Environmental Studies

This course studies the relationship between energy and urbanization, taking a global approach that gives pride of place to cities in the Global South and emphasizing a socio-material perspective and an understanding of the social practices and hierarchies that structure cities. Furthermore, energy governance is a major issue in urban policy today, particularly in the context of ecological transition. Therefore, it studies urban energy, taking into account the long term and also looking ahead to the future. In terms of methodology, the course is rooted in geography. It uses and familiarize students with certain geographical methods such as cartography and graphic visualization. It also encourages students to engage directly and critically with social science works in the form of articles and books, leading to presentations and lectures, as well as a graded written assignment.

This course examines how life arose and evolved into the myriad of forms it takes today. The course introduces the principles of evolution and explores the tree of life, highlighting the major evolutionary advances that have enabled organisms to exploit every habitat on Earth. The major living groups of microbes, plants and animals are presented and the key features of their biology are discussed and illustrated. A wide range of examples are given, spanning microbial parasites, plants, fungi, jellyfish and corals, worms, insects, crustaceans, fish, birds, mammals. The course examines how they feed, survive and reproduce, and, importantly, how they impact our daily lives.

Today's climate and ecological issues require a great transformation in the perception of human life and the relationship of humans to nature as a whole. Ecological and environmental history is a perspective and method of history to respond to the great transformation.  

This course covers major research achievements and methods of ecological and environmental history from a global perspective and from a standpoint that history is no longer the history of humans, but the history of interactions between humans and other living things and materials. As a result, we expand our perception of history by considering the achievements and limitations of modern civilization. 

Topics include Environmental history – what is it, Imjin War, Colonial environment, Forestry/Heat, Imperial weather/Imperial Japan/Republican China, Korean War and environmental history, North Korea and environment, South Korea/post Korean War rebuilding, Park Chung-Hee era, Environment and Developmental dictatorship, legacy. 

In special cases and with the approval of the instructor concerned, a student may carry out directed studies of specific problems in natural resources conservation.

Natural history museums are institutions that collect, preserve, and interpret the natural world—from fossils and plants to animals and cultural artifacts related to nature. They play a vital role in scientific research, education, and public engagement, serving as both archives of biodiversity and spaces for cultural exchange. 

This course introduces the foundations and contemporary roles of natural history museums.  It discusses how exploration and collecting built the basis for museums; how collections are preserved and managed; how museums communicate with society, and how they address new challenges such as digital collections and ethical debates. 

This course examines the classification of natural hazards within Earth systems and explores key examples of geological, atmospheric, hydrological and biological hazards and explores the social relations and processes that turn hazard events into disasters. Given the vast majority of disasters are climate and weather-related, basics of weather, climate and climate change will be explored. Students will be introduced to key concepts in the study of hazards and disasters including underlying theories and models as well as critically interrogating concepts of vulnerability and resilience. Basic elements of the process of disaster risk reduction will be introduced. Case studies and examples from Australia and around the world will be drawn upon to unpack the nuances of hazard and disasters.

This course is designed to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of fundamental ecology principles, their practical applications, and how the concepts relate to the real world with examples from published scientific studies. Ecology is introduced at its different levels of organization, including organism-environment (biotic-abiotic) interactions, adaptations of plants and animals, the characteristics of populations as a basic biological unit in an ecosystem, intra and inter-specific interactions, community ecology, and ecosystem ecology. Students develop critical thinking and analytical skills by interpreting ecological data and applying theoretical knowledge to real-life scenarios. By the end of the course, students have a solid foundation in ecological principles, preparing them for further study or careers in conservation, environmental science, scientific research, and related fields.

This advanced course is especially designed in the format of seminars and guest lecturers to expose the student to the frontier of knowledge of climate and apprehend what are the topics available for the final thesis. Students are able to grasp what are the emerging areas on climate science and be able to select the topic for future deepening of the knowledge.

The course is structured with 1- or 2-hours long time slots and with three types of offers:

1) Seminars: >=1 hour on current research/technological challenges, delivered by specialist.

2) Lecture: >=2 hours on a more general topic of broader relevance and less technical details.

3) Short course: >=3 hours on an additional supplementary skill. Examples may include a focus on programming or on an area of transversal interest.

The exact schedule changes every year. Students are asked to check the program frequently given that it is usually updated in the course of the year based on availability of speakers.

The course gives in-depth knowledge about climate systems and how climate models are constructed. In the first half of the course different components of contemporary climate models (ocean/land/atmosphere) and interactions between them are introduced and discussed. This includes handling of typical data formats associated with climate models and the analysis of model output with varying resolution and/or complexity. The second half of the course focuses on applications in paleoclimate reconstructions and impact models and the use of ensembles to assess model uncertainties. This includes projects where students independently and in groups solve tasks using programming. Exercise in the use of simplified climate models and analysis tools as well as information retrieval and oral and written presentation techniques are included as a part of certain learning activities.

This course introduces fundamental methods and techniques for analyzing both biotic interactions and abiotic conditions in diverse marine ecosystems. Through a combination of laboratory work and field studies, students gain hands-on experience in experimental design, data collection, and analysis. Topics include measurement of abiotic factors, assessment of species interactions and community structure, evaluation of biodiversity and similarity indices, and investigation of behavioral and ecological patterns. The course also explores the effects of human activities on marine environments and examines strategies for ecosystem restoration, rehabilitation, and conservation.