Agricultural Sciences

The six-week summer lab research program at National Taiwan University places students in various science, engineering and social science research labs and/or projects under the supervision of faculty. Students spend approximately 30 hours per week in lab activities.

Mapping and cartography have long been used in social sciences, in geography and beyond. Political scientists, historians and sociologists have increasingly used such tools, which have become more and more present in the media, the administrations and the corporate world as well. Maps in all their forms have gained a strong foothold in all these fields and are now easier to produce thanks to the digital tools making their production easily accessible by non-specialists. This workshop has two main objectives. The first is to master critical approaches to cartographic designs, not only thanks to a better understanding of the foundations of cartography but also of their status as a discourse on various objects of study. The second is for the students to acquire skills enabling them to make their own maps and designs with some of the basic digital tools available, in relation to multidisciplinary issues.

The course analyzes the characteristics of a regenerative food system from a theoretical-practical approach. It includes practical work experience in an urban garden accompanied by guided reflections on the contemplation of nature, ecological processes associated with gardening, and identifying issues with cultivation methods in conventional agriculture. Topics include: food systems; food production; distribution and manufacturing; consumption and waste.

This course critically explores the diversity of solutions being offered to secure a sustainable and future-proof food system. Starting with the EAT-lancet report as the epitome of contemporary discourse regarding food systems, week by week the course dives deeper and explores some of the most pressing questions food system thinkers are asking themselves. Each week focuses on a different question and begins with a lecture on theory, followed by a case study from the Global Network of Lighthouse farms, and/or a virtual excursion to meet relevant actors in the field, whether that be farmers, processors, distributors, decision-makers, or consumers. The week closes each subject with time to discuss the readings, ask questions, and reflect on the lessons learned in preparation for the final exam. Each week students work together to develop a plan to bridge the "think-do gap" in a case study of their choice by designing a bold vision for a more sustainable food system.

This course introduces the general situation of the tea industry in Taiwan. The course also addresses the history and production of tea; tea drinking, and the relationship between tea drinking and human health.