We increasingly depend on reliable and affordable supply of energy, water, transport, telecommunication and information services to improve livability and facilitate economic development. However, today’s infrastructure systems are drastically changing. They are becoming more and more web-based, interconnected and transnational, with increasingly fragmented public and private ownership, while new technologies are on their way. Sustainability, climate change, cybersecurity and resilience pose huge challenges. The capital need for investment in new infrastructures and upgrading of ageing infrastructures is tremendous. During this infrastructure course you will learn the need to examine these challenges from a new, combined engineering and social sciences perspective. Subsequently we will focus on the challenges that ‘complex adaptive infrastructure systems’ pose for governance, management and decision-making in a world full of uncertainties. We will discuss resilience, ethical considerations and cybersecurity. We will introduce a selection of topics and analytical tools which will help you to analyze the adequacy of infrastructure systems and services, while dealing with the risks and vulnerabilities of infrastructure interdependencies. In our case studies, we will focus on topical developments and policies, such as sustainable energy transition, resilience, urbanization and its impact on infrastructures, the challenges of climate change, the nexus between energy, food and water scarcity, and the phenomenon of inverse infrastructure development (self-organization). If you are interested or involved in the functioning of today’s and tomorrow’s infrastructures, this course is an exceptional learning opportunity, whether you are a student or a professional. The course includes a lot of bonus materials, like problem solving skills and modelling. The course is based on the results of an extensive and renowned international research programme titled ‘Next Generation Infrastructures’ (NGInfra).
An excellent online course offered by edX: how it works
edX courses consist of weekly learning sequences. Each learning sequence is composed of short videos interspersed with interactive learning exercises, where students can immediately practise the concepts from the videos. The courses often include tutorial videos that are similar to small on-campus discussion groups, an online textbook, and an online discussion forum where students can post and review questions and comments to each other and teaching assistants. Where applicable, online laboratories are incorporated into the course.
edX offers certificates of successful completion and some courses are credit-eligible. Whether or not a college or university offers credit for an online course is within the sole discretion of the school. edX offers a variety of ways to take courses, including verified courses where students have the option to audit the course (no cost) or to work toward an edX Verified Certificate (fees vary by course). edX also offers XSeries Certificates for completion of a bundled set of two to seven verified courses in a single subject (cost varies depending on the courses).
An edX learning programme under Other Experiences
