Environmental Studies

The course focuses on agroecological principles to analyze and design sustainable and productive farming systems. Agroecological principles include Recycling and efficiency; Living Soils; Biodiversity; Ecosystem services and multi-functionality; Resilience; Fair Markets; Culture & spirituality; Youth & Women; Adequate Policies & governance; Knowledge co-creation and collaboration. How agroecological farming systems are developed across the world, and how principles can be applied and translated into adaptive farming practices and management are explored There is a strong focus on methods, approaches, and indicators used to assess mechanisms that regulate the ecological functioning of farming systems. Methodologies to involve farmers and promote the dialogue between scientific and practical knowledge for the design of agroecological farming systems are learned.

In this course, aspects of quantity and quality of water are studied at the sub-catchment scale both in theory and in field and laboratory practices. Students learn to apply computational methods in hydrology and chemical & biological measuring techniques as applied in analyses of surface water systems and water quality. The course covers definitions, concepts, processes, flow equations, systems analysis, and (sub-)catchment modeling approaches, measuring methods, and quantification of elements. Specific topics are relationships between landscape morphology and water quality, hydrological cycle (precipitation, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, groundwater), the interaction of groundwater and surface water, (drainage theory, design discharge, dimensioning of drainage and discharge systems, rainfall-runoff relationships in catchments), characterization of water types and aquatic ecosystems by chemical and biological field measurements (nutrients, chloride, alkalinity, oxygen, light absorption, composition of macro-fauna), experimental analysis of eutrophication processes in the laboratory.

In this course, students explore the intersection between land use planning and environmental sustainability within the context of urban and rural development. Through a multidisciplinary approach, students study the principles, theories, and practical applications necessary for promoting sustainable land use practices in contemporary settings. The course explores the factors influencing land use patterns and methodologies to assess the environmental impacts of land use decisions, including climate change, biodiversity, and natural resource impacts. Through international case studies and policy reviews, students compare existing land use policies and develop strategies for integrating sustainability principles into land use planning, while exploring strategies to engage diverse stakeholders for equitable and inclusive decision making.

This course covers concepts and approaches to environmental ethics, including environmental ethics in the philosophical rationalities of Western culture, environmental ethics in traditional cultures, environmental ethics and biodiversity, environmental ethics and spirituality, environmental ethics and the major socio-environmental challenges of the national and international community, ethics and environmental education, and experiences in the construction of ethical-environmental values ​​in the processes of training multiplier agents in local communities.

This seminar takes a deep dive into histories and theories of rubbish, discards and waste, from the proposition that to be human is to make waste, through to the claim that humans can 'design out waste' in order to survive. Questions include when and where does something become rubbish, and how can its value be transformed? What does it mean to waste something, and when does waste become ’toxic'? This course examines how the politics of waste and its (mis)management lie at the heart of contemporary debates concerning environmental degradation, social and economic injustice, and the planetary crisis humans face. 

The course includes international hybrid workshops by lecturers of all partner countries on technologies and background information necessary to develop sustainable community-based projects. Topics include intercultural communication, PV training, CO2compensation, household biogas plants, clean cooking, biogas, social business; international student hybrid working groups developing CO2compensation projects for climate and SDGs tackling the needs of the local partner communities together with the partner NGOs; practical Service elements contributing to the success of the project for the partner community and to the climate action (including, e.g., training sessions in schools, fundraising events, activities in waste management, organic gardening, tree planting); and research and innovation opportunities to deepen the development and application of sustainable technologies and methodologies.

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director or Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. The internship may be taken during one or more terms but the units cannot exceed a total of 12.0 for the year.

This course examines the atmosphere, weather and climate. It covers atmospheric processes as the driving forces of weather and climate, weather systems and world climates and their classification. Illustration of weather elements and the related fundamental physical principles, as well as their applications in studying weather and climate, will be emphasized. Major concepts and principles of meteorology and climatology constitute the core of this course. Weather systems and climate will be examined from a global perspective, yet with a regional focus on Hong Kong, mainland China and East Asia.