“The course gave me the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the industry, while encouraging me to think more broadly about my own contribution to its future.”

Laila Mehrpour, Product Development Manager, Lend Lease

Who is the IDBE for?

The practice of working in the built environment can be very different to how built environment professionals are traditionally educated. Most have never studied alongside other disciplines or been trained in how to successfully work together.

The IDBE programmes provide the critical next step of education that all built environment practitioners can benefit from. Our Master’s and Postgraduate Certificate are designed to help students develop their abilities to collaborate in and lead interdisciplinary teams.

Designed by professionals across the built environment sector, the programme attracts professional including Bankers, Asset managers, Developers, Surveyors, Planners, Architects, Engineers, Specialist consultants, Contractors and Facilities managers who are interested in understanding how future cities can embed sustainability throughout their development, in turn benefitting for stakeholders throughout the value chain.

“IDBE enhanced my skill set and unlocked the untapped potential inside me. I had the opportunity and space to investigate and research using academic rigour. It widened my professional and intellectual horizons, giving me the confidence to continue to always try to ‘be the best at what I do.”

Andrew Martin, Major Bridges International Department, COWI A/S

Key themes of IDBE

IDBE courses explore how successful, sustainable built environment projects rely on the coordinated effort and experience of multiple disciplines and professions. The built environment is facing challenging carbon reduction targets across public and private works. As a result, there is phenomenal appetite for sustainability and environmental skills across every built environment role. Increasingly companies are aligning their business models and procurement processes with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With a wide range of services and disciplines contributing to the built environment sector, inefficiencies of a fragmented workplace are a key drag on construction projects. While collaboration is frequent, inter-disciplinary awareness and related management skills are seldom part of standard qualifications. High impact leadership and seamless project management are needed. The rise of smart cities and technological transformation demand a broader, more connected ‘design-thinking’ professional.

Core modules that form the basis of the learning

• Sustainability and resilience - Examining the principles and practices of sustainable development and understanding the environmental, social and economic impacts.
• Leadership and interdisciplinary practice - Developing the skills and competencies required to help lead and achieve effective collaboration within interdisciplinary teams.
• Innovation and technology - Exploring how new ideas, tools, devices and methods can help improve performance and make built environments that are more responsive to user needs.
• Design thinking - Understanding the many definitions and uses of design and how to integrate skills from different disciplines to improve project design.
• Research skills - Learning core academic research skills including methodology, research design and qualitative and quantitative methods to help transform professional knowledge into rigorous academic learning

Why CISL?

The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) is a globally influential Institute developing leadership and solutions for a sustainable economy. Through our education and advisory services, we help to build the leadership capacity of individuals looking to progress in their own careers and looking to lead the transition in their sector and help develop the capability of organisations to lead the transition. Our interdisciplinary research centres build the evidence base for practical action focused on six cross-cutting themes, including future cities and the built environment.
Through our education work CISL has built relationships throughout the built environment sector and often works with industry leaders including Grosvenor, Savills, JLL and WSP.

“We have sponsored almost 50 students to do IDBE over the 20 years of the course, many of whom are now in senior leadership positions. We value the broadening of thinking that the course demands of students, leading to an increased confidence in questioning and leading design decisions in the professional arena."

Deb Thomas, Director, Arup

The IDBE courses

Professional institutions that accredit the IDBE