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Video transcript: Sustainable Chemistry at the University of Birmingham
As with many Colleges, the schools in Engineering and Physical Sciences have a strong research strength in sustainability. To reflect our research expertise through our education provision, the School of Chemistry and the School of Metallurgy and Materials have launched two Master's programs: Sustainable Chemistry and Sustainable Materials.
The MSc in Sustainable Chemistry stems from the signing of a of a Green Chemistry Commitment with Beyond Benign. This is an organisation dedicated to fostering a green chemistry community, and to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. We continuously collaborate with Beyond Benign to keep our teaching practices up-to-date. Recently, we appointed its founder and the creator of the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry as an Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham.
The programme itself incorporates modules on the circular economy (using a Dragon’s Den style approach), how to perform life cycle analysis and the application of sustainable principles to existing products. In addition, it includes the current hot topics, complementing the world-leading research conducted in the school, such as mechanochemistry, hydrogen production, fuel cells and battery chemistry. A key aspect of the programme is the engagement with industry, and this is achieved through the incorporation of industry- and research-approved software in addition to external speakers from other UK universities and industry to discuss the latest advancements in sustainable chemistry. Our students have thoroughly enjoyed engaging with these external speakers, observing how sustainable chemistry practices have led to new and exciting research areas and the launch of spin-out companies. They also appreciated gaining direct insight into the development of research conducted here at Birmingham into commercial projects during their day trip to Tyseley Energy Park.
In the last MicroCPD of the Sustainability in Education series, Deborah Crawford (School of Chemistry) discusses two Master’s programmes, in Sustainable Chemistry and Sustainable Materials, and a Green Chemistry Commitment with Beyond Benign.
Dr. Deborah Crawford, Programme Lead for the MSc in Sustainable Chemistry, discusses key topics covered in the course here. She highlights how the programme integrates education with current advances in research and industry, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of sustainable chemistry and its recent advancements.
The aim of the course is to produce well-rounded, environmentally conscious graduates who are not only knowledgeable in sustainable chemistry but also skilled in applying their knowledge to research and industrial processes. This includes developing new sustainable synthetic routes and conducting Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of both current and new processes.
The programme boasts support from Beyond Benign, an initiative dedicated to fostering a green chemistry community that empowers educators to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Additionally, the founder of Beyond Benign and the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry, John Warner, has recently been awarded an honorary professorship within the School of Chemistry at the University of Birmingham.
With the guidance provided by Beyond Benign and the esteemed research and expertise available at the University of Birmingham, the programme offers an excellent overview of the Circular Economy and Life Cycle Assessment. Workshops teach students how to use industry- and academically-leading LCA software, SimaPro. The curriculum also covers recent developments in sustainable materials, including polymers, batteries, fuel cells, and more.
World-leading experts from other institutions and companies come to the University of Birmingham to teach on the course, making this a premier MSc programme. Students are assessed using a variety of coursework techniques, including a Dragon’s Den style pitch where, in groups, they develop a sustainable version of a product and present it to School of Business academics with expertise in sustainability.
Supporting Information:
Link to Sustainable Chemistry Masters Course Information
MicroCPD
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