Letter of Proficiency
Pathways to Sustainability: Circular Economy
ABOUT THIS PROGRAM
This two-part micro-credential program, jointly hosted by UBC’s Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) and School of Engineering (SOE), aims to establish a world-class educational and applied research model, for advancing the circular economy in Canada and beyond. Learners will be introduced to the fundamentals of the circular economy including business models and associated value propositions, as well as tools and methods to investigate and design circularization strategies applied to their own workplace. Learners will bring a case study from their place of work, to which the provided tools and methods will be applied, culminating in an end-of-program presentation.
To learn more about the short- and long-term befits of this program, as well as follow-up research partnership opportunities, please visit MMRI CE page.
OFFERED BY:
OUTCOMES
By the end of this program, learners will be able to:
- Use open-source tools and methods to identify and address risks and impacts at a product/service level (midstream)
- Use open-source tools and methods to identify and address risks and impacts along your organization’s value chain (upstream + downstream)
- Describe the fundamentals of the circular economy and associated business models
- Understand the positioning of relevant policies, regulations, motivations and reporting frameworks, in support of circular transitions
- Model value chains in open-source lifecycle analysis software, for detailed analysis and decision-making support
- Apply advanced topics of lifecycle analysis (LCA) and lifecycle costing (LCC) for quantifying sustainability and circularity, including sensitivity analyses for identifying key activities and stakeholders.
Professional learners, able to make change in their organization towards circularizing value chains, including:
- Government (municipalities, supporting agencies, etc.)
- Large for-profit companies
- Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- Industry associations & non-profits
- Academics embarking in entrepreneurship
Entire Program:
$2,000 (Individual Course Fee: $1,000)
Financial Aid
Funding opportunities are available through The Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) to participate in the program. Limited seats are available. For more information on eligibility and the application process, please visit the MMRI Site.
For details on refunds and enrollment deadlines, please see Policy & Resources.
Delivery Mode:
Online
Structure:
The program consists of a total of 56 hours of synchronous classes and asynchronous readings, exercises, and assignments. Each course spans 4-weeks, with 7hrs of learner commitment per week, for a total duration of 28hrs per course (56hrs for both courses). Throughout the program, learners will (in parallel) learn the skills and tools through direct instruction, assigned readings and worked problems, while also applying it to a selected case study from their workplace. This document is intended to be a vehicle to apply the course content to the workplace case study, carried forward into downstream development and triage in collaboration with UBC’s MMRI, and other identified stakeholders.
Technology Requirements:
- Access to a computer with a modern operating system
- Installed browser (e.g., Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome) for accessing online resources
- Adobe PDF viewer
- Enough hard drive space to install Zoom
- High-speed internet connection for:
- Course 1&2: Word and spreadsheet software of the learner’s choice to edit and submit assessments (e.g., Google Docs and Sheets, or Office 365)
- Course 2: Connecting to online virtual machine with OpenLCA installed
- Course 2: A Microsoft account to login to the virtual machines (users can create a new one, or use an existing personal account, or use an existing institutional account)
- Access to an email client
- Microphone, webcam, and headphones or speaker
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Dr. Bryn Crawford (Course #1 Instructor):Dr. Bryn Crawford is a Research Engineer and Program Manager at The University of British Columbia’s Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI), responsible for establishing and coordinating circular economy-related R&D initiatives, particularly the PacifiCan-funded Accelerating Circular Economy (ACE) Platform. Bryn has experience working in both academic and industrial settings, executing over $20M of projects. The former largely in research centers collaborating with industry to solve technical barriers for introducing new products, materials, and processes, as well as root-cause analysis and continuous improvement projects. In this micro-credential, Bryn will be using his expertise in circular economy models and technological solutions to support learners throughout the course and for potential future collaborations. |
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Mahsa Mohammadi (Course #1 Instructor):Mahsa Mohammadi is an operations and data analytics mentor in the Industrial and System Engineering lab at The University of British Columbia (Okanagan) and a lecturer in the Shannon School of Business at Cape Breton University. Her expertise includes operations and supply chain analytics, life cycle assessment, strategic sustainable development, and the circular economy. Mahsa’s research interests include urban logistics, transportation planning, disaster management, AI and blockchain technology, and decision support systems. In this micro-credential, Mahsa will deliver content and support learners, particularly on topics related to her domain expertise. |
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Dr. Babak Mohamadpour (Program Co-Author):Dr. Babak Mohamadpour is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Applied Science at The University of British Columbia (Okanagan). Prior to joining UBC, Dr. Tosarkani was an Assistant Professor of Operations Research and Management Science at Shannon School of Business, Cape Breton University where he taught Operations Management, Logistics & Transportation, Quantitative Methods, and Computers in Business. He has developed integrated methodologies to configure facility location models in different sectors, such as manufacturing, healthcare, energy, and agriculture. In this micro-credential program, Dr. Tosarkani brings his expertise in business modeling and life-cycle assessments to help learners design and analyze different value chain arrangements towards optimizing their implementation in a circular context. |
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Niloofar Akbarian (Course #2 Instructor):Niloofar Akbarian is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering and sessional lecturer at The University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on applying operations research, optimization modeling, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), circular economy models, and supply chain management to address sustainability challenges in industries. Niloofar also holds certifications in “Introduction to LCA and SimaPro” from the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) and a specialized certification in Construction Life Cycle Assessment, approved by One Click LCA. In this micro-credential, Niloofar will apply her expertise in SimaPro software to explore advanced topics in circularity, including sustainability quantification and scenario modeling. Her approach provides participants with practical insights into integrating circular economy principles into real-world industrial practices. |
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Mohsen Roytvand Ghiasvand (Course #2 Instructor):Mohsen Roytvand Ghiasvand is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at The University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus. His research focuses on Data-driven Decision Making, Optimization Under Uncertainty, Supply Chain Management, Transportation Planning, and Economic Feasibility Studies. Mohsen is particularly interested in applying optimization techniques to solve complex problems in transportation and logistics while incorporating economic analysis to assess the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of proposed solutions. His work provides practical insights into improving decision-making processes in supply chains and transportation networks, contributing to more efficient and sustainable operations in various industries. |
Upon successful completion of all program requirements, learners are awarded a UBC Okanagan Letter of Proficiency (a non-credit credential).
The credential is provided in paper format. Learners will also receive a verifiable digital badge (which has descriptive metadata about the learning achievement) for sharing through digital channels.