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Growing pressure for sustainability, the need to reduce the environmental impact of industry and construction, and anticipated changes in the labor market. These factors also led BUT to launch a new Micro Degree program titled “Selected Competencies for Environmental Engineering.” The Faculty of Civil Engineering (FCE) and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FME) will share the teaching responsibilities, with the first participants set to begin classes this fall. The program will offer concrete technical and organizational solutions for practical application. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (file photo, BUT).The new lifelong learning program is designed as a two-semester Micro Degree worth 30 credits. It is primarily intended for company employees responsible for the preparation and implementation of sustainable strategies, but also for individuals who wish to enhance their qualifications for new positions emerging in connection with sustainability and the green transformation of industry.
“The Micro Degree is more comprehensive than individual micro-certificates and therefore allows for a much deeper exploration of the subject. At the same time, it is unique in that it was created as an inter-faculty program—the core module combines civil engineering and mechanical engineering, fields where sustainability has very specific technical implications,” says Martin Pavlas from the Department of Process Engineering at FME.
The faculties have already tested their collaboration in teaching through the bachelor’s program in Environmental Engineering. In the Micro Degree, this foundation is expanded toward continuing education—this time for professionals in the field. The first cohort is scheduled to begin with the start of the 2026/2027 academic year and the first graduates are expected to complete the Micro Degree within one year.Faculty of Civil Engineering (file photo, BUT).
The program is divided into three modules. The first, common to all participants, focuses on the functioning of a sustainable organization in the context of ESG (i.e., criteria for assessing a company’s sustainability and ethical impact, including the environment, social responsibility, and governance), non-financial reporting, legislation, and the basics of product life cycle assessment. In the second semester, participants will be divided into tracks based on their professional focus: construction, or industrial processes, energy, and sustainability technologies.
The course combines in-person sessions in Brno, online instruction, pre-recorded lectures, and self-study. A significant part consists of project work based on real data from the participants’ companies. “Every organization is at a different stage of sustainability. Some are just beginning to compile data, while others are already implementing specific measures. That’s why we place great emphasis on individual projects that are directly based on the needs of the company in question. For this reason alone, completing the course will provide companies with very tangible benefits,” explains Pavlas.
According to process engineer David Poul, many companies are already taking partial steps toward sustainability—for example, addressing building insulation, energy savings, or water conservation—but they lack a systematic approach. “Measures are often not linked to data or a long-term strategy. Companies then handle ESG reporting on a one-off basis with external consultants but are unable to build on the results. The program’s goal is to train qualified partners who can define the scope of work and subsequently participate in the implementation of technical solutions,” says Poul.
Graduates will receive a micro-certificate recognized throughout the European Union, which attests to the attainment of clearly defined competencies.
Selected competencies for environmental engineering