English

This course discusses the functioning of both the EU and the UN as normative power intergovernmental organizations. Do they really deserve to be labelled as such? And if so, what extent have they been successful as keepers of international peace? The EU’s Commission and Council and the UN’s Security Council, General Assembly and Human Rights at the hand of both historical and actual cases are assessed. Do not expect a clear “yes” or “no”,  but come to learn what the limits and opportunities of the EU and the UN as prominent IGO’s in the field of international politics are and even more important: come to learn how to start your own research on both normative powers by using both secondary and primary sources, including the necessary theoretical toolkit on how to interpret them. 

This course examines traditional Chinese history. It will give a brief account of the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties and the political crises that are cataclysmic to the empires. It covers the period from ancient to late Imperial China. The main theme will focus on the characteristic portrayals of Chinese emperors as well as the political influences of eunuchs, empresses, and their family members, etc.

This course focuses on plant knowledge in a broad sense covering recognition/identification, geographical distribution, ecology, and human use of plants. It covers important crop plants, timber trees, non-timber forest products, medicinal plants, pasture grasses, ornamentals, as well as ecological important plants. During a series of lectures and exercises, the course discusses taxonomic principles, botanical terminology, plant morphology, occurrence of plant families around the world as related to climate, evolution, and continental drift, plant ecology, pollination, fruit and seed dispersal. It introduces various web-based information sources, floras, and apps. Parallel with these overall principles, the course goes through a large number of selected plant families with a highlight on characters, genera, and species. Dry material, and to the extent fresh plant material is available from the Botanical Garden, these materials are integrated parts of presentations and exercises. Students elaborate a report on an in-depth study of a selected topic, plant family, or group of families during the progression of the course that includes several elements of the course curriculum.

The course is for students who want practical experience and skills in social research. The course is designed to mimic a real world research scenario, in which a multi-disciplinary research team takes varying approaches to a topic but works together towards the same goal. The emphasis is on learning while doing, and giving students a structured environment where they can learn how to reflect on your research while they are doing it. The course is taught through lectures and group work. The lectures give you grounding in various research skills, debates, and controversies in social research. The main focus of the course is the group work. Each group develops a topic to investigate, conducts research on it, and presents its findings. Students sign up for a group and conduct a research project under the guidance of a tutor. Visiting students should have at least 2 university-level social science courses (such as sociology, politics, social policy, social anthropology, etc.) at grade B or above.

The course aims provides students with a thorough understanding of core techniques of quantitative economics and econometrics and their application to test economic theories and measure magnitudes relevant for economic policy and other decisions, as a foundation for subsequent study of quantitative topics within the degree programme, and as one of the key elements in the professional training of an economist.

The course examines the ecological and biological principles underpinning the major tropical marine ecosystems. It provides an understanding of the ecological processes that control tropical marine ecosystems, and considers the organisms that are characteristic of each. All the major tropical marine habitats are considered, but with a focus on coral reef, seagrass and mangrove ecosystems. The course also tackles topical research areas on the subject through student-led seminars, which vary depending on the latest scientific research and the specific interests of participants. 

The course equips students with practical skills in data analysis and visualization techniques essential for extracting actionable insights from complex datasets. Lab sessions and projects help students learn about exploratory data analysis, geospatial visualization, and interactive dashboard development. Students gain skills that are highly valued across a wide set of academic and business fields. 

This course teaches yoga asanas (poses) and how their sequences affect one's mind and body. Course participants will also practice sitting quietly without the use  of smartphones or other electronic devices, reflecting on its effects. Additionally, class participants will share traditional therapeutic diets and treatments from their home countries. A report is expected to be submitted during the final week of the class. 

This course examines how science in general, and natural history in particular, is presented to the public in a variety of locations and the role of these collections in outreach and public education. The course explores the role and history of British museums and collections, and students visit various museums and natural history collections in Scotland. After each visit, students discuss the visits and compare what they have seen with the university's natural history museum, the Bell Pettigrew Museum of Natural History. Students also produce a display on an aspect of biology for presentation in the Bell Pettigrew Museum.

To write effectively in an academic context is to be able to convey ideas in a manner that is clear, concise, and engaging. Writing in an Academic Context gives you the tools and techniques for this by teaching you about topics such as coherence, cohesion, conciseness, and hedging. The course is extremely hands-on and mostly focused on what comes after the first draft has been written. It helps polish writing skills by 1) teaching the underlying mechanisms of effective academic writing, and 2) providing weekly practice sessions with targeted peer (and tutor) support that serve to consolidate theory and writing skills. In doing so, the course looks beyond the content of academic articles to examine the fundamental mechanics of writing to adapt writing for different audiences across disciplines and concentrations. This course is interactive and writing intensive.