The Role of Nature in Modern Capitalism: What is impact, what is progress?

The aim of the lecture series is to give participants the opportunity to deal with fundamental questions of impact and progress orientation in today's society, and, specifically, in the development of entrepreneurial innovations. By exploring the question of how we can ensure that the "ideal" of naturalising capitalism also leads to social progress, we not only impart specialist expertise from a range of related profesional fields, but also give students the opportunity to ask critical and practical questions, exchange ideas and discuss key social issues relating to technology development with renowned academics and practitioners. The lecture series is divided into 4 blocks that build on each other: The first part deals specifically with the question of what social progress actually means and how new developments might relate to it. The second part takes a critical look at the question of the extent to which the naturalisation of capitalism can lead to social progress. The third part deals with the potential of nature for entrepreneurial opportunities. Finally, the last part deals specifically with the extent to which cross-species perspectives can meaningfully drive design and innovation processes in practice.

- Learn important fundamentals of the issues and meaning of societal "impact", societal “progress", and the increasingly debated "more-than-human" turn in the design and management of innovation. - Develop a better understanding of the key themes, and challenges for impact-oriented entrepreneurs in pursuing ideals of naturalizing capitalism, and shaping society-oriented innovation processes. - Critically analyze the "impact" of new developments that rely on "nature" as an asset for entrepreneurial opportunity, and how such narratives contribute to the creation of a particular social reality. - Explore the ways in which 'nature' can inspire and inform entrepreneurial efforts to address social, environmental and economic challenges, and contribute to social progress in the design and development of innovations. - Build skills in critical analysis, written communication and creative thinking with the goal of critically evaluating and actively shaping issues of progress in society. After the course, students will be able to: Define, explain, critically discuss, and apply key perspectives related to impact, progress and nature. - Interpret, classify and evaluate the conduct and performance of any organized efforts aimed to create a society “living in harmony with nature”. - Describe, compare, and evaluate entrepreneurial strategies and innovation concepts with regard to their potential for social progress; in particular, assess how impact-oriented entrepreneurship can contribute to societal progress. - Differentiate the newly learned perspectives and innovation strategies from previously learned management perspectives.

This module is assessed through a scientific elaboration ("Wissenschaftliche Ausarbeitung"). Specifically, at the end of the course, students will be asked to write a reflection paper ("Essay") in which they demonstrate what they have learned throughout the lecture series, and that they can differentiate the newly learned perspectives from previously learned management perspectives. In particular, we will evaluate the final outcome on whether students can define, explain, and apply in practice the perspectives of impact, business, and society presented in class; whether they can describe, compare, and evaluate existing developments in terms of their functionality in society; and whether they can develop critical ideas to address emerging societal challenges in an innovative way. Not least, the reflection tasks are used to test whether students can interpret, classify, and evaluate the behaviour and performance of organizational and entrepreneurial efforts to address social, environmental and economic challenges. To assess whether students have achieved these learning objectives, each examination question will correspond to one of the elements listed under "Teaching methods".

In general, students from all Schools can take part in this lecture series, but a good knowledge of English, and a general interest in issues of sustainable development in society are basic prerequisites for participation in the course. A willingness to attend all sessions is also strongly helpful, as knowledge of their contents will influence the final grade.

The main content of this course is provided by guest speakers from various academic disciplines and fields of practice, who present their work and perspectives on the topic online via Zoom. In addition, digital (online) workshops are held at regular intervals, in which participants interactively reflect on the lecture content, and co-develop learning outcomes. The entire course takes place online without any face-to-face event. In the final report, students debate the course outcomes and apply the content they have learnt (see "Learning Outcomes”). With this report, students will showcase their ability to critically examine the ideal of "impact orientation" in entrepreneurial innovation processes, and to find out what innovators can do to realise actual societal progress, i.e. in relation to nature. Accordingly, the final written project is designed to demonstrate students' critical thinking and their ability to creatively apply what they have learnt in class. Throughout the entire semester, the course instructors will guide the guest lectures and moderate questions from the audience and group discussions in such a way as to ensure the focus on the specific course topic. During the guest lectures and workshops, we recommend that students take their own notes and find an undisturbed place to follow the lectures and participate in the workshops. Please note that a significant part of your learning will come from your preparation for each session and asking questions in class. Appropriate techniques will be introduced in the first session of the course.