Environmental Studies

This course is an introduction to the chemistry of the atmosphere, precipitation, soils, freshwaters, and estuaries as well as interactions among them. There is particular focus on elements and compounds that are important in determining environmental quality. The course emphasizes techniques that are available for assessment of environmental quality using chemical and biological methods. Students have the opportunity to apply a range of techniques to different sample types. Lab work and field work are important aspects of the course.

This course follows up issues highlighted in the introductory course and provides in-depth studies about rural and urban environments to examine the problems of resource scarcity and pollutant accumulation in the natural environment. The course focuses on major environmental problems and explores how environmental economics can be applied for resource management and environmental restoration/protection. The course analyzes the nature of key natural resources such as land, air, water, and biomass, and explores ways to improve resource management, protect the environment, and develop sustainable economies. Course topics include: valuing the environment, concepts of environmental economics, resource management for land, air, water and biomass, management of waste, energy policies and economics, and planning and regulations for a sustainable future.

This course is orientated on strategic planning in forest and nature conservation at regional level. By using methods and techniques of Strategic Environmental Assessment, different strategic policy options for a specific region (Sumava National Park, Czech Republic) are developed. In the next step, strategic policy choices are analyzed based on an evaluation of the possible ecological and socio-economic effects of the different options. On the basis of information of various sources (lectures, literature, interviews, excursions, observations) groups of students analyze and evaluate the policy in a specific region in relation with the forest and nature in that region. This case-study work is supported by lectures with different examples of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

In innovation literature, two main insights led to the development of the innovation systems frameworks. The first is that innovation is a collective act. Multiple actors are involved in innovation processes and it is almost impossible to innovate in complete isolation. One can think of relations between firms in the development of new technologies but also about interactions between firms and users of technology. Furthermore, firms are strongly influenced in their innovation decisions by the institutional conditions that are in place. The second is the insight that the linear model of innovation is a too simplistic model to understand and stimulate innovation processes. Instead many feedback loops are present and many factors other than only R&D influence the outcome of innovation processes. Therefore, innovation outcomes are best understood from a system perspective. In this course students study different innovation system frameworks, like Porter's Diamond model of national competitive advantage, National Systems of Innovation, Regional Innovation Systems, Technological Innovation Systems, Multi-Level Perspective. Students understand the value of a systems perspective for innovation. They identify the differences between the frameworks, their strengths and weaknesses, and understand which systems perspectives are most suited to answer specific research questions. Next to acquiring basic theoretical knowledge about innovation systems students also apply this knowledge in practice by carrying out a technological innovation system analysis.

This course explores cultural constructions of nature and resources, the evolution of environmental thought, and the debates about sustainable development and climate change. It integrates environmental, economic, cultural, and social considerations in respect to natural resource management in Australia and across Southeast Asia. The environmental considerations extend to an understanding of climatic responses over the long term that provide constraints on resource management today, and how these responses are projected to vary in the future. These environmental constraints include air, land, vegetation, and water resources, and are examined in relation to current issues driving contemporary debate on the politics of climate change that must now be considered in environmental management and competition for resources. The principles are brought to life through a fieldtrip to the Hunter Valley to look at geographical issues pertaining to mines, wines, and the thoroughbred breeding industries in this region.

This course enables students to acquire an analytical capacity (locally and globally) of development challenges in the face of environmental constraints through case studies. Students are encouraged to articulate their thinking around different levels of issues and their relationships of economic, societal, geopolitical, and environmental complexity. The course questions the relationship between environment and development. Development is a concept that has evolved since the 1950s and is currently being challenged paradigmatically, particularly because of the social and environmental imbalances it creates in the face of the demands of growth. This course analyzes the constraints of the international institutional framework for development, but also its local geo-physical and cultural conditions around thematic issues such as historical processes, practical and theoretical development, issues as well as environmental constraints related in particular to land and agricultural problems, large-scale land acquisition, and conflicts around natural resources.

This course on conflict analysis and negotiation design offers valuable knowledge and skills to students in fields involving the environment, land use, urban planning, or natural resource management. In order to prepare for a profession involving public policy decision making, a process which involves negotiation of scientific knowledge against values, concerns, and conflicting interests of the public, students are provided with skills to tailor a negotiation process at both the personal and process level to a specific conflict. Themes covered in this course include discourse, culture, institutions, power, capacity, incentives, cognition, and several social psychological factors. Additionally, students learn that a universal approach to conflict management is not equally effective in different countries, and that they must educate themselves on the political culture and social values of the people with whom they are working in order to find success in natural resource decision making. Students practice implementing their knowledge and skills through group discussions as well as an individual project report on a real life case of their choosing.

This course focuses on research methods and design in the environmental sciences. Students apply knowledge gained in this course by developing a research project. Using examples from the environmental sciences, this course teaches students three research designs: the experiment, the cross-sectional study, and the longitudinal design. This course explores several methods relevant to these designs including sampling, methods of data collection (primary and secondary data) and approaches to data analysis. Students draw on research designs and methods discussed in class to build a research plan. Starting from a practical environmental problem, students formulate a research objective and appropriate research questions. They then develop a research project using the experimental, the cross-sectional, and the longitudinal research design. After successful completion of this course, students are able to explain the differences between a conceptual and a technical research design; describe the defining features of an experimental, cross-sectional, and longitudinal design; discuss the operationalization of one and multidimensional concepts; describe random and non-random sampling, detail the pros and cons of different data collection methods; reflect critically on the assessment of causality; discuss the reliability and validity of measurements; and craft elaborate research designs in the environmental sciences.

Sustainability is the idea that development should not be at the expense of future generations, nor the planet. This course examines two challenges governing the implementation of sustainability. First, the challenge of communication is examined, students consider why sustainability issues are so difficult to communicate. Students also consider what strategies can be used to change individual and institutional behavior, how people can be empowered to fundamentally change their behavior to participate genuinely in a sustainable future, and what is the role of dialogue in that process. The course explores and scrutinizes theories aimed at communication for sustainability. Second, the challenge of responsibility is examined, asking how we should make responsible use of science and innovation for sustainability. Students engage with case studies of responsible innovation examining how innovation can be developed with and for society. This course adopts a “learning by doing” approach in which students are encouraged to think creatively and critically through group work. In groups, students learn how to critically evaluate and present a social science article on one aspect of the course. In addition, students learn the practical skills of communicating for sustainability an issue of their own choosing. Specifically, they learn how to develop a researchable question, how to translate this into a focus group design, how to recruit, moderate and analyze a focus group (with fellow students), and how to develop the analysis into a presentation and a write-up on a communication strategy for sustainability.