University of Edinburgh

This course covers the theory and practice of automatic speech recognition (ASR), with a focus on the statistical approaches that comprise the state of the art. The course introduces the overall framework for speech recognition, including speech signal analysis, acoustic modeling using hidden Markov models, language modeling, and recognition search. Advanced topics include speaker adaptation, robust speech recognition, and speaker identification. The practical side of the course involves the development of a speech recognition system using a speech recognition software toolkit.

The course gives students a richer and deeper understanding of the basic nature of musical sound. Students learn why different instruments have a characteristic sound or "timbre" and how to relate this to the structure of the instruments themselves. The course covers all the main instrument types including strings, percussion, brass, electronic, and voice. The auditorium where the music is played has an important influence on the listening experience - students develop an understanding of how the size and composition of the concert hall influences the music. Sound is detected in the sensitive components of the ear and the resulting nerve signals are then interpreted in the brain. The course introduces the basic principles necessary to understand this process, which are key to understanding the concept of "pitched" sound.

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the exciting inter-disciplinary study of contemporary Africa. The course will engage with African societies by examining the history, politics, economy, anthropology and culture of the continent and will explicitly draw on a range of disciplinary approaches. By taking this course students will gain knowledge of contemporary Africa and will be sensitized to the diverse experiences of continuity and change on the continent and how Africa is situated and understood by different actors within global debates on topical issues. Africa in the Contemporary World will appeal to students from a diverse range of courses that touch on issues related to contemporary Africa. It will also be appealing to students who wish to go to Africa to pursue work or study. For students who wish to continue to study Africa in more depth, the course will expose students to a range of disciplines and research processes relevant to the study of contemporary Africa. Africa is also a focus for students interested in questions of international development and globalization and the course will address and provide a context for a deeper engagement with these topics. The lectures will cover two related topics each week and will be delivered by lecturers from the Centre of African Studies as well as lecturers from across the school who will bring expertise on specific topics for this introductory course. Tutorials will provide the opportunity for students to discuss and develop their own ideas and form an independent response to the readings and lectures. The tutors will assist in clarifying key concepts and will assist students in developing a critical analysis of the material. The tutors will also provide feedback on presentations and support the peer feedback sessions on essay plans. Students will be encouraged to attend extra-curricular events run by the Centre of African Studies and the School such as film screenings and seminar series as well as University talks on topics related to Africa. Students will also be encouraged to read a number of contemporary African novels. Indicative Themes: Africa and the long duree Colonialism and post-colonialism Liberation struggles and nationalism Citizenship, ethnicity and identity Social movements and democratization Law and governance Conflict and civil war Poverty and economic change Aid, debt and trade The informal economy China in Africa Migration Land and the environment Food security and climate change Population dynamics Health and disease Religion, gender and the family Popular culture Cities Is Africa Rising? For Whom?

This course will give students knowledge and understanding of the anatomy of major human organ systems and limbs, how these structures develop normally and how research in the field is conducted and applied. Students will learn about the anatomy of major human organ systems through a combination of lectures and practical sessions. There will be 14 anatomy lectures in total, complemented by 5 practical classes in which students will use human cadavers to learn the anatomy of the digestive, urogenital, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems as well as the head and neck. Students will also learn about the embryonic development of major organ systems through a set of nine lectures designed to articulate with the anatomical topics. Lectures will emphasize how research in the field is conducted and how research findings inform our understanding of the development, structure and function of tissues and organs. Students will learn how developmental disorders can arise when developmental processes are dysregulated. Applications of research will also be covered, for example by showing how developing strategies for tissue repair requires an understanding of normal development, as well as the anatomical structure of adult tissues and organs. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of integrative approaches to understanding biological systems. Lectures will be complemented by three workshop or tutorial classes designed to develop students' problem solving skills, integrating anatomical knowledge with interpretations and understanding of experimental research findings.

This course provides an introduction to the topographical, social, and cultural features of Scotland and examines their influence upon each other over time. The diversity of Scotland's resources, the nature of its land and seascapes, and the complexity of its settlement patterns are explored and regional variety in material culture and linguistic forms, and the identities which result, are illustrated. Ways in which family, community, and work experience are manifested and expressed in a range of cultural forms form a significant element of the course, and students are given solid grounding in the sources and methods appropriate for the study of these in a strong theoretical context.

This course examines the dynamics of ecosystems and the environment from local to global scales. Students explore the drivers of environmental change from decades to millennia; the responses of polar, temperate, and tropical regions to environmental change and their roles in further reinforcing change to both climate and ecosystems; human-environment interactions; and methods and concepts that enable them to interpret environmental change. Students examine the concepts of systems, thresholds, feedbacks, sensitivity, and fragility, and how they shape our understanding of environmental change.