Sustainability Sciences: training future generations in the challenges of a complex world
The first intake of the “Sustainability Sciences” Bachelor’s degree arrived for the academic year starting in September 2020. This new undergraduate program offers a general interdisciplinary curriculum, combining natural sciences, materials and life sciences, economics and social sciences, and humanities. As next year’s high school graduates are mulling over their study preferences on Parcoursup, the online undergraduate application system, the teaching team and students look back over the main lessons learned from this selective curriculum, the only one of its kind in France.
Interview with Coralie Chevallier, Vice-President for Education at PSL and Director of Sustainability Sciences, Thomas Thiebault, Deputy Director of Science and biogeochemistry teacher at EPHE - PSL and Anne-Sophie Robilliard, Deputy Director of Economics and Social Sciences, researcher in development economics at Dauphine - PSL and IRD (Institute of Research for Development)
Testimonials from Sophie, Cyprian and Maïtena, three first-year students.
PSL: The Sustainability Sciences program is unique in France. Why do you think it was important to create an interdisciplinary curriculum based on the challenges of sustainable development at undergraduate level?
There are many economic, social and environmental challenges in the 21st century and the actors of tomorrow will need to acquire the skills to solve the complex problems of our world
Anne-Sophie Robilliard: As teachers, our role is to train future generations in the challenges of tomorrow. However, there are many economic, social and environmental challenges in the 21st century and the actors of tomorrow will need to acquire the skills to solve the complex problems of our world. Global warming, declining biodiversity and increasing inequalities – to name just a few of the challenges – are inherently interdisciplinary issues which, to be fully understood, require a holistic approach. To give a simple example, it is difficult to see how to solve the problem of declining biodiversity without involving both ecology (a science that enables us to measure biodiversity and understand the dynamics of our ecosystems) and social sciences, through which we understand the behavior of individuals and organizations, both public and private. With the Sustainability Sciences program we are teaching students how to address this complexity at undergraduate level, something that I believe is essential!
Thomas Thiebault: As well as the essential interdisciplinarity that Anne-Sophie mentions, Sustainability Sciences fill a gap. Internationally, there are programs related to the sustainable development goals and based on important theoretical content, but until last September there was no such course in the French university environment. To avoid any misunderstanding, there is a simple principle that should be remembered: Sustainability Sciences is not intended to train up “activists”, but rather to provide curious, open-minded, committed people with all the scientific knowledge they need, based on research underway in our laboratories. This will enable them both to open many doors for their follow-on studies and their career development, and also to be enlightened actors of transitions, whatever their future career path.
Testimonials
Why did you enroll on this course?
- Cyprian: When I discovered Sustainability Sciences on Parcoursup, for me this was a modern curriculum focusing on current issues and I couldn’t imagine myself signing up for anything other than an interdisciplinary program. I didn’t want to choose between scientific and literary disciplines and, above all, I wanted to give myself every opportunity to understand the world. At a time when we are overwhelmed with information of varying quality, it seemed obvious to me that only interdisciplinary studies can provide the tools and a reflective framework for life.
- Maitena: Above all, I was looking for a Bachelor’s degree that would be interesting and that would allow me to flourish. Because Sustainability Sciences was interdisciplinary and devoted to sustainable development, it seemed to be an extremely interesting program for me to enhance my knowledge and give me time to discover different areas of study before specializing. I am sure that, whatever studies I go on to do in the future, the fact that I have an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree will be tremendously useful, especially for understanding other actors that I may encounter.
PSL: The Sustainability Sciences curriculum is based on taught courses and project-mode teaching from the first year. Could you give some examples?
Students see a tutor every week, who checks their progress and guides them as they choose their next modules. It’s tailor-made!
Coralie Chevallier: Project-based learning is an excellent way to customize teaching and thus enable every student to get the most out of lessons, whatever their starting level. Digital tools are particularly interesting in this respect. For example, the programming course takes place on the Datacamp platform, which allows students to progress at the pace that best suits their prior skills. Students who want to advance very quickly can do so, while those who find programming more difficult can take their time: the main thing is to move forward and gain self-confidence! Students see a tutor every week, who checks their progress and guides them as they choose their next modules. It’s tailor-made!
Thomas Thiebault: Project-based teaching is also a good way to get students to understand for themselves the complexity of the challenges of current transitions and to contextualize their theoretical knowledge. We apply this approach to subject teaching, with group work followed by feedback, and in the “Interdisciplinary project” module, which takes up many hours in the second semester. In concrete terms, a group of students takes a current research topic and tries to solve it by combining the respective contributions from different disciplines. Each group is guided by a multi-disciplinary support team.
Testimonials
Which study project(s) did you particularly like?
- Sophie: We presented some group work in English. We had to describe our ideal city from all angles: political, economic, environmental, educational, cultural systems, etc. It was very rewarding to consider all these topics and see what good ideas were produced by each group. By working together, we were able to interact and share what we knew, which is essential when considering these issues. We are about to begin an interdisciplinary project in groups of 6 or 7 involving a field survey on topics like biodiversity in the city, air pollution, solar radiation in aviation, and water in agriculture. This project includes social sciences and scientific subjects and we will be supervised by teachers who are directly involved as actors in this sector. I can’t wait to get started!
PSL: Although the Sustainability Sciences curriculum is the only one of its kind in France, there are equivalent courses abroad. What links will be forged with these international degree courses? Are there plans for internships abroad?
Coralie Chevallier: The last semester of the Bachelor’s degree is spent abroad. This gives students the opportunity for a period of real immersion with an internship in a research laboratory. PSL has international partnerships which can provide a range of student internships. For example, ENS - PSL is closely involved with UMI iGLOBES in Arizona, where the curriculum notably includes modeling adaptive change in living systems, and also looks at questions of cooperation and conflict around water management in the arid regions.
PSL: Which specialties of the new Baccalaureate are recommended in order to be accepted on this program? Do you have any advice for future applicants?
It is important that applicants have quite an appetite for scientific learning
Thomas Thiebault: The course is based on a demanding mathematics curriculum, so it is important that applicants have quite an appetite for scientific learning. However, this will certainly not prevent them from developing their knowledge in other disciplines over the three years of the course, like economics and social sciences, for example.
Anne-Sophie Robilliard: When we are selecting applicants, in addition to the academic criteria, we are also looking for students with profiles that show they are working on, or are keen to work on current transitions. Students’ commitments are assessed at this stage of the process. Some other important qualities for students joining the course are curiosity and a mindset open to the challenges of the modern world. I strongly advise applicants to highlight these qualities in their applications.
Testimonials
What advice would you give to future applicants?
- Sophie: Show your enthusiasm, your commitment and also you language experience as much as possible in your motivational letter. Also focus on your work methodology (organization, endurance, ability to think, etc.) for example, but the most important is to be honest and be yourself! This is a selective degree course, but if you are hard-working and if you want to get involved in a multidisciplinary field, then be brave and apply, because it’s when you are bold that great things happen!
- Cyprian: Do what you enjoy doing, that’s what’s most important! If you like to think, work, deepen your knowledge and discover new things, I strongly recommend the Sustainability Sciences course. As the year group is small (about 30 students), we know each other well, there’s a good atmosphere of solidarity and we form a solid team, while still remaining open to new encounters!
- Maïtena: Don’t hesitate to highlight your commitments and your qualities for joining this course. The aim of Parcoursup is precisely to make it possible to set up “meetings” between courses and students and avoid any mistakes in career choice, so make the most of it! To this, I would simply add, like Sophie, be honest about your doubts and hesitations, especially during the interview (which you should really think of as an exchange).