Chinese University of Hong Kong

This course introduces the concepts and methods of decision making and analysis, which involves the application of mathematical modeling and analysis to business problems. Models are simplified representations of real situations and can be invaluable tools in decision making. Students learn the basic elements of modeling-how to formulate a model and how to use and interpret the information a model produces. The emphasis is on models that are widely used in diverse industries and functional areas, including finance, operations, and marketing. Applications include production planning, revenue management, sales force planning, risk management, portfolio optimization, among others. Spreadsheets and other tools are used to implement, solve, and analyze the models  developed.

This course cover the analytical and programming skills required for applying standard optimization algorithms to engineering and AI problems. It covers basic topics on optimization including the theory of unconstrained and constrained optimization, dual optimization tasks, linear programming, convex optimization, line search methods, trust-region methods, gradient descent, and Newton's method. Pre-requisite: ENGG1120 or ENGG1130 or ESTR1005 or ESTR1006 or MATH1510. Not for students who have taken AIST3010 or ESTR3112 or ESTR3114.

The course introduces the fundamental principles of biochemistry that are essential for all life science disciplines. It covers the importance of water, structure-function relationships of biomolecules (including amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids), the biochemical logic of the metabolic pathways, and an overview of metabolism with emphasis on how biomolecules interconvert into each other.

This introductory course examines the causes of housing price fluctuations and their implications for urban life. It explores how housing functions both as an investment and a necessity, creating an owner–renter dichotomy with contrasting interests. The course analyzes the economic consequences of housing market swings, including negative equity, asset bubbles, financial crises, and affordability challenges, while considering broader impacts on living conditions, community sustainability, and urban policy. It explains the relationships between money, land, and housing; covers the factors that determine land and housing prices; identifies the effects of housing price fluctuations on financial stability and wealth inequality; describes how monetary and land policies influence housing affordability; and covers implications from the owner–renter dichotomy for housing policy.

The course introduces various types of chemical contaminants and their adverse effects on animals, humans and ecosystems, and environmental management strategies. It provides an overview of ecotoxicology principles, sources, chemical nature, fate of contaminants, and their interaction and impacts with the ecosystem, and the living organisms in the environment. It also relates ecotoxicology to risk assessment including assessment, monitoring, management and protection of the environment from toxicants. Students gain insights into the impacts of pollutants on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They delve into sustainable environmental management strategies, including pollution prevention, remediation, and ecological risk assessments.

This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of visual culture, bridging visual studies, communication, media, and cultural studies to understand how images and the act of looking carry meaning across everyday life. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including the power and politics of images, the role of viewers in making meaning, modern and postmodern theories of spectatorship and the gaze, the impact of visual technologies, media and brand cultures, as well as globalization and contemporary digital practices. Student engage with critical theories and methods to analyze artworks and visual media, while addressing social, psychological, and economic implications of visual representation. It course covers a range of themes such as representation, expression, form, style, Formalism, Iconography, Marxism, Gender etc. Using modern and contemporary Chinese art as examples, the course equips students with transferable and analytic skills, knowledge of modern and contemporary Chinese art, aesthetic sensibility, and theoretical literacy, encouraging them to apply these methods and knowledge to the study of visual art.

This course emphasizes both theoretical and empirical studies. Topics covered include: static and dynamic models of the demand for labor, allocation of time, the labor supply of men and women, labor unions, human capital theory, theories of personal income distribution, information and search theory, signaling and self-selection, implicit contracts and the principal-agent problem. Students should have knowledge of basic microeconomics and elementary calculus, and are advised to take ECON2011 and 2021 before taking this course.

This course provides a broad-based introduction to the study of behavior and mental processes. It provides students with an overview of contemporary psychological approaches to the study of human behaviors and its contribution to our knowledge of human functioning. Topics include learning, development, psychotherapy, the brain and states of consciousness, sensation and perception, memory, social behavior, personality, psychological disorders, coping and health, stress, and others. Emphasis will be placed on application of theories in everyday life.

This course develops professional English writing skills for careers in public relations, marketing, and communications. It focuses on crafting clear, persuasive messages for diverse audiences and media platforms. Major categories of public relations writing are covered, including press kits, in-house publications, annual reports, press releases, and feature articles for media placement. Emphasis is placed on multimedia communication strategies and writing for print, broadcast, video, and digital formats. Through interactive exercises, written assignments, and presentations, participants refine their writing style, develop critical communication skills, and apply systematic professional approaches to effective public messaging.

This course offers a broad, accessible introduction to generative AI and LLMs, with a focus on their transformative applications in language-related disciplines. Tailored for students from humanities backgrounds, it explores how LLMs can advance fields such as linguistics, translation, language learning, and academic writing. Combining foundational theory with hands-on practice, the course equips students to utilize LLMs for both research and practical tasks. Beginning with an overview of AI and LLMs, the course introduces basic Python programming in a beginner-friendly way. It then transitions to practical applications, including using LLMs for language research, teaching and learning, translation, and exploring aspects of human cognition. Topics such as multilingualism, feedback generation, error correction, and linguistic analysis are also covered.