A joint programme of 10 YUFE European universities

 

 

In a world shaped by rapid urbanisation, both cities and rural areas are vital for a sustainable future. The joint Bachelor in Urban Sustainability Studies, designed by the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) Alliance, offers an innovative, interdisciplinary education to tackle real-life challenges head-on. Customise your learning path, explore diverse landscapes, and lead the way in urban sustainability across Europe with YUFE!

Over three dynamic years, you will shape your learning journey to match your strengths and interests. The first year covers essential skills at your starting university. In the second and third years, you personalise your studies through YUFE minors and study at three different universities across Europe. The programme culminates in a dissertation to showcase your expertise. You finish the Bachelor with a degree awarded by seven European Universities.

Throughout your bachelor’s programme, you work internationally with students, teachers, and businesses to address real-world issues in a creative, international and interactive setting. With input from 10 European universities, each a YUFE partner (seven Degree Awarding Partners and three Mobility Partners), the programme offers a diverse curriculum that explores sustainability issues in urban and rural settings. 

The programme has been officially approved by NVAO (Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders) following an external peer review under the European Approach for the Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes. 

 

Shape the world you want to live in!

Discover Sorbonne Nouvelle University’s Minor: Urban Ecology in Europe: Public Policies, Cultural Narratives

 

Located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, Sorbonne Nouvelle University will be happy to welcome you in its YUFE Minor, Urban Ecology in Europe. This multidisciplinary programme, where you will be able to attend classes in English and/or in French, will provide you with a multidimensional understanding of urban ecological issues and perspectives in Europe. 

➜ A programme designed to help you shape the future

 

Growing concerns related to environmental degradation and climate change have created the need for innovative changes in urban policy making. Over the last 20 years, in a transformation instigated by the EU as well as national and regional governments, urban authorities have developed new competencies in key areas of public policy: transport, energy systems, social welfare, public housing, and the drive to fight ethnic and gender-based discrimination etc. 

USN’s Minor showcases the role of various actors — from EU to regional governments — in driving this transition. It explores emerging ecology-related fields that have made this shift possible, such as soft mobility, revegetation, cooling strategies, circular economies, organic and locally sourced school meals, and initiatives to reduce food waste. Students will engage with these challenges by analyzing real-world examples of ongoing projects and initiatives.

USN’s minor equips students with analytical frameworks which will enable them to understand the dynamics of urban ecology in the European Union through a multidisciplinary approach, which combines insights from the history of urbanisation and ecology-related urban issues, public policies addressing environmental challenges, and the development of policy influenced by popular ecological campaigns. 

Alongside these perspectives, the Minor explores literature, philosophy, and aesthetics — including cinema and audiovisual arts — to provide a deeper understanding of cultural narratives, artistic concepts, and ideas related to nature, the environment, and urban living.

 

➜ Develop a wide variety of cross-disciplinary skills

 

By following this YUFE Minor, students will obtain the necessary knowledge and skill sets to analyse European public policies through a multi-level, multi-actor perspective while critically addressing urban problems from socio-political, sociological and ecological standpoints. 

Additionally, the Minor provides students with key concepts, theories, and applied methodologies in urban ecology, emphasizing analytical tools, interdisciplinary models, and sustainability challenges.  

Finally, in addition to providing the tools to examine the historical and contemporary trends in urban ecology within the European Union, this Minor will also help students improve their research skills, their critical thinking and their ability to defend their opinion on the basis of acquired knowledge.

 

➜ Broaden your skill set with challenge-based learning

 

Students who choose this Minor will also be given the opportunity to participate in field research conducted by ‘challenge teams’ working for and with public officials on concrete issues related to Paris and the Greater Paris areas (Ile-de-France nature, Paris Town hall 12th arrondissement). 

This unique learning method will allow students to showcase their research and analytical skills, as well as their ability to do team work in a multicultural context.

 

➜ More information about our YUFE Minor

In order to find more practical information about our YUFE Minor (the number of seats, detailed intended learning outcomes, number of ECTS per courses, etc.), make sure to check the designated page on the Virtual Campus.

If you are interested in knowing more about the experience of coming on mobility to Sorbonne Nouvelle University, visit this page of the YUFE website.

*Reminder: Sorbonne Nouvelle University does not offer the YUFE Bachelor as a full study programme. Students enrolled in a study programme at Sorbonne Nouvelle University can, however, apply for YUFE Minors at other YUFE partner universities. For more information, visit this page or contact yufe-admission@sorbonne-nouvelle.fr.