Environmental Studies

This course introduces the components and structure of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and discusses how national guidelines and requirements for EIAs influence the outcome. Current EIAs include an evaluation of environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts of development projects, hence the course is interdisciplinary by nature and is relevant for a range of academic disciplines. The course provides a comprehensive overview and thorough knowledge of EIA procedures and methodologies, introduces basic concepts and generic methodologies, and focuses on EIA within the fields of agriculture and forestry, natural resource management, infrastructure and water resource management projects. The problems and pitfalls of EIA are also discussed. The course mainly focuses on EIA in developing countries, but examples from Denmark and other countries are also used.

Whether you are interested in fashion design, media, business, or just looking at it from the general perspective of a customer, this course discovers a complete understanding of what is sustainability in fashion and how to achieve it. With Paris as one of the world’s major fashion capitals, this course takes advantage of the city’s resources, exploring exhibitions and special visits to see how brands and leaders are embracing sustainability on a broad scale. These experiences complement practical, real-world case studies in the classroom. The course studies fashion through the perspective of circular economy to evaluate different definitions and practices of sustainability in the field. Topics include an in-depth look at sustainable materials, scrutiny of production and distribution models, evaluation of sustainable business practices, sustainable design strategies, and the influential role of consumers in fostering sustainable styles and lifestyles.

The course examines the ecological and biological principles underpinning the major tropical marine ecosystems. It provides an understanding of the ecological processes that control tropical marine ecosystems, and considers the organisms that are characteristic of each. All the major tropical marine habitats are considered, but with a focus on coral reef, seagrass and mangrove ecosystems. The course also tackles topical research areas on the subject through student-led seminars, which vary depending on the latest scientific research and the specific interests of participants. 

This course examines how science in general, and natural history in particular, is presented to the public in a variety of locations and the role of these collections in outreach and public education. The course explores the role and history of British museums and collections, and students visit various museums and natural history collections in Scotland. After each visit, students discuss the visits and compare what they have seen with the university's natural history museum, the Bell Pettigrew Museum of Natural History. Students also produce a display on an aspect of biology for presentation in the Bell Pettigrew Museum.

This course examines the role of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies in the environmental decision-making process and as a means for better environmental management. The major components, processes and attributes to EIA systems will be discussed. It will also introduce different methodologies in planning and managing of an EIA study. Applications of EIA system in the local context will be discussed in detail and illustrated by real-life examples mainly from Hong Kong. 

This course examines how ecosystems function and how they provide services for humans: information which is essential for ecologists, conservationists, and land managers. The course considers examples of natural systems being altered by man to demonstrate how ecosystems function and the consequences of anthropogenic change. Disturbance and regulation in ecosystems, atmospheric, and hydrological regulation (including the greenhouse effect and acidification), soil ecology, conservation and management of natural resources, agricultural and grazed ecosystems (including GMOs), urban ecosystems, and aspects of sustainable development are also discussed.

This course assists in the understanding of the history of climate change on the Earth and the factors that cause it.  The course covers the causes of climate change and the history of climate change on Earth, and the contribution of historical climatology to this understanding. Students outline the key causes of climate change and their interrelatedness, discuss the history of climate change on Earth, both natural and anthropogenic, and use the principles of historical climatology to investigate past climate change.

This course provides an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of biodiversity from lecture instructor lectures and from field work in the NTU Experimental Forest. The course invites multiple instructors to provide general knowledge of biodiversity, sustainable development goals and the idea of 30 by 30. The course includes a five-day field trip to the NTU Experimental Forest where students conduct hands-on experiments with the instructors and discuss biodiversity management with the local community. 

This course introduces the basic principles of toxicology: the physical and chemical properties of poisons and their distribution processes (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion); Toxicokinetics, and Toxicodynamics. The course also discusses the effects on toxic distribution, toxic reactions and mechanisms, and then the distribution of chemical substances in the environment. Finally, the course explains emerging technologies applied in toxicant metabolism and environmental toxicology, which is accompanied by a laboratory tour. 

This course provides an insight in the molecular-physiological mechanisms that plants use to adjust to their environment. Students learn how light, light quality, and daylength control plant growth and development. The course examines temperature as an environmental signal for plants, how the phytohormone mediate environmental impacts plant to plant competition, and plants and herbivores.