Institution
Ionian University, Department of Environment

Web Site
https://envi.ionio.gr/en/

Factual description
The undergraduate course “Water and Soil Pollution” of the Department of Environment, Ionian University (Greece) has been selected to be examined since it is relative to complex systems. The course introduces students to the complex system of the natural environment and the physical and anthropogenic processes related to pollution of the water and soil system. The attributes of Complex Systems which are highlighted are the biotic factors related with the growth and metabolism of microorganisms and abiotic factors related with the physicochemical conditions of the water and soil system.
During the class there is a systematic effort to explain the way that biotic and abiotic factors affect the fate of organic and inorganic pollutants in the water and soil system.
The students start thinking in a way that they consider a lot of parameters before they make a conclusion about the fate of a pollutant in the natural environment.
The teaching is inter-disciplinary because the transport and fate of the pollutants is related to the biological, chemical and physical conditions of the water and soil system.
Sustainable development is growth that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, there is need to better understand the way that pollution affects the quality of the water bodies and also the quality of soils. Also it is necessary for remediation technologies to be applied in order to clean the soil and water system and give future generations a healthy and well preserved environment
The students are being introduced in Systems Thinking through this course. The biological, chemical and physical characteristics of the water and soil system are explained as well as how these characteristics are related and how they affect the organic and inorganic pollution in the system.
According to the interviewee systems thinking is essential for the students’ understanding the course topic because they can develop a solid knowledge that values both creativity and collaboration and will be a required attribute/skill for students’ future career and employment.
Moreover, the ethical dimension is presented to the students when sustainable issues are discussed. Examples on how the water pollution affects the lives of people worldwide and on how soil pollution affects the lives of future generations in regard to the crops and the availability of food for all people on earth are provided.

Relevance in complex systems
This course is relevant to complex system because many biotic and abiotic factors control the transport and fate of pollutants in natural waters and soil.

Strong points
The strong point of this interview is that it is directly relevant to complex systems and sustainable development and in the course described, systems thinking is used and the ethical dimension is presented.

Transferability potential
The good practice followed in this course could be transferred in other institutions.