CDEV3500 / CDEV6500 Future Leader Lab
Collaborate with students from various disciplines to tackle UN Sustainable Development Goals.聽
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鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular聽Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 鈥 Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Future Leader Lab is generally offered as an undergraduate curriculum course via and as a postgraduate course via .
Please note: Term 2C聽Hiroshima University, Japan offering is available as an undergraduate course (CDEV3500) only.聽
The course aims to address today鈥檚 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:聽Eitan Bienstock
Term 2C 2026 -听CDEV3500 Japan
In Term 2C 2026, undergraduate 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.聽
Application dates
| Term | Applications open | Applications close | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 2C 2026 | Friday 6 March 2026 | 5:00pm - Monday 6 April 2026 | Applications are closed |
Schedule and location
The students will travel to Japan for two weeks in Term 2C 2026. Students will complete this course on a full-time basis during this period in Higashi Hiroshima. Students must arrive in Hiroshima on Sunday 30 August in preparation for the first course session on Monday 31 August.聽聽
The course will finish on Friday 11 September. Accommodation in Hiroshima will be provided from Sunday 30 August to Saturday 12 September.聽
Course details
Focused on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 鈥 Sustainable Cities and Communities, students will explore challenges in advancing the Circular Economy. Working in teams, students will use agile problem-solving methodologies to devise solutions to real-world problems.
Students 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 includes a variety of guest speakers and excursions to local industry partners.
Students will share the class with Hiroshima University students.聽
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for CDEV3500 Future Leader Lab, you聽must have completed 30 UOC by course commencement - Term 2C 2026.聽
| Course code | Undegraduate or postgraduate | Units of credit | Free elective | General education聽 | Final year synthesis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 6 | Some degrees | All faculties | Bachelor of Commerce |
Program fees
In addition to the course fee required for CDEV3500, students must pay a program fee to participate. This fee is payable to 91色情片 on confirmation of enrolment and is non-refundable.聽
- Course fee: Handbook - Future Leader Lab聽
- Estimated program fee will be around AUD2,500-3,000.聽
- The program fee covers single room accommodation, some internal transfers, and course related activities. The fee will be payable to 91色情片 on confirmation of enrolment and is non-refundable.聽
Participating undergraduate students who are Australian citizens or permanent residents聽(that have not previously been supported by funding under the Destination Australia Cheung Kong Exchange Program) may be eligible to receive a grant to assist/cover their Japan travel expenses. Scholarships will be awarded to successful applicants who demonstrate high academic achievement and leadership qualities. In the application form, you will be asked to outline why you are interested in the program and how it will support your career goals. Ten (10) x AUD2,000 funding will be awarded to successful student applicants.聽Up to 10 successful student applicants with each to be awarded AUD 2,000 in grant funding.
The Destination Australia Cheung Kong Exchange Program (DACKEP) is a joint funding initiative of the Cheung Kong Group and the Australian Government Department of Education.
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. for more information.聽
Travel arrangements
Accommodation
Single-room accommodation will be organised for all 91色情片 students.聽
Arrangement
Students will be required to arrange their own:
- Flights, transit, visa (if required to enter Japan)聽
- Vaccinations, personal expenses, personal tourism and social activities聽
- Daily transport and meals/living costs whilst overseas.聽
Important
Please note that CDEV3500 Future Leader Lab in Term 2C at Hiroshima, Japan is not self-enrolled.聽
Students will go through an application process which will include a round of interview/s.聽聽
Successful applicants who accept the offer for a place will then be enrolled in the course.聽
Course handbook
Applications for Term 2C 2026 are now closed.
Please note
Please be advised that Experiential Learning does not have visibility over individual students鈥 study progressions. As such, we are unable to confirm your eligibility to enrol in the course.聽
By self-enrolling, it is the student鈥檚 responsibility to consult with their faculty or academic advisor to confirm eligibility and ensure alignment with their study progression and graduation requirements.
Check your eligibility:
- Self-check with聽myPlan
- Enquire with聽
No space in your program?
Submit a聽Course Substitution Request
Students share their experience
Leopold
鈥淚 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.聽
"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.聽
"I highly recommend the Future Leader Lab course to postgraduate students and professionals seeking an engaging learning experience.鈥
- Leopold, Master in Management and Technology
Lily
鈥淚 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鈥 understanding of a sustainable future.
鈥淭he course opened my eyes to the technology that 91色情片 is working on with other developers. The visit to the Nowra Recycling Centre and 91色情片 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鈥檚 KPMG offices provided insight into what global corporations are trying to do in assisting local, national, and international sustainable initiatives.鈥
-听Lily,聽Bachelor of聽Arts and Social Sciences
Natthanan
鈥淚n 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.鈥
-听Natthanan,聽Bachelor of Commerce
Mazaya
"Future Leader Lab is for anyone who鈥檚 ready to be challenged and open to exploring ideas you might not have even heard of before. Though we鈥檝e all probably heard of sustainability, in this course, you鈥檒l learn exactly why it鈥檚 so important, its practical applications, and what it means to live on a planet with finite resources.
"Everything I鈥檝e learned has made the future I want so much clearer. Beyond the course content, the teachers were fantastic鈥攕o passionate in a way that invigorates you鈥攁nd 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鈥檝e truly never enjoyed a course this much, and I couldn鈥檛 recommend it more."
-听Mazaya,聽Bachelor of聽Sociology