English

This course introduces the well-known natural disasters that occur in Japan: earthquakes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and floods. The course analyzes how they occur and how governments, organizations and individuals are working together to minimize the harmful impacts on society. 　 

Using the European Union as an example, this course defines regional economic integration and examines the EU's economic challenges and policy responses.

This course introduces students to three major ethical theories' utilitarianism, Kant's deontology, and virtue ethics. Additional topics include the ethical principles underlying academic integrity, research ethics, and intellectual property. Students examine issues related to the ethics of environmental sustainability and conservation and are challenged apply the ethical theories learned to concrete moral problems, including world poverty, corporate accountability and whistleblowing, and workplace discrimination. This course is graded on a pass/fail basis only.

The work-related project is primarily a university-based project with a focus on particular professional ecologies connected with arts discipline skills, practices, praxis and performance. Projects provide an opportunity for students to either reflect on key issues attached to communication and creative industries or simulate aspects of professional practice (e.g. professional writing, research, or creative practice).

The course is an introduction to three important tools of applied mathematics, namely ordinary differential equations, Fourier-series, and partial differential equations.  Some basic theoretical properties are proved and solution methods presented. Ordinary differential equations: linear differential equations of order n, the Cauchy problem, Picard's existence theorem, solution by power series and equations with singular points.  Fourier series: convergence point-wise, uniformly and in the mean-square, Parseval's equation. Partial differential equations: the heat equation and the wave equation solved on a finite interval by separation of variables and Fourier series and their solutions compared, the Dirichlet problem for the Laplace equation on the rectangle and the disc, the Poisson integral formula.

This course examines the structure and function of forest ecosystems. Topics include forests as complex adaptive systems; forests of the world; history of forests and forestry; disturbance ecology; ecological succession; soils; biogeochemical cycling; energetics; population, community, ecosystems and landscape ecology; biological diversity; stability; complexity; resilience; and sustainable forest management as climate changes.

This course provides a conceptual-level introduction to the field of machine learning and its most important techniques. Students examine how machine learning (ML) is the dominant component of modern research in artificial intelligence and that although ML is largely associated with computer science and software engineering, many of its foundational techniques have historical roots in the natural and social sciences and are commonly used in those fields.

This course examines methods for understanding the behavior of solutions to ordinary differential equations. Qualitative and elementary numerical methods for obtaining information about solutions are discussed, as well as some analytical techniques for finding exact solutions in certain cases.

This course focuses on creation of films that allow experimentation in various stages of filmmaking processes, including the development of various alternate forms of (non) narrative story structures. Students are exposed to a range of conceptual and production strategies in experimental film using key historical and contemporary examples and then put those ideas into practice through exercises and projects to develop their own experimental film practice. Experience and knowledge gained in this module provide a basis for more developed experimental film production, as well as complementing research into this field. By the end of the course, students can conceptualize, film, edit, and present their own short experimental films.