National University of Singapore

This course introduces conceptual approaches for understanding the myriad relationships between human societies and their biophysical environments. It addresses three key questions. First, how are nature and society interconnected? Second, what theoretical and methodological approaches can be used to study nature-society relationships? Third, how can societal relationships with nature be improved in ways that are sustainable and just? These questions will be explored using different social theories, particularly from the interdisciplinary field of political ecology, which will be applied to contemporary environmental issues. Students will learn how to critically think, discuss, and write about complex nature-society interactions.

This course takes a comparative perspective and highlights the theoretical and practical problems related to this field of study. The course explores several themes: 1) concepts and conceptualization 2) state, modernity and secularism, 3) Gender equality and plurality in religion and 4) capitalism and commercialization in religion. More than just faith, personal beliefs and practice, religion is also a site for many of these dynamics involving the power of the modern nation-state, gender relations and economic systems. The course also examines case studies of diverse religious and spiritual traditions in Southeast Asia. 

This course traces the development of both Theravāda and Mahāyāna Buddhism in Southeast Asia. Major topics include the spread of Buddhism, the rise of Buddhist kingdoms, the development of popular traditions, the impact of European colonialism, the relationship between Buddhism and nationalism, the emergence of modern reformist movements, and Buddhist minorities in maritime Southeast Asia.

This course introduces psychology as an empirical behavioral science and provides an overview of the various fields of psychology. Students learn to appreciate the diversity and richness of the psychology discipline, and learn the questions and approaches used by psychologists. Topics covered include the biological bases of perception, cognition, and behavior, and an introduction to the subfields of behavioral, developmental, social, cognitive, and clinical psychology.

This introductory overview of linguistics provides a solid foundation in the object, methods, and goals of the science of spoken language -- the prime tool of human communication. Through a principled analysis of patterns of sound, form, and meaning at the levels of word, sentence, and text, the course provides insight into what it means to say that language is a rule-governed system and an organic whole. The course examines and explores the relationship between language and mind, society and culture. 

Econometrics combines economic theory with mathematical and statistical tools to provide estimates that help answer important economic questions. This course focuses on the theoretical underpinnings, practical implementation and interpretation of results from the multiple regression model in cross-sectional data settings. It also introduces panel data, fixed effects regression, and instrumental variables regression