Teachers:
Minna Halme, Aalto School of Economics
Asta Raami, Aalto School of Arts & Design
Samu Mielonen, Aalto School of Arts & Design
How to Change the World (HtCtW)
Aalto Social Impact is proud to work with the “How to change the World” course, run by Minna Halme (Aalto School of Economics) and her colleagues Liisa Välikangas (Aalto School of Economics), Asta Raami, and Samu Mielonen (Aalto School of Art & Design). The course if fully accredited and started its first round on 13 January 2010. 35 M.A. level students from Aalto University’s 3 schools were accepted.
‘How to change the world’ course exposed the world with challenges. Through various case studies a student gets an idea of real world societal problems: what they are, how they can be modeled systematically, and why it is important to tackle them.
During the project work phase, students gained practical and theoretical knowledge in problem modeling, knowledge building, solution finding, and initiative making while working in teams of shared expertise. Further, the work phase gave hands-on practice of cross-disciplinary approach, e.g. appropriate tools, attitude, collaboration skills and networking needed in wicked problem solving.
The emphasis was on increasing understanding of the importance of making initiatives and focusing on impacts, as well as solving challenging real life problems collaboratively.
The course aimed at developing the following meta level skills:
- Encountering wicked problems – encouraging to face unsolved and unclear
- Basic understanding the interconnectedness of social and ecological
- Sharing knowledge – widening personal knowledge and expertise
- Respecting others – appreciating different domains and point of views
- Surpassing oneself – expanding personal capacities
- Increasing personal activity – learning to make initiatives
- Understanding the power of creativity – designing the future
Teachers on the course were:
- Minna Halme
- Liisa Välikangas
- Asta Raami
- Samu Mielonen
- Guest lecturers (see schedule for details)
Group Project Work
Students participated in group work solving real-life wicked social problems in co-operation with experts from various fields. Collaborating partners for group projects were:
- Clewer Oy: Environmental & Green Tech
- World Vision: Problems of Child Soldiers
- Fair Trade Finland
- Women’s Bank (Naisten Pankki)
- Demos Helsinki: Low carbon lifestyles and possible corporate collaboration
- Empathy Initiative: increasing empathy among youth for general well-being
For more information on the readings of the course and interesting links, check: www.bit.ly/htctw
How to change the world course will have a re-run in co-operation with Creative Sustainability & Minna Halme (Aalto School of Economics) (H1/2011) and How to Change the World projects course as a continuation for the lecture course (H1/2011)
