CDEV3500/ CDEV6500 Future Leader Lab

Collaborate with students from various disciplines to tackle UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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UNSW Employability Future Leader Lab T2C

Future Leader Lab is a leadership development course where students build their leadership skills through learning how technology, innovation and entrepreneurship interact with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities. It is offered as an undergraduate curriculum course via CDEV3500 and as a postgraduate course via CDEV6500.

The course aims to address today’s challenges in making our cities and communities sustainable through developing and applying innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to new knowledge in circular economies, clean energy, and renewable transport. A fourth learning theme is digital literacy and the role of technology in supporting innovative and entrepreneurial solutions. Students will have the opportunity to learn about personal and organisational leadership and how these might lead to change in the future, and they will be empowered as future leaders for change in the community, government and industry sectors, by addressing contemporary issues through the lens of circular economies, clean energy, renewable transport and immersive technology solutions.

Course details

  • Involves problem-based learning (PBL) whereby students work in interdisciplinary teams (though are assessed individually) to consider how individual and organisational (community, government, and industry) leadership can use technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship to solve challenging, real-world problems for sustainable cities and communities. New knowledge themes include circular economies, clean energy, and sustainable transport while digital literacy will be developed through engaging with immersive technologies.
  • Students will learn about theories and applications of leadership, undertake a field trip to see a circular economy in action, and explore immersive technology solutions that contribute to sustainable cities and sustainable transport.
  • Students will also explore the economic drivers for innovation and design solutions for recycling and clean energy.
  • The course culminates with students pitching a leadership solution to a complex sustainable cities/communities problem.
  • This course is 6 UOC as a general education/free elective course.
  • Course lecturer: Eitan Bienstock

View Course handbook: CDEV3500 / CDEV6500

Applications for Term 2 and Term 2C have closed.

Term 2 2025 - UNSW Kensington

Future Leader Lab is offered as an undergraduate course via CDEV3500, and a postgraduate course via CDEV6500. Students will have the opportunity to work with UNSW students from other faculties.

  • Applications for CDEV3500 / CDEV6500 Future Leader Lab Term 2 at UNSW Kensington have closed. 

  • Students develop in-depth, high-quality learning by working in interdisciplinary teams with forward-thinking industry partners, who will present seminars across the course, and form a judging panel for the final presentations.

    The course aims to address today’s challenges of leadership, empowering students to be leaders for change, addressing modern issues, and generating solutions through problem-based learning.

  • More and more customers are prioritising a business' commitment to better their community. With this course you will focus on developing skills in leadership by addressing sustainable development goals that will benefit businesses by:

    • building trust with the community
    • keeping employers engaged
    • attracting loyal customers
    • creating meaningful change
    • ensuring sustainability 
    • telling a story people care about.

  • The course will be administered in person, during Term 2 2025. Students will be required to attend mandatory two x three-hour seminars and workshops hosted by a UNSW academic team.
  • CDEV3500

    You are eligible to apply if you:

    • are an undergraduate student with good academic standing
    • have 6 UOC available in your degree, for undergraduates: 
      • as a general education (available to all faculties); or free elective for some degrees; or as BCom Final Year Synthesis course (UNSW Business School)
      • have completed 30 UOC by course commencement - Term 2 2025.
    CDEV6500

    You are eligible to apply if you:

    • are a postgraduate student at UNSW with good academic standing
    • can be taken as a free elective in some postgraduate degrees.

    Check your eligibility:

    No space in your program?

  • To enable your participation in CDEV3500/CDEV6500 in Term 2 2025, students should ensure that enrolment in this course fits within your degree and follow the UNSW requirement which allows a maximum of two other courses during Term 2 2025.

    Please note CDEV3500 and CDEV6500 are not self-enrolled:

    • students need to submit an application via MS Forms
    • once successful, students will be enrolled by the WIL Central Team.

Term 2C 2025 - Hiroshima, Japan

Future Leader Lab in Japan is offered only as an undergraduate course via CDEV3500. Students will have the opportunity to work with Hiroshima University, a highly regarded university in Japan, with the possibility to study together with students from Japan, The UK and India.

  • Applications for CDEV3500 Future Leader Lab Term 2C in Hiroshima, Japan have closed.

  • The students will travel to Japan for two weeks in Term 2C 2025. They will work on the project on a full-time basis during this period in Higashi Hiroshima, and will all be accommodated together as part of the experience.

    Students will arrive in Hiroshima on Sunday, 31 August and leave on the Saturday, 13 September.

  • Focused on Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable communities and cities, students will explore challenges in advancing the Circular Economy. Working in teams, they will use Agile problem-solving methodologies to devise solution to real-world problems.

    They will learn about different leadership types, advanced technologies like AI, IoT and AR/VR and develop their own critical thinking, problem solving and presentation skills. The course provides an immersive experience and exposure to the Japanese culture and include a variety of guest speakers and excursions to local industry partners. Being a collaboration between four global universities the students will share the class with students from Japan, the UK and India.

  • Students can join the program via:

    You are eligible to apply if:

    • You are an undergraduate student at UNSW with good academic standing
    • Completed 30UoC by course commencement – Term 2C 2025
    • Have 6UoC available in your degree.

    Check your eligibility:

    No space in your program?

  • In addition to the course fee required for CDEV3500, students must pay a program fee to participate. This fee is payable to UNSW on confirmation of enrolment and is non-refundable.

    • Course fee: Handbook - Future Leader Lab
    • Indicative program fee will be AUD2,500. The program fee covers single room accommodation, some internal transfers, and activities in Japan. The fee will be payable to UNSW on confirmation of enrolment and is non-refundable.

    Participating undergraduate Australian Citizens may be eligible to receive a grant to assist/cover their Japan travel expenses. Five scholarships will be awarded to successful applicants who demonstrate high academic achievement and leadership qualities. A short answer within the application form outlining why you are interested in the program, your career goals, and (1) how personal and organisational leadership might lead to advancement of sustainable cities and communities OR (2) how to apply digital literacy and technology to support innovative and entrepreneurial solutions.

    The OS-HELP loan scheme may be available to eligible Australian students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place for a range of expenses such as airfare accommodation and other travel or study expenses. Visit our OS-HELP page for more information.

  • Accommodation:

    • Single-room accommodation will be organised for all UNSW students.

    Students will be required to arrange their own:

    • Flights, transit, visa (if required to enter Japan)
    • Vaccinations, personal expenses, personal tourism and social activities
    • Daily transport, and meals/living costs whilst overseas.

  • Please note that CDEV3500 is not self-enrolled:

    • Students will go through an interview process with WIL Central
    • Once successful, students will be enrolled by the WIL Central Team.

Students share their experience

Leopold

“I can absolutely say that CDEV6500 Future Leader Lab was a rich and immersive learning experience that significantly enhanced my understanding of leadership paradigms and their applications in complex, real-world contexts. 

"A particular strength of the course was its in-depth examination of the Circular Economy, which not only deepened my knowledge of this topic but also revealed the potential for innovative solutions to emerge from reframing traditional problems. 

"I highly recommend the Future Leader Lab course to postgraduate students and professionals seeking an engaging learning experience.”

- Leopold, Master in Management and Technology

Lily

“I liked the way CDEV3500 Future Leader Lab was framed across different sectors and contexts to provide a holistic overview of the application of sustainable practices in the real world. I met a range of students, staff, and visitors from around the world, which helped me to challenge my own and others’ understanding of a sustainable future.

“The course opened my eyes to the technology that UNSW is working on with other developers. The visit to the Nowra Recycling Centre and UNSW Smart Hub demonstrated the impact that the university and local actors are having towards creating a more sustainable future in recycled building materials. Discussions with leaders at Sydney’s KPMG offices provided insight into what global corporations are trying to do in assisting local, national, and international sustainable initiatives.”

- Lily, Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences

Natthanan

“In terms of the theoretical aspect and knowledge that we learned in class, Future Leader Lab content was in-depth and will be very beneficial in both my future academic and professional careers. I had a great time with my peers, and surprisingly, the fact that everyone comes from a different background adds diversity and variety to each conversation, giving us different perspectives to work on when working on the project.

"I also enjoyed that we got to hear from different aspects and perspectives, such as corporate, non-government, and governmental backgrounds, to get a grasp of the whole context around sustainability.”

- Natthanan, Bachelor of Commerce

Mazaya

"Future Leader Lab is for anyone who’s ready to be challenged and open to exploring ideas you might not have even heard of before. Though we’ve all probably heard of sustainability, in this course, you’ll learn exactly why it’s so important, its practical applications, and what it means to live on a planet with finite resources.

"Everything I’ve learned has made the future I want so much clearer. Beyond the course content, the teachers were fantastic—so passionate in a way that invigorates you—and every day I was introduced to something new. You get to be really hands-on with your learning, meet a variety of experts in different fields, and grow alongside a cohort of students from diverse backgrounds. I’ve truly never enjoyed a course this much, and I couldn’t recommend it more."

- Mazaya, Bachelor of Sociology