Hong Kong

This course looks at the relationship between the built environment and spiritual space with special focus on Southeast Asia. It looks at a range of spiritual practices and the forms they take including temples, mosques, shrines, and symbols. It addresses how religion shapes and connects cities in different ways as well as how globalization transforms and is transformed by spiritual space. The course examines debates surrounding these questions through cases within and beyond Southeast Asia. Topics range from ghost films to heritage sites. It provides a strong understanding of the religious and spiritual practices, global processes and political events shaping Southeast Asia. It also develops visual analysis skills necessary to read and write about spiritual space in a variety of forms. Course discussions and assignments unpack the aesthetic traditions, politics, and morals surrounding specific cases in order to complicate what it means to be global, regional or local. The content goes beyond Southeast Asia and cuts across disciplines, drawing from Art and Architectural History, Anthropology, Urban Planning, and Geography.

This course critically examines the issue of endangered languages, focusing on the impacts of globalization, ethnic identity, and language policies on language survival. It explores historical and contemporary factors, including population movements, war, trade, and colonization, that have shaped linguistic diversity. The course investigates why a small number of global languages dominate while thousands of minor languages face decline, and considers debates around language preservation, revitalization, and the pressures of modernity. Students analyze the political, cultural, and educational forces that influence language use and endangerment, developing insight into the tension between preserving linguistic heritage and adapting to a globalized world.

This course traces the history of comics and graphic novels in Western Europe and North America. Beginning with an introduction presenting the main characteristics of this medium, this course traces its development, from the beginnings of storytelling with images in Antiquity to the latest innovations. Even though they have retained their own characteristics over the last two centuries, Western European and North American comics have also developed in close proximity. Following the development of the press and book industry, as well as other media like cinema, comics and graphic novels have a rich history that can only be understood in their cultural context. This course allows students to understand how this medium has shaped and been shaped by many aspects of the history and cultures of these places.

This course addresses the business and social issues related to the use of modern biotechnology. Topics include business development in the industry, operations in running a bio-business, manufacturing practice, drug development process, regulation and policy, intellectual property issues, environmental aspects of biotechnology, ethical and public concerns.

This course offers students insights and different perspectives that can help explain why, over the centuries, some nations and cities succeed in our global economy while others fail. The course is divided into three parts. The first part introduces theories of global economics and the determinants for a nation/city to achieve power and prosperity versus poverty from a historical perspective. The second part examines specific case studies to enhance our understanding of concepts and broad intellectual perspectives to do with international trade, and monetary and financial systems. The course ends with current challenges in the global economy and the way nations and cities might resolve those problems. Special attention is given to the emergence of the world economy in the 21st century and the changing world economic order over time.

This course is designed for absolute beginners or those just beginning their journey in Japanese and want to develop practical communication skills through face-to-face instruction and practice. Students engage in interactive speaking and listening activities in class, focusing on essential conversational skills such as greetings, self-introductions, and asking and answering questions. Through practical exercises and authentic interactions, learners gain confidence in using Japanese in real-life situations while deepening their understanding and appreciation of the Japanese language and culture. Students interested in strengthening their foundation in beginner-level vocabulary and grammar are encouraged to also enroll in the 1-credit self-paced online course, LANG1212: Japanese Vocabulary and Grammar Essentials I. Graded P or F.

This course examines the social and economic impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on ethical considerations, social justice, and both the opportunities and risks associated with AI technologies. Through hands-on, active learning exercises, participants use AI tools to complete practical tasks while developing hybrid critical thinking skills that integrate human judgment with generative AI. The course emphasizes responsible and effective AI use and is assessed through a combination of group projects and individual reflection.

This course covers elasticity, structural analysis, energy and matrix methods, fatigue, vibration, airworthiness and aeroelasticity. It provides general information of aircraft structures and materials, and transfer of external aerodynamic loads into structural internal forces. The focus is to deliver the fundamental knowledge for stresses, deflection, and buckling analysis of these structural components under various static loading conditions including torsion, bending and shear. Lectures emphasize the fundamentals of structural mechanics and analytical approaches for analysis of aircraft structures. Students learn to derive the theory of linear elasticity and apply it to analyze the components subjected to typical aircraft loading conditions and design requirements. Tutorials provide a set of lessons and exercises teaching the concepts and methodology in analysis of aircraft structures. The students learn and understand the procedure of aircraft structural analysis from following tutorial problem solving exercises with group discussions.

This course covers the principles of neuroscience with a focus on neural circuits and systems. It begins with the structure and function of neurons, including action potential propagation and synaptic communication, followed by sensory systems such as olfaction, hearing, and vision, exploring how external signals are converted into neural activity and processed in the brain. The course then examines motor control and memory systems. Emphasis is placed on modern research techniques, including functional imaging, optogenetics, and connectomics. Through group projects, participants develop skills in reading, evaluating, and presenting scientific literature, preparing them for research careers or applications in public health and technology.

This course explores emotional, social, vocational, and health-related challenges individuals face throughout life. By integrating psychological theories, counselling techniques, and practical applications, it enhances well-being and promotes personal growth. Students engage with various therapeutic methods, assessment techniques, and ethical considerations in diverse cultural contexts. Emphasizing interpersonal skills, resilience, and self-reflection, the course prepares students to be empathetic communicators who can positively impact their communities. Through hands-on experience and coursework, students navigate mental health complexities for personal and professional development.