6 ECTS credits
155 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4016190FNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester
1st semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Taught in
English
Faculty
Faculty of Social Sciences & SolvayBusinessSchool
Department
Business Technology and Operations
Educational team
Cathy Macharis (course titular)
Philippe Lebeau
Activities and contact hours

24 contact hours Lecture
11 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
120 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study
Course Content

Logistics and mobility are essential aspects of the economy. At the same time, they also induce a lot of external effects such as emissions, climate change, noise nuisance and congestion. This course focuses on how logistics and mobility can be organized in a more sustainable way. First, the most recent research results and trends will be presented. Then, research techniques being applied within the area of logistics and mobility will be discussed. Topics that are dealt with involve basic logistics and mobility concepts, mobility management, traffic models, intermodal transport, sustainability impact assessment tools (i.e. life-cycle assessment en external cost calculations), evaluation methods in transport (i.e. social cost-benefit analysis, multi-actor multi-criteria analysis) and city distribution. Next to the lecture, this class has also the ambition to co-create innovative solutions together with the students to make mobility and logistics more sustainable by means of a hackathon. This hackathon called HackMOBI is included in the EUTOPIA network and will allow students to team up with students from other universities. 
 

Course material
Course text (Required) : Sustainable Mobility and Logistics, Handboek Edition 2017, Macharis, C. and J. Van Mierlo, VUB, 2220170004648, 2017
Digital course material (Required) : Slides, scientific papers, notes
Additional info

Teaching Methods

  • Lecture: collective contact-dependent moments during which the lecturer engages with learning materials
  • Seminar, Exercises or Practicals (Practical): collective or individual contact-dependent moments during which the students are guided to actively engage with learning materials
  • Independent or External Form of Study (Self): independent study

This description of the teaching methods is indicative, in order to assess the expected study load.

Lecture: 24 hours (amounting to 2 lectures of 2 hours per week in the first 6 weeks of the semester, in order to enable students to apply their knowledge in the development of the assignment)

Practical: 18 hours

  • Hack MOBI: from concept idea to a pitch
  • guidance during  the development of the assignment : workshop on concept ideas, workshop on business modelling, and other contact moments according to the needs
  • making a poster to get feedback at the MOBI seminar
  • classical defense of the teamwork before a jury (students attend each other's defenses): 4 hours

Self: 120 hours

  • keeping up with the course material during the semester and run through background info, amounting to 2 hour per lecture: 24 hours (12 x 2 hours)
  • defining subject for the assignment (student find suitable topic and make contact with companies or agencies): 8 hours
  • development assignment: 40 hours (5 days of 8 hours)
  • preparation classical defense: 8 hours
  • preparation exam: 40 hours (5 days of 8 hours)
Learning Outcomes

General Competencies

The students should be able to understand and use the basic principles of Mobility and Logistics. The objectives are that the students gain insight in and knowledge in the sustainability aspects of this domain. They should be able to use the corresponding research techniques. 

This course contributes to the following programme outcomes:

Knowledge oriented competence

  • in-depth knowledge and understanding of the advanced methods and theories to schematize and model complex problems or processes
  • reformulate complex problems in order to solve them (simplifying assumptions, reducing complexity)
  • conceive, plan and execute a research project, based on an analysis of its objectives, existing knowledge and the relevant literature, with attention to innovation and valorization in industry and society
  • correctly report on research or design results in the form of a technical report or in the form of a specific paper
  • present and defend results in a scientifically sound way, using contemporary communication tools, for a national as well as for an international professional or lay audience
  • collaborate in a (multidisciplinary) team

Attitude

  • has a creative, problem-solving, result-driven and evidence-based attitude, aiming at innovation and applicability in industry and society
  • has a critical attitude towards one’s own results and those of others
  • has consciousness of the ethical, social, environmental and economic context of his/her work and strives for sustainable solutions

Teamwork

For the task, students are working together in groups

Presentatievaardigheden

The task is presented at the end of the course

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 60% of the final mark.
Practical Exam determines 40% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Written Exam - Theory with a relative weight of 60 which comprises 60% of the final mark.

Within the Practical Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Practicum with a relative weight of 40 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The written exam (60% of the final result) consists of a number (4 to 6) of open questions.

The assignment (40% of the final result) is obligatory as it is an essential part of the learning objectives of this course. It takes the form of a seminar of 6 worksessions and involves teamwork. Students need therefore to attend all the sessions in order to fulfill the assignment. Everyone should have done the assignment during the first semester. In case of second session, the grade of the assignment of the first session will be kept. 

Exam question examples:

  • What are external costs of transport?
  • What are the most important modal choice variables?
  • What is a macroscopic traffic model?
  • What is the growth factor model?
  • Discuss the differences between summer smog and the ozone hole.
  • How can one define the environmental friendliness of a vehicle (Ecoscore)?
Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Business Engineering: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Applied Sciences and Engineering: Applied Computer Science: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Geography: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Master in Applied Sciences and Engineering: Applied Computer Science: Standaard traject
Master of Geography: Standard track
Master of Urban Studies: Standard track
Master of Urban Design and Spatial Planning: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Business Engineering: Business and Technology: Standaard traject
Master of Sustainable Land Management: Urban Land Engineering