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Global Challenges in Transport: Climate Change mitigation and adaptation

Overview

Our Climate Change: mitigation and adaptation online course, gives transport professionals from around the world a unique opportunity to think about how mobility systems interact with a changing climate. Through reflecting critically on the social and environmental implications of mobility systems that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while becoming adaptable and resilient to environmental threats, our course participants will have access to the latest thinking from academics and practitioners from diverse contexts and disciplines. Through lively online sessions with an international cohort of experts, we will address topics such as urban mobilities, road freight and air travel, as well as strategies for resilient and adaptable urban environments.

Global Challenges in Transport: Climate Change

Status: CLOSED
Course Director: Dr Juan Pablo Orjuela
Dates: 31 March – 9 May 2025 (plus final submission session on 30 May)
Course Format: Online
Course Length: 6 weeks

Course Fee: Private sector £2,750; Public sector £1,650. 

If you work in and are a national of a country that receives official development assistance you may be eligible for our 30% DAC OECD discount*

Further discounts and scholarship options are available

Key Dates: Last day for scholarship and general applications: 10 March 2025.
Applications are closed

* Please note that only one discount can be applied per course fee.

Learning Objectives

  • To broaden transport professionals’ understanding of greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies through urban mobilities, road freight, and aviation.
  • To study the relationships between transport systems and resilient urban environments.     
  • To reflect critically on the wider economic, political, and social implications of climate change on global transport systems.
  • To develop an enhanced understanding of the links between transport, sustainable development, and climate change.

Learning Outcomes

After attending this course, participants will be able to:

  • Apply some of the lessons learnt from other climate change case studies from around the world to your own transport practice.
  • Utilise a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches for addressing questions of urban mobilities, long distance travel and resilience within the context of climate change and transport.
  • Understand and critically evaluate the relationships between climate change and transport policies in a global context. 

Course evaluation and feedback

Course participants will develop a policy brief in small groups throughout the course. The course director and session conveners will offer feedback on these policy briefs. Participants must take an active role in the development of the policy brief and attend the closing discussion session to receive their course certificates.  Please note that the submission and presentation of these policy briefs will take place on 30 May, i.e. nine weeks after the course starts (three weeks after the last session).

Course content and Lecturers

The climate change course is divided in two main chapters: one on mitigation, and one on adaptation. We will begin with an introductory week followed by a detailed exploration of key aspects of greenhouse gas emission reductions: electric mobility, active transport, road freight and aviation. This will then be followed by the adaptation chapter which will focus on, resilient urban design, available finances for adaptation in the transport sector, and strategies for adaptable cities.

Course Schedule

The course has an estimated time commitment of approximately 42 hours including individual study, small group work, and live sessions.

Individual study includes working through pre-recorded lectures and additional material suggested by lecturers. This will entail approximately 1.5 hours of individual work per session.

This course is composed of two separate cohorts. Live sessions last 1.5 hours and take place twice a week. Participants can choose between:

Cohort 1: Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:30pm (BST) 
Cohort 2: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:30pm (BST)

In your application, please request one of the two cohorts depending on what fits your schedule best. In case spots for one cohort fill up first, you may be given the option to move to the other. Please have in mind that course participants will not be allowed to change cohorts during the course.

Tutorials: Participants will be divided into small groups that will meet for 30min sessions every Friday. Exact times for tutorial sessions will be agreed with participants once the course starts. Attendance to tutorials is mandatory.

Example of live sessions on a typical week:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Live session 1

Cohort 1

12:30pm BST

1.5hr

Live session 1

Cohort 2

12:30pm BST

1.5hr

Live session 2

Cohort 1

12:30pm BST

1.5hr

Live session 2

Cohort 2

12:30pm BST

1.5hr

Tutorials

All cohorts

time TBC

30min

Please note that the programme is indicative and may be subject to change.

Who should attend?

The Climate Change course is designed for experienced transport professionals and researchers with a minimum of 3 years' experience in the sector and aims to bring together the world's leading experts from academia, policy and practice to address complex transport challenges. The course is intended for those who are looking to expand their knowledge horizons and gain a more in-depth and interdisciplinary understanding of the challenges and solutions in delivering sustainable transport.

We specifically invite applications from:

  1. Professionals in the transport and mobility consultancy sector in charge of implementing new solutions for transport systems, especially looking at Climate Change adaptation and mitigation.
  2. Individuals with experience in transportation consulting, planning, and related government agencies.
  3. Academics and researchers in transportation planning, civil engineering, economics, planning, and/or urban mobility.

Scholarship Opportunities

Various discount options as well as scholarship opportunities are available. Find out more about our scholarships or contact us: exed@tsu.ox.ac.uk

In brief

This 6-week online course introduces a range of approaches to thinking about climate change  and transport, with particular emphasis on scaling strategies across different communities, cultures, and geographies. It proposes a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches for developing transport policies aimed at reducing emissions while being resilient to increased weather extremes. The course adopts a strong interdisciplinary and interactive approach including visions of academic disciplines related to the social sciences and human geography, as well as insights from industry and non-profit organisations.

The estimated time commitment for this course is 42 hours including independent study, group work, and live sessions.