Lapland UAS’ new English Master’s programme in Managing Sustainability and Systems Change (MaSS) builds skills to address multifaceted challenges of sustainability and circular economy. Moreover, students learn transformational skills to deal with our increasingly complex environment.

Global change is challenging skills and working life in a way we have never seen before. Societies need new cross-disciplinary experts to work on sustainability challenges, to integrate the circular economy into organizational activities and to increase sustainability as part of organizations’ daily routines.

– Developing the circular economy in education and R&D has been one of the strategic choices of Lapland UAS since 2017. We have systematically integrated the circular economy into our activities and have collaborated with regional and national organisations. Our mission is to understand the requirements that organisations need in their transition towards a more sustainable way of working, emphasises Principal Lecturer Sanna Tyni, one of the designers of the MaSS programme.

Lapland UAS has recognized that the circular economy and other dimensions of sustainability need to be integrated into research and education. Sustainability transitions in different sectors require a skilled workforce that can implement sustainability principles and act as a bold change agent.

This is the starting point for the launch of a new Master’s programme Managing Sustainability and Systems Change (MaSS). The programme is for students who seek skills to address the challenges of green transition, circular economy, effective leadership and ethical decision-making.

MaSS is based on international and cross-disciplinary collaboration, and future oriented action. Alongside with the sustainability and circular economy, students will learn transformational skills to deal with our increasingly complex and uncertain environment.

– The programme offers an experiential learning journey towards a holistic understanding of ecological, economic, and social sustainability in business and society. The aim is to build inner capacities for sustainability work in a situation where we can no longer rely on the experiences of the past, says Senior Specialist Maria Joutsenvirta, one of the programme’s designers.

–  We are seeking students with motivation to foster sustainability, systems change and creativity. We expect students to invest weekly time for studying. We utilize virtual learning environments so most of the work can be done independent of time and place. Students will meet roughly every two weeks in online meetings with smaller groups. We will also have 1-2 face-to-face Innovation Camps during the programme. Experts graduating from our programme will be able to work as developers and change-makers in various fields of expertise. They will have a broad understanding of how sustainability and circular economy are changing the operations in and outside the organisations, Sanna Tyni, principal lecturer and Marko Korkeakoski, coordinator of the MaSS programme, are pondering.

Applying in Master’s programmes

Application period for Lapland UAS’ English Master’s programmes Digital Business Management (90 ECTS) and Managing Sustainability and Systems Change (60/90 ECTS) is 1 March to 31 March 2023. Studies start in autumn 2023.

Read more from https://www.lapinamk.fi/masterschool

More information

Marko Korkeakoski, Coordinator of MaSS -programme
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More information about the MaSS and transformative learning
UAS Journal article 3/2022 Transformatiivinen oppiminen kestävyysosaamisen tukena  (in Finnish, abstract in English)