Environmental Studies

This course offers a study of "sustainable development," based on the notion that human development can only be sustainable when environmental boundaries are respected. The course introduces the main concepts, ideas, and theories related to the term sustainable development. The course explores humanity’s immense impact on the earth’s systems and the underlying drivers of these unsustainable trends. Furthermore, sustainable development requires an understanding that inaction has consequences. Students review some of the contemporary ideas about how to achieve a more sustainable society.

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.

This course provides the pieces of knowledge and theories of the physical environment in forests. It consists of the basic information of physical phenomena in forests, basic theories of micrometeorology, and environmental biophysics relating to the processes of heat, water, and carbon exchange between forests and the atmosphere. 

This course explores theories and practices pertaining to urban sustainability, focusing on the fundamental issue that gives rise to the notion of sustainability—the integrity of the Earth's life-supporting system. It examines global and local environmental issues, as well as consequential socioeconomic problems, arising from urban development and continuous urban growth. It also explores existing and emerging approaches to urban sustainability. Throughout the course, students are challenged to contemplate on the core of the quest of urban sustainability—the relationship between humans and nature. Assessment: six in-class assignments (25%), two homework assignments (30%), one paper (25%), preparation and participation (20%).

This class focuses primarily on climate change and possible solutions such as systems for carbon removal and other types of fuels. It covers several topics including air pollution, gas emissions trends and sources, the integration of renewable energy systems, economics of climate change, and policies relating to climate change. The class explores how Germany and Europe could move towards net zero gas emissions, as well as any future likely scenarios and perspectives.

In this course, students are presented with a case study dealing with surface water that is suspected of being polluted. They are instructed in the composition of various environmental media, the nature of potential pollutants and guided through the selection of the media that need to be analyzed to identify the contaminants, sampling locations and the appropriate chemical analyses to address the problem posed. They then organize the collection of the relevant media (soil, water, etc.) and are trained in their chemical analyses in the Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, School of Biology & Environmental Science. The results generated are analyzed with respect to available thresholds/regulations for the various contaminants and students write a report on the full investigation process.