Environmental Studies

This course introduces students to the diversity of major groups of living organisms, and the importance of maintaining diversity in natural ecosystems. With emphasis on the need for conservation of biodiversity to maintain a balance of nature, the course highlights the biodiversity in the major habitats and vegetation types in and around Singapore.

This is a problem and knowledge based course that offers a unique insight in the linkages between peoples’ recreational use of nature and the sustainable management and planning of nature areas in the Anthropocene. The course deals with practical and theoretical aspects of planning, management, and governance of outdoor recreation with strong focus on balancing use and protection of nature. From a management point of view, it discusses how to deal with visitors and users of nature areas. The course has an international set-up and includes examples and cases from Denmark and other countries. Outdoor recreation is an integrated part of multiple policies, e.g. forest and afforestation policy, public health policy, municipal landscape planning, urban green space planning, agricultural policy, rural development, nature policy, and protected area management. These different policies, planning, and management fields form the basis of the course. Hence, a multitude of recreation environments are in focus, including urban green space recreation, forest recreation, countryside recreation, protected area visitation, wilderness recreation, and coastal and marine recreation. The following themes are included: visitors’ values, norms, attitudes, experiences and behaviors; conflicts between user groups; monitoring of visitor flows; accessibility and availability; children and nature; pro-environmental behaviors; and nature-based integration.  The planning and management focus includes: novel and traditional visitor monitoring; strategies and tactics in management of visitor flows; use and protection of nature; protected area management; volunteering; zoning and multifunctional approaches. In a sustainable development perspective, outdoor recreation connects people and nature, and thereby offers insight into social-ecological interactions and dynamics that are central to sustainability science. The course relates to Sustainable Development Goals 3 (good health and well-being), 10 (reduced inequalities), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 14 (life below water), and 15 (life on land).  

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the world of insects and addresses common misconceptions. Through a combination of classroom lectures and hands-on field trips, the course explores the fascinating world of these six-legged creatures. Field trips include visits to the NTU campus, the NTU Insectarium, the Taiwan Insect Museum, Fuyang Ecological Park, and Zhinan Temple. These excursions aid the observation and identification of insects in their natural environments, using field guides and direct observation. 

Lectures cover a range of subjects, including insect morphology, systematics, diversity, ecology, and behavior. Additionally, guest lectures from faculty at NCHU/NCU and industry experts provide valuable insights and broaden students' perspectives.   

This course examines environmental history. It covers specific examples of past environmental change in relation to human society. 

This comprehensive course provides a balanced and stimulating overview of marine ecology. It introduces the fundamental processes and systems that shape the marine environment and addresses the pertinent issues and challenges associated with its future conservation.

The course covers the following topics: 

• Patterns in the Marine Environment
• Primary Production
• Microbial Production and Decomposition
• Secondary Production
• Estuaries
• Salt Marsh Mangrove Seagrass
• Rocky and Sandy Shore
• Coral Reef
• Pelagic Ecosystems
• Continental shelf seabed
• The deep sea
• Polar ecosystems

This graduate research course provides training in experimental skills and scientific presentation for doing research in the field of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Students choose their own research topic and perform research under the guidance of a subject matter expert in their field. The course varies depending on the research topic but it may include weekly lab meetings; presentations of up-to-date research articles, and participation in scientific discussion with the instructor and lab colleagues. 

In this course, students explore the intersection of environmental geography and Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) to address the grand challenges facing our world. This course equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design, implement, and advocate for NbS that effectively contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By understanding the intricate relationships between natural systems and human development, students are prepared to create innovative solutions that promote environmental sustainability, economic viability, and social equity – key concepts in environmental geography.

This course studies future-defining themes such as Food, Water, Energy, Engineering, and Health both from an academic and real-life perspective. While learning about contemporary efforts and policies to address climate change, inequality, and globalization, the course also explores what these phenomena really entail and how they can be addressed through thinking and actions. The course discusses the thoughts of our greatest philosophers as well as site visits, interviews with leading policymakers, entrepreneurs, and scientists, and an exploration of real life. Understanding the essence of entrepreneurship in the realm of globally interconnected markets, production, and supply chains is a continuous thread throughout the course. Seeking to understand human behavior through the lens of consumption and lifestyles, key elements of positive psychology are studied. 

This course debates issues in green transition in Africa with a focus on governance of natural resources at and between local, national, and international levels. It develops an understanding of key concepts including theories related to governing natural resources towards a green transition in Africa and discusses specific cases from Africa related to green transition with a focus on utilization and/or conservation of Africa's natural resources. The course critically discusses actors in Africa's development and the role they are playing in green transition by governing natural resources in Africa. It considers issues related to green transition linked to discussion about scarcity and abundance, debates conservation in Africa related to the role of state, marked and civil society, and discusses impact and coping strategies related to climate change in Africa.

This course involves student-led research and dissemination around contemporary environmental topics e.g. renewable energy, food security etc. Working in groups, students explore an issue or problem, undertake research on it, and communicate their work in a form accessible to non-academic audiences e.g. a policy note or a science communication piece. This helps students to develop key graduate attributes and consider their own employment prospects beyond the academy.