Environmental Studies

This course examines the physical processes involved with the formation and evolution of mountain glaciers and seasonal snow, including processes such as surface mass balance, dynamics and hydrology. 

In this course, students critically review the inter-relationships between rural environments and the forms of planning intervention that take place within them; evaluate the institutional arrangements for sustainable long-term rural planning and environmental management; and explore the provision and management of recreational opportunities in rural areas.

In this project-based workshop course, the background and effects of topics related to environmental justice such as environmental racism, gender issues, disadvantage due to physical impairments and social differences in the city are examined. The discussion-based debate during the event is to be expanded by a media project in which a selected topic is creatively addressed.

You will not only learn about content expertise, but also different methods and the use of different media. This includes:

• Expertise in the meaning of environmental justice and the background and consequences of the prevailing discrepancies
• Expertise in the ecological foundations and ecosystem services in the city
• Different perspectives from different disciplines by working on topic-specific literature
• An ability to reflect on urban infrastructure through a combination of ecological and social expertise regarding environmental justice
• Discussion skills as well as presentation and moderation skills in interdisciplinary exchanges with other participants from different study programs
• Creative process of developing and implementing a media project from finding a topic to presenting the final result
• Scientific and fact-based development of a creative media project and formulation of socio-political demands and solution approaches in a project report
• Be able to apply learned specialist knowledge and critical considerations regarding environmental justice not only to urban areas, but also to transfer them to everyday living environments

The course commences with an overview of contemporary CC/EC discourses, debates, the evidential base and international governance initiatives to address the challenge, including IPCC reports, UNFCCC and Stern, as well as regional and national-scale reports. It then examines the nature of urbanism and urbanization as linked networks and systems of urban areas embedded within multiscalar hinterlands. This provides the context for detailed examination of how urbanization and urbanism contribute to CC/EC; how CC/EC is affecting, and is predicted to affect, towns and cities in different regions, and how urban authorities and diverse groups of urban residents experience, perceive and respond to the phenomenon. Key concepts and literatures assessed include disaster risk, vulnerability, resilience, mitigation, adaptation, transformation, global(ized) urbanism and teleconnections, and the claimed conflict between tackling climate change and meeting immediate development needs.

This course examines the interactions between insects and humans worldwide and through a multidisciplinary lens. Insects can be harnessed for food, medicine, and construction material. They can inspire architecture and design and have prominent roles in myth and songs and shape language. Insects have inspirated films, performances, music, and visual arts where artists aim to challenge our emotional and aesthetic connection to insects. Insects are both biologically and socially complex, from which important parallels to human biology and societal organization can be drawn. Despite the importance of insects to humans, insects have been heavily impacted by human leading to enormous insect declines. 

This course covers a variety of environmental issues and how international law addresses them. Students will understand different treaties and customs and how States interact regarding environmental issues. The course utilizes lectures, discussion of case studies, and presentations to consider the extent to which environmental law is effective, current challenges, and the future of environmental protection. 

In this course we will explore the relationships between people, nature and space as well as the production and use of open space (e.g., changing interpretation and usage patterns in relation to the city and open space or the change in living, work and leisure) against the background of social development. Particular emphasis is placed on gender as an analytical category for spatial concepts and spatial actions as well the consideration of the interaction between theory and practice. That also includes current trends in spatial development.
 

This course explores the relationship between landscape-scale spatial patterns and the ecological, physical, and social process that drive environmental change. It then applies this to real-world problems to achieve sustainable landscapes in the context of biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and social-ecological outcomes.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues have attracted enormous attention from investors, regulators, and other stakeholders. This course introduces the concept of sustainability reporting and responsible investing. It evaluates the potential benefits of firms disclosing ESG information, as well as significant challenges to be overcome, including the risk of greenwashing. Students learn about existing and emerging ESG regulations and frameworks for ESG performance metrics. The course also explores how key capital market participants, such as asset managers, analysts, and banks, could incorporate ESG information into their investment decisions.