About the course

Global Product Development I for students and professionals (in engineering or related disciplines) who want to gain a broad understanding of how to develop products that can be successfully applied in challenging environments. It also addresses how technology can be part of reaching the UN's global goals for sustainable development. The context of the course is humanitarian operations and international development, where complexity is a core challenge to achieve results.

The course combines case studies with lectures. Lectures will give you broad insights into the technical as well as social and economic challenges you will meet in product development. These insights are continuously applied in case studies. You will also be part of a team with the task to develop an idea into a concept of a technical solution that can be applied to solve a real-life challenge in a low- or mid-income country. The course includes several guest lecturers with expertise from aid organizations and companies working in challenging environments. Previous guest lecturers have come from UNHCR, Médecins Sans Frontières, Sida and IKEA.

For students that want to develop an in-depth understanding of product development and project management in challenging environments, we recommend further studies in Global Product Development II. GPD I can be the basis for a degree project.

Course content

Syllabus autumn 2024

Earlier syllabuses

Entry requirements and selection

Entry requirements

General entry requirements + Physics 2, Chemistry 1, Mathematics 3c or Mathematics D

Selection

Upper secondary grades 34%, University credits completed 32%, Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSAT) 34%

Course literature

Course literature is chosen in consultation with the teachers/supervisors, but the student is also expected to search, evaluate and use relevant literature on their own.

Recommended reference literature:

  • Broman, G., R., Karl, H., Basile, G., Byggeth, S., Connell, T. (2012) Sustainability Handbook, Studentlitteratur
  • Eller, J.D. (2016) Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives, Routledge, Taylor & Frances
  • Hylland Eriksen, T. (2004) What Is Anthropology? 2nd ed. (Anthropology, Culture & Society), Pluto Press.
  • United Nations (2011) Result-based management https://unsdg.un.org/resources/unsdg-results-based-management-handbook
  • United Nations (2015) Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, A/RES/70/1. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld
  • United Nations (2017) Basic facts about the United Nations, 42nd ed., UN Department of Public Information, USA.
  • Wenger, E. (2011). Communities of practice: A brief introduction

Course evaluation

The University provides students who are taking or have completed a course with the opportunity to share their experiences of and opinions about the course in the form of a course evaluation that is arranged by the University. The University compiles the course evaluations and notifies the results and any decisions regarding actions brought about by the course evaluations. The results shall be kept available for the students. (HF 1:14).

Malmö Day-time 50%

Contact

For more information about the education:

tsstudent@mau.se

This education is provided by

Faculty of Technology and Society

The Faculty of Technology and Society (TS), conducts education and research with a focus on technology and natural sciences, in...

Department of Materials Science and Applied Mathematics

The department provides courses in Engineering, Mathematics and Natural Sciences at first-cycle and second-cycle level and also...