Environmental Studies

This course probes the entanglements of nature, society, and politics through which the environment is formed, experienced, problematized, interpreted, contested, and governed in different sociocultural contexts. It develops a critical perspective on the dominant patterns of industrial production and consumption and asks how our societies can be made more sustainable. The course draws on insights from environmental history, environmental sociology, science and technology studies, sustainability studies, and recent debates on the "Anthropocene". Thereby, it seeks to complement the fact-oriented perspective of the natural sciences with a reflective understanding of the politics through which our knowledge (and non-knowledge) of the environment is formed. The course is structured in four sections. The first three focus on one core domain of nature-society-politics: the risks of industrial production; biodiversity and land; global climate change. The final section reflects on how we can move from these insights toward a comprehensive understanding and transformative politics of the Anthropocene.

This course introduces the basic scientific knowledge about indoor and outdoor air pollution, as well as global and regional climate change, in relation to human health. It examines scientific research in this field and environment and health in international perspectives. Environment is of great significance to human health. Air pollution, both indoor and outdoor, is closely related with different health problems in different populations. Climate closely interacts with ambient air pollution and affects human health independently. Currently, global climate change has been observed and heat wave and cold wave has been reported to happen more frequently. In this course, the following questions are discussed: What air pollution is found in indoor and outdoor environments? What types of compounds form the pollution? Can they be measured? Do we know the level of different pollutants? How about the relationship between outdoor and indoor environments? Is it safer staying indoors if there high outdoor air pollution? Do we have any measures to prevent or lower the pollution level? What are the health effects of these pollutants? Do they affect our respiratory health, cardiovascular system or even our endocrine system? How about the current climate if compared with old times? Is there any change? How much it will affect our health? 

The course offers an introduction to the concept of a product's life cycle and its environmental impact. It explores the problem of environmental impact in industrial production as well as in the service sector. 

The objective of this course is to approach the dynamics of vegetation and animal communities at different spatial-temporal scales, from the distribution of large terrestrial biomes to the current evolution of landscapes. Based on the analysis of the conditions determining the development of living organisms and different plant formations, the class emphasizes the factors of biome distribution, the distribution of species, floristic and ecological heritages, the dynamics of plant groupings and animal populations and the role of human societies on the modification of ecosystems and landscape dynamics. At the end of the semester, students should know the broad principles of the study of the biosphere and the principle processes active in plant environments.

This course explores the multitude of ways in which human development and the environment are connected. It provides an understanding of key theoretical, conceptual, and practical debates and issues within the agriculture/environment-development field and allows students to practice interdisciplinarity through active participation in discussions and group work. The course explores the intersections of economic growth, social development, and environmental conservation. It considers important development questions such as the reason for hunger and famine, how globalization affects access to resources and social dynamics, and how gender inequality intersects with development. Sessions are devoted to epistemological reflections for each of these themes. This course places particular focus on countries in the Global South.