The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSNedu) aims to provide high-quality, massive open online education in collaboration with member institutions and partners. It brings together some of the world’s foremost experts on sustainable development, including climate change and global marine ecosystems.
I was lucky enough to stumble upon one such course recently, One Planet-One Ocean. Although the course started in April, there is still time to register and ‘catch up’ because it is open until mid-July.
It is open to everyone and the only entry requirement is that you are interested in the ocean.
The weekly Quizzes and final Exam are optional but if you would like a completion certificate, like me (!), they are a must. So far, I have found the course very informative and, as it progressed, increasingly challenging. I am now waiting for the final exam to be made available online.
Course Summary
The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, connecting all corners of the world, and provides the planet with some of the most important and basic economic, cultural, and environmental functions. In many ways, it also remains the last frontier. Humans have a greater understanding of the surface of the moon than they do of the depths of the oceans, hinting at untouched natural resources and unrecognized ecosystem services.
But the ocean is under threat, stressed by careless lifestyles and the increasing demands of a growing global population. Sustainable development hinges on our collective ability to be good stewards of the ocean.
One Planet – One Ocean: From Science to Solutions is a ten-week course presenting the challenges and opportunities facing oceans today. Led by the teams at GEOMAR, the International Ocean Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, and Future Ocean, the course brings in some of the world’s leading experts on ocean science to present the issues and potential solutions grounded in rigorous scientific research.’
I would very much like to thank the academic and support staff who worked hard to produce an excellent and, best of all, free course.
Additionally, this is not the only course available as a massive open online course (MOOC) so, if you are interested in lifelong learning, start searching!
Course details can be found at https://www.sdsnedu.org/learn/one-planet-one-ocean-april-2016.
