English

This course explores how physicists developed quantitative reasoning to deepen the understanding of natural phenomena and to escape from scientific absurdity. It focuses on Newtonian Mechanics in three dimensional Euclidean space. The course also covers quantitative approaches begining with elementary algebraic methods to reach differential Calculus invented by physicists, Newton, and Leibniz independently. Finally, the course investigates the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian versions of classical mechanics that are equivalent to the Newtonian version.

This course provides an opportunity to apply the skills students acquire through their academic study to a project designed by a local company or community group in New Zealand, or internationally.

This course advances historical knowledge and understanding of contemporary developmental issues from an economic point of view. The course uses economic tools of analysis to capture the economic past of select developing regions and the economic problems facing poor parts of the world. The course focuses on market distortions and obstacles to industrializing peripheries and the implications for internally directed developmental trajectories and discourse in the long term.

This course examines the human dimension of disasters which covers crucial concepts and theories, vulnerability and the causes of disasters, disaster risk reduction and management, post-disaster recovery and transversal issues such as culture and gender. The discussions encompass not only theoretical but also policy and practical materials and draw on examples and case studies from throughout the world with a particular focus on most vulnerable and marginalized areas and communities.

This course familiarizes students with factual knowledge of technological developments in China from the Mao era onwards, as well as various scholarly insights into such developments. By the end of the course, students will be able to critically analyze China’s technological developments and policies based on their increased understanding of different political contexts under different Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership, and how the technological developments have impacted social norms, social institutions, and social classes in China.

The course has one hour of lecture and one hour of class discussion. Different forms of class discussion will be held, including paired discussion, small group discussions, large group discussion, and short debates.

This course studies the sensory qualities and chemical principles (moisture, carbohydrate, protein, fat) of color, taste and flavor, textural properties, and toxic substances in foods. 

This course examines frontiers of urban environmental sciences and technologies. Course materials comprise scientific literature on urban climate, air pollution, urban acoustics, resilience and energy systems. Students are also exposed to prevailing simulation and data analytics and gain awareness of their application in environmental-conscious design at city scale. 

This course examines new and comprehensive methods for the analysis and formation of business strategy. The course analyzes strategies for developing competitive advantages, including product differentiation, cost advantages and product life cycles; implementing incentives, control, firm boundaries, and internal firm decision-making mechanisms; implementing pricing, auction and signalling practices; assessing industry attractiveness and the regulatory/trade practices environment; and managing industry cooperation and conflict.

Ecotoxicology addresses how chemicals released into the environment impact the biota. This course thus covers all aspects from release of chemical through transport and transformation outside the biota to uptake and effects within the biota. The main body of the course is concerned with distribution and effects within the organism from molecular interactions, impact on organ systems and how these effects at the individual organismal level can translate into highter level biologica, effects in populations, and communities. The course introduces important toxicoloical tools, illustrated in theory and practice and outlines the fundamental elements in chemical risk analysis.

This course examines the major forms and structures of punishment in our society, including why we punish individuals, how we do so, and how the punishment process can be viewed in a wider social context. The first part of this course considers the broad justifications for punishment, and experiences of imprisonment with particular emphasis on hidden groups such as female and indigenous prisoners. We consider the process of punishment, from sentencing to imprisonment and punishment in the community. The second part examines the work of major writers who have provided a theoretical critique of punishment and the role it plays in our society. By the end of the subject students should have a good understanding of the correctional system and be familiar with the work of important theorists like Foucault, Cohen and Garland.