• The Open University

Tackling the Climate Crisis: Innovation from Cuba

Explore Cuba’s response to crises and how their “thrifty innovation” can help develop solutions to climate change challenges.

A stormy highway in Havana, Cuba

  • Duration

    10 weeks

  • Weekly study

    10 hours
Overview
Requirements

Develop resourceful solutions to the climate crisis through Cuban insights

An unexpected source for inspiration, Cuba has had no choice but to find low-cost ways of dealing with decades of crises, disasters, and emergencies, leading to a unique “thrifty innovation” approach that has achieved remarkable results.

This course explores a new take on innovation to tackle the climate crisis, tracing the evolution of Cuban science and unique solutions through resourceful resilience.

Learn new methodologies and develop skills to innovate

Find out how Cubans have developed strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation, including innovations in food production, protection of coastal areas, coping with rising urban temperatures, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Drawing inspiration from distinctive Cuban methodologies, our academic research and holistic view provides an innovation framework to develop your own appropriate, possible, and actionable solutions to tackle climate change.

This unique 10-week microcredential is more than discovering and learning about new innovative ways of tackling the climate crisis. You will be equipped with tools and insights that you can apply to your chosen challenge.

Discover how Cuba’s “thrifty innovation” can help develop solutions to climate change challenges

This course looks at what characterises the Cuban approach to innovation as it is applied to different challenges. You’ll also learn how you might apply some of the principles to tackling climate change.

You’ll discover how Cubans are focusing on natural solutions and community involvement to protect coastal areas and adapt their food system to ensure basic nutritional needs are met. Then, you’ll discuss how, in the face of extreme weather events, the Cuban approach to disaster readiness, responsiveness, and recovery (DRRR) has minimised loss of life.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

Who is the course for?

This microcredential will appeal to an array of global learners, including:

  • People seeking a new approach to innovation techniques
  • Business leaders and entrepreneurs interested in tackling climate crisis issues with limited resources
  • People seeking to add climate crisis solutions knowledge to their skills set
  • Anyone currently working or looking to work in sustainability or community-level climate crisis projects
  • Learners working in the international development community, including NGOs, charities, policy makers
  • People seeking to develop knowledge of thrifty solutions to the climate crisis

Who developed the course?

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969

  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK

  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control

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