Environmental Studies

This course explores the relationship between humans and the environment through history from the perspective of the interaction between nature and the environment.
 

Course Objective

1.         Have a basic understanding of quantitative instrumental analysis that involves electromagnetic radiation, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, electrochemistry, and chromatography.

2.         Be familiar with modern methods for the analyses of chemical substances in a variety of matrices, and the interpretation of data obtained from such analyses. 

3.         Be able to do calculations associated with the quantitative instrumental analyses.

4.         Be able to draw conclusions based on analyses and calculations.

Instrumentation course will introduce the basis of electromagnetic radiation, Mass Spectra as well as chromatography. Students in this course will understand the theories, methodology, and structure of the related instruments.

This course will use “Principles of Instrumental Analysis” as the major reference book, combined with knowledge of up to date modern instruments (from department lab as well as the newest literature). Student will have the elemental capability to solve practical problems by using various instruments. 

This course takes students through a process of identifying, planning, managing, analyzing and reporting on a project relating to a problem or issue in either urban or forested ecosystem. Selection of the problem or issue is led by students and is structured to explore ecological, environmental, social, spatial, temporal and economic related topics.

This course examines reasons for, and design and implementation of, environmental monitoring in New Zealand. Skills in data collection, management, presentation, and interpretation are developed for a range of environments using both field data collection and published data-sets.

This course covers various soil and groundwater treatment technologies due to increasing global soil and water pollution. Topics include chemical and ecological risk assessment of contaminated sites; phytomanagement of contaminants; arsenic removal; selection and technology diffusion; technologies and socio-environmental management; post-remediation long-term management; soil and groundwater laws and regulations; and trace element regulation limits in soil. 

This course examines current ocean governance, policy, planning and management approaches, modern ocean management and planning tools using examples from recent international ocean conservation projects.

Contemporary global problems such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and population growth are critical issues for the planet's future and demonstrate the interdependence of social and environmental systems. This course unpacks the complexity of these challenges by analyzing different manifestations of "a world in crisis" as questions of geography - shaped by geographic processes operating at a range of scales (from the global to the local). The course thus explores how Geography works as a "world discipline" that is equipped to examine global problems from a range of human, environmental and physical geography perspectives. 

This course provides research training for exchange students. Students work on a research project under the guidance of assigned faculty members. Through a full-time commitment, students improve their research skills by participating in the different phases of research, including development of research plans, proposals, data analysis, and presentation of research results. A pass/no pass grade is assigned based a progress report, self-evaluation, midterm report, presentation, and final report.