Seoul National University

Today's climate and ecological issues require a great transformation in the perception of human life and the relationship of humans to nature as a whole. Ecological and environmental history is a perspective and method of history to respond to the great transformation.  

This course covers major research achievements and methods of ecological and environmental history from a global perspective and from a standpoint that history is no longer the history of humans, but the history of interactions between humans and other living things and materials. As a result, we expand our perception of history by considering the achievements and limitations of modern civilization. 

Topics include Environmental history – what is it, Imjin War, Colonial environment, Forestry/Heat, Imperial weather/Imperial Japan/Republican China, Korean War and environmental history, North Korea and environment, South Korea/post Korean War rebuilding, Park Chung-Hee era, Environment and Developmental dictatorship, legacy. 

The course provides an interdisciplinary overview of the developmental science of adolescence and emerging adulthood. The course highlights contemporary theories of adolescent development and emerging adulthood by drawing on neurobiological, psychological, and sociological perspectives of adolescence. The course also critically examines major developmental issues of adolescence, including peer influences, health risk behaviors, stress and mental health problems, learning and achievement, and the development of purpose and identity, and more. Across topics, students will have the opportunities to learn about important empirical and theoretical literatures, and explore novel insights for parenting, youth policy, and theory-driven educational interventions to address pressing developmental issues that characterize the transition from childhood to adolescence and emerging adulthood. 

This course is structured into two parts: Part 1 – Lecture and Seminar (1.5 hours) and Part 2 – Discussion and Team-Based Practicum (1.5 hours). In the lecture and seminar sessions, we examine key developmental issues characteristic of adolescence and emerging adulthood through critical analysis of textbook chapters alongside supplementary materials. Starting from Week 3, students engage in practical, inquiry-based learning activities such as team discussions, data analysis, research design, and the development of empirical research proposals, using topic-relevant scholarly papers and empirical datasets. 

Prerequisites: Introduction to Psychology, Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology or equivalent course. 

This graduate course examines how and why global development and international inequality can be shaped by the mega trends of science and technology innovations. Recent examples include the advent of artificial intelligence and smart cities utilizing big data. Understanding science and technology innovations affecting the fundamental modes of human life provides us with a radar for the uncertain direction of the future development of human society. This course examines the nature and causes of co-evolution between the innovations of science and technology and the socio-economic development and their consequences on global as well as national development. 

This class consists of ten sessions of lectures and five sessions of group presentation. After learning core materials of empirics and theories regarding the co-evolution of science, technology, and socio-economic development from the lecture sessions, students present a research project applying the learnings to the contemporary global or national development issues with specific policy suggestions. The scope of research projects is wide open from the traditional development agendas of urbanization or structural transformation to cutting-edge agendas of smart city design or socio-economic impacts from AI. Each presentation group is required to write a policy report which puts their presentation in a dialogue with ideas and topics from the course readings and lectures. 

This course examines the processes and skills necessary for starting and operating a new business. Students are introduced to various stages of entrepreneurship such as capturing business ideas, evaluating business ideas, establishing appropriate business models, and getting funded by venture capital firms. 

Students work primarily conducted in teams, with teams formed based on the diversity of students. For instance, students from different fields will form a team to create a creative business plan. 

The course also explores how entrepreneurs search for business ideas, evaluate them, and create and sustain long-term growth. Additionally, it covers how to implement competitive strategies aligned with this vision. To this end, the course encompasses all functional areas of business administration such as marketing, accounting, finance, and management. Case studies, guest lectures from external experts, and business plan assignments are incorporated to deepen the understanding of how a company modifies and develops its strategic position. 

Finally, this course is designed to help students learn better communication techniques. 

This course provides an intensive study of financial accounting theory, concepts, principles, and practices, with a focus on advanced topics in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The primary objective of this course is to develop students’ understanding of the conceptual framework of accounting standards and the measurement and reporting requirements necessary for the preparation of financial statements. Specifically, we take an in-depth look at the accounting information system, the key components of financial statements, and the asset side of the balance sheet.  

Students gain an understanding of the theoretical concepts, principles, and assumptions underlying external financial reporting, examine how to properly apply IFRS to the preparation of financial statement, and analyze economic events disclosed in financial statements.  

Prerequisite: Principles of Accounting (251.205) 

This course explores the development of mathematics in relation to trends and philosophies that have changed over time and that have affected the conceptualization of mathematics. Mathematics and culture frequently meet at the crossroads of evolution of human intelligence. Mathematics had a huge impact on the development of civilization; conversely, mathematics has been influenced by the development of civilization. Topics discussed in this course include axioms for geometry by Euclid, calculus by Newton and Leibniz, concepts of computation by Turing and von Neumann, art and mathematics, society and mathematics, science/technology and mathematics, and Oriental/European culture and mathematics. 

This course covers research on judgment and decision making in various sub-fields of psychology and introduces ways in which judgment and decision making can be improved. 

Our lives are a series of judgments and decisions. In this class, we study the process of judging people in general and find out what kind of process is necessary to improve one’s judgment in real life.  

Students examine theories and research papers related to judgment and decision-making, envision an evaluation method for the judgment and decision-making process, and make a research plan to verify the judgment and decision-making process through a practical trial design. 

Topics include Introduction to Judgment and Decision Making, Characteristics and Analysis of Judgment, Probability and Frequency Judgment, Judgment Distortion, Foundation, Group Decision Making, Confirmation Bias/Belief Obsession, Making Decisions in Dangerous and Uncertain Situations, Preferences and Choices, Judgment and Choice over Time, Covariance, Causality, Anti-Factual Thinking. 

This course covers neurobiological systems in the brain that are responsible for drug and behavioral addiction, the diverse effects of drug abuse on the brain, and the cognitive neuroscience of addiction and how we can use cognitive neuroscience (including neuroimaging tools) to advance the assessment and/or treatment of addiction.  

Addiction is studied at many levels, from how drugs affect neurobiological systems to how psychosocial factors play a role in addictive behaviors. While some people argue that uncontrolled drug use or behavioral problems in addicts is a matter of choice, accumulating evidence suggests that we need to consider addiction as a brain disease like other medical conditions. To better understand addiction and resolve the conflicting views, we need to understand basic animal and human models proposed to account for diverse aspects of drug use, heritability, and basic cognitive neuroscience. Consequently, course readings include chapters and papers on these topics.  

Other topics include Neuropsychopharmacology, Animal models of addiction, Types of drugs, Decision-making framework, Neuroimaging & Neural circuits and brain abnormalities in drug addiction, Risk factors, Adolescence and Addiction, Neurocognitive predictors of drug addiction, Behavioral addition, Pharmacological and psychological treatment of addiction.  

Prerequisite: Introduction to Experimental Psychology and Experiments 

This course explores the origins and history of global citizenship and global citizenship education. We examine various approaches to global citizenship education and discuss theoretical frameworks for understanding its worldwide diffusion. The course critically investigates the Western-centered nature of global citizenship education through the concept of epistemic injustice and considers whether global citizenship education is a notion accessible only to the privileged few or whether it can function as a mechanism for equality. Finally, students review the current status and practices of global citizenship education in different countries, including South Korea. 

Emphasizing and incorporating students' needs and experiences, the course creates a critical space where they can share, debate, network, and construct viable curricula, practices, and pedagogies for the implementation of citizenship education inside and outside the school settings. 

Language Requirements: This course is taught in both Korean and English and the group discussion in both Korean and English. Group project needs to be delivered in English. Students are required to have upper intermediate and advanced levels of English fluency. 

This is the most advanced undergraduate course in the Astronomy program Department of Physics & Astronomy and is targeted to astronomy-major or physics-major senior (or junior) undergraduate students or first and secondar year graduate students. 

To retain the advanced level of this course, the enrollment is restricted only to those students who took the following classes in astronomy, physics and mathematics classes: Galaxies and the Universe, Introduction to Astrophysics 1, General physics, Classical Mechanics I & II (including the Special Relativity), Quantum Mechanics I & II, Thermal Physics, Electrodynamics I & II, General Mathematics, Calculus/Analysis, Linear Algebra. 

Students should not register for this class unless they have completed the above prerequisite courses.