsterdam (such as the Amsterdamse Bos). Students will be asked to read Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth; and 6 scientific papers on circularity. This course teaches several skills that can be applied in a practical context and in further career or study.
Creativity: The course will encourage students to identify and reflect on examples of circularity in nature. This will help them to think of strategies for circularity and to recognize existing instances of circularity in their home region as well as abroad. It will also nurture creative ideas about new possibilities for circularity. This creative idea-generation skill can be applied to any situation that requires new ideas but in particular in contexts where biomimicry is useful.
Understanding about the circular economy and the donut economy: The course will teach students to explain the reasons for a transition towards the circular economy and the strategies for achieving circularity. This will be increasingly useful in a European context where governments are aiming to achieve circularity by 2050.
Self-reflection: students will be encouraged to reflect on the most effective and motivating social innovations for achieving a socially just and environmentally sustainable circular economy. This requires self-reflection, to distill what career path is personally motivating to the student. This can help them in their future career or study choices.
Forms of tuition and assessment

Forms of tuition
- Lectures and guest lectures
- Excursions (to the forest, to the city of Amsterdam, to business/organizations)
- Workshops
- Student presentations
Language of instruction: English
Forms of assessment
Individual written assignment: students write an essay about effective and motivating social innovations for circularity Participation and presentation: students participate in sessions for co-creating social innovations for circularity and showcase their creations.
Learning objectives
At the end of the course students will:
- understand the reasons for the transition towards the circular economy
- understand the different strategies for material circularity
- analyse social (economic, political, cultural, market, regulatory) barriers and enablers of the circular economy
- analyse social innovations for circularity
- create social innovations for circularity
- evaluate to what extent social innovations for circularity generate social justice and environmental sustainability
Preliminary syllabus

Here you can download the preliminary course syllabus for 2024.
^{*Please note that it is a preliminary syllabus and that it might be subject to some change before the course starts.}
About the course coordinator

Katinka Quintelier is an associate professor in Strategy & Ethics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, with a PhD in Philosophy (2011) and a PhD in Business Administration (2020). She teaches Business Ethics (a field where philosophy and business come together) and Multi-Stakeholder Management (a field where psychology and management come together). In her research, Katinka is closely following the circular economy in the Netherlands, especially its social side. She focuses on how the circular economy in the Netherlands and Europe can create (1) social value and (2) environmental value while (3) being financially sustainable. Katinka is also a member of the works council, where she represents employees of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and of the advisory board of the Sustainability Office, where she advices about the environmental sustainability of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.