. "Environmental sciences"@en . . "Environmental Sciences"@en . . . "English"@en . . "Environmental quality and governance"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course enables students to identify how interdisciplinary scientific perspectives from the social and natural sciences can contribute to a shared understanding of risk and problem solving in complex environmental problems. You will be asked to explore the possible role of science in the public policy process by bringing together key concepts in environmental toxicology, animal ecology, public policy, and environmental governance. In the first half of the course you will become acquainted with technical skills required for gathering, processing, and interpreting data on environmental toxicology and animal ecology, as well as relevant social science theories on the relationship between science and politics in the public policy process. You will participate in a policy simulation in which you must generate, interpret, and present scientific data needed to estimate and reduce the risk associated with poor environmental quality and unsustainable use of ecosystem services. The course caters for students with a background in either natural or social sciences by providing a unique opportunity to integrate both perspectives into practical process of environmental research and policy. You will be introduced to a range of natural science concepts and methods used to assess the exposure and effect of persistent toxic compounds accumulating in the food chain, posing risks for eel population success and the health of eel consumers. From the social science side you will be introduced to concepts that can be used to analytically interpret the values, interests, and strategies of stakeholders involved in policy processes around risk identification, definition, acceptance, and management. By the end of the course you will be able to apply these skills in both the analysis and practice of science and policy making, while also taking into account other possible explanations and solutions for the dramatic decline in eel populations.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- understand environmental quality issues in a holistic way, taking into account the interplay of social and biophysical dynamics;\n- explain the basic principles and indicators of environmental quality and appraise their application in environmental risk assessment;\n- become acquainted with a range of toxicological and water quality research methods and analyse the uncertainty scientists and policy makers face when using the results of environmental risk assessments;\n- use social science concepts such as risk society and uncertainty to explain and assess the role of public and private actors in negotiations over environmental policy;\n- critically assess the formulation of policy goals, as well as technical and political strategies for engaging public and private sector actors to improve environmental quality;\n- critically assess the role of natural and social science research in addressing an environmental quality issue and draw lessons for one's own (future) professional practice;\n- identify and reflect upon selected key requirements for successful interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary environmental research." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "General safety"@en . . "0" . "Contents:\nAt WUR we value your safety. Therefore many measures are taken in order to facilitate a safe study in Wageningen. And although all these measures are in place still one of the most important factors for a safe stay is YOUR behavior and knowledge of these measures. Therefore the General Safety course is mandatory for all new students at WUR. This course will introduce you to safety at Wageningen University & Research. We'll cover a broad range of topics to prepare you for a safe stay at our university: \n- house rules for working safe at WUR;\n- in case of emergency: how to respond to emergencies;\n- computer work: how to prevent complaints on arms, neck and shoulder (CANS/ RSI);\n- where to seek help/ assistance.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:\nhave a basic understanding on how safety is managed at WUR;\nknow the difference between risks and hazards;\ncan report accidents and incidents;\nknow which general rules apply regarding safety at WUR;\nknow which factors contribute to an ergonomic workspace;\ncan adjust the computer workspace to work ergonomically correct;\nknow how to act as an active bystander;\nknow how to give and ask for consent in social engagements;\nknow where to seek help." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Fieldwork safety"@en . . "0" . "Contents:\nAt WUR we value your safety. Going into the field for an excursion or for observations/ measurments exposes you to specific risks some of which you'd take for granted while visiting nature or urban environments outside the university perspective. Things like traffic or uneven terrain seems something that you face on a day to day basis, but need a more strikt approach while facing them in a professional way. Furthermore infection prevention and social responsible behavior are topics that require specific attention. Therefore many measures are taken in order to facilitate a safe study in Wageningen. And although all these measures are in place still one of the most important factors for a safe stay is YOUR behavior and knowledge of these measures. Therefore the Fieldwork Safety course is mandatory for all students going into the field for their education.This course will introduce you to safe fieldwork during courses at WUR and will cover a range of topics:\n- how to prepare for fieldwork;\n- what risk can you be exposed to when working in the field;\n- golden rules for fieldwork.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter completing the course the student:\nknows which basic safety rules apply to fieldwork;\nknows how to prepare for the safety risks in fieldwork;\nknows some basic risks that apply to working in the field." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Principles of environmental sciences"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course offers students the opportunity of updating and extending their knowledge of the basic concepts of environmental sciences. Environmental problems in soil, water, and atmosphere are described and analysed. Attention is given to the socio-economic causes of these problems and their effects on organisms (including man) and ecosystems. The role science and technology can play in solving these problems is discussed, as is the role of interested actors such as government, business, environmental movement and individual citizens.\nIn a case study, small groups of students analyse a specific environmental problem, write a report and present a paper.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- demonstrate insight in the functioning of life/ecosystems and their response to changes in environment;\n- demonstrate insight in impacts of society on ecosystems and human beings;\n- demonstrate insight in possible technical solutions to environmental problems;\n- demonstrate insight in the role of social sciences in tackling environmental problems;\n- demonstrate insight in environmental awareness and environmental policy, and how they changed in time;\n- demonstrate insight in social causes of environmental problems, and their implications for environmental reform;\n- integrate and apply obtained knowledge by analyzing a particular environmental issue;\n- practice in determining one's own opinion on an environmental issue." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Research methodology in environmental science"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nIn this course students study research design and methodology for interdisciplinary inquiry in the environmental sciences. Students will be prepared to think critically and systematically and to reflect on the trade-offs of methodological choices in research design in the interdisciplinary environmental sciences. There is a strong focus on methodology as an interrelated series of transparently justified, subjective, theory-dependent choices appropriate to context and purpose, rather than a fixed, technical set of rules leading to ‘objective scientific truth’. The knowledge that students gain on a theoretical level is applied in developing components of several designs for a practical and relevant research challenge. After laying out the fundamentals and characteristics of scientific methodology, we discuss how to choose a research topic, formulate research objectives, specify questions and then operationalize their key concepts into concrete variables and measurement strategies. Using examples from the environmental sciences, through which we improve students’ ability to read articles critically, we discuss three research designs (experimental, cross-sectional, longitudinal), various sampling strategies and data collection methods.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain the difference between a conceptual and a technical research design;\n- describe the defining features of an experimental, cross-sectional, and longitudinal design;\n- discuss the operationalization of one- and multidimensional concepts;\n- understand reasons and strategies for random and non-random sampling;\n- describe the pros and cons of the taught methods of data collection;\n- understand the conditions that must be met for causal claims;\n- discuss the reliability and validity of measurements;\n- contribute to interdisciplinary research designs for the environmental sciences;\n- critically read scientific literature." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Econometrics"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nSocial scientists are often interested in relationships between different variables, e.g. consumption and prices. The objective of econometrics is to quantify such relationships using available data and statistical techniques and to interpret and use the resulting outcomes. So, econometrics is the interaction between (economic) theory, data and statistical methods (e.g. estimation and testing). The interaction of these three elements makes econometrics interesting and a must for the dedicated social scientist. The use of econometric tools stretches from economic and business disciplines to social science fields like sociology and history.\nThe course helps to understand a number of econometric issues and techniques, where emphasis is on applying econometrics to research questions in the broad field of social sciences.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- compare various econometric techniques\n- interpret econometric models and results of analysis\n- calculate econometric tests statistics and indicators\n- assess the quality of econometric analyses on the basis of various statistical tests and indicators\n- construct simple econometric models and estimate them using econometric techniques." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Programming in python"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nProgramming plays an important role in many domains. In business and science writing or adapting computer programs to process, analyse and visualize data in a suitable format has become common practice. This course aims to help students to understand the underlying principles of programming and equip them with basic skills to create computer programs. The programming language Python serves broad application domains. Furthermore, Python is the most commonly used programming language in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. The course also gives an introduction to libraries of available components, and how to use these for building your own programs.\nNote: The course in P5 is primarily for MSc students starting in Feb from programmes that include our course as a RO.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- create a computer program based on a given basic algorithm expressed in plain English;\n- adapt and combine standard algorithms to solve a given problem;\n- apply standard programming constructs for a given goal: repetition, selection, functions, composition, modules, aggregated data (arrays, lists, etc.), object-oriented concepts;\n- explain what a given piece of programming code (in Python) does;\n- detect and repair coding errors in a given piece of programming code;\n- use existing libraries taught during the course in programs, e.g., for data manipulation and visualization (Numpy, Pandas and Matplotlib)." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Basic statistics"@en . . "3" . "Contents:\nThe content of the course consists of the following topics:\ndata collection, descriptive statistics, introduction to probability theory;\nintroduction to probability distributions: binomial, normal, and student;\nestimation, testing hypotheses, constructing confidence intervals;\napplication of a binomial test for a population proportion;\napplication of t-tests to standard situations; one sample, two sample, one sample with paired observations;\ncorrelation and Simple linear regression with associated t-tests for coefficients;\nusing statistical software, in particular R-Commander;\nethical issues, as touching upon good statistical practice, will be discussed in class.\nIn the course it will be shown, where these statistical concepts are applied in scientific research. In the tutorials the practical problems are introduced, and a detailed program is given linking the content of the course to the tutorials.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:\n- remember and understand basic ideas of statistical inference and data collection\n- determine and explain the appropriate statistical procedure, given the description of the experiment, the research question, and the type of data\n- carry out the needed analyses for the discussed standard situations and assess the results in terms of the problem\n- perform a hypothesis test for intercept and slope and validate the model assumptions of a simple linear model\n- independently analyze data with the computer software R-Commander" . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Advanced statistics"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course covers several more advanced statistical models and associated designs, and techniques for statistical inference, as relevant to life science studies. The main topics are categorical data, (multiple) regression, analysis of variance (including multiple comparisons), analysis of covariance, and non-parametric tests. The aims of an analysis, the model assumptions, the properties (and limitations) of the models and associated inferential techniques and the interpretation of results in terms of the practical problem will be discussed. Focus will be upon students gaining an understanding of the model ingredients, an (intuitive) understanding of inferential techniques, insight into data structures and implications for choice of model and analysis. Students will be able to perform analysis of data with statistical software, i.e. with R-Studio.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to (within the limits of the subjects treated) be able to:\n- translate a research question into a statistical hypothesis: make a plan (type of design or sampling procedure) for the data collection.\n- choose an appropriate model with an understanding of the ingredients of the model in relation to the data;\n- analyse the data (with R-Studio);\n- interpret the results and form conclusions relevant for the actual problem." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Multivariate mathematics applied"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nlinear algebra: matrices, eigenvalues and eigenvectors;\ncomplex numbers;\nordinary differential equations: separation of variables and variation of constants; systems of linear differential equations; systems of non-linear differential equations and classification of steady states;\nnumerical methods for ordinary differential equations: difference quotients and the Euler method; systems of differential equations; trapezoidal rule and Runge-Kutta; discretization errors; error propagation, stability and stiffness;\nintegration in two or three dimensions: limits of integration; coordinate systems and the Jacobian;\nintroduction to partial differential equations: flow models, diffusion and convection; boundary and initial conditions; steady states;\nvector fields: flow fields and force fields; the gradient and the laws of Fick, Fourier and Darcy; the potential function; divergence and the Laplace operator;\nFourier series for partial differential equations: separation of variables and the Sturm-Liouville problem; boundary value problems and Fourier series;\nuse of computer software.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nexplain and apply concepts, methods and techniques from linear algebra, calculus, vector calculus and numerical mathematics;\napply mathematical knowledge, insights and methods to solve problems in the technological sciences using a systematic approach;\ncritically reflect upon the results;\ncorrectly report mathematical reasoning and argumentation;\ninterpret and evaluate the results in terms of the (physical, chemical, biological) problem that was modelled mathematically;\nuse mathematical software (Maple) in elaborating mathematical models." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Data science concepts"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe amount and variety of data in the domains of living environment, food, health, society and natural resources increases very rapidly. Data thus plays an ever more central role in these areas, and careful processing and analysis can help extract information and infer new knowledge, eventually leading to new insights and a better understanding of the problem at hand. Knowledge of core concepts in data science – acquisition, manipulation, governance, presentation, exploration, analysis and interpretation – and elementary data science skills have become essential for researchers and professionals in most scientific disciplines. This course is an introduction to data science concepts, combining computer science, mathematics and domain expertise: acquiring and manipulating raw data, obtaining information by processing and exploration, and finally reaching understanding by analysis and modelling. This will be complemented by elementary skills in data wrangling, exploration and analysis. The content of the course is strongly embedded in a number of provided domain-specific cases from biology, health and nutrition and the environment, allowing students from many disciplines to appreciate the relevance of data science in their domains.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain the relevance of data and data science in research and application within their field of study;\n- recognize key concepts as used in data science practice and elaborated in continuation courses;\n- discuss the need for and describe approaches to data acquisition, manipulation, storage, governance, exploration, presentation, analysis and modeling;\n- apply a number of basic techniques for data wrangling, exploration and analysis in use cases related to their field of study, including practicing elementary scripting skills." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Data science for smart environments"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nNew sources of data available from all kind of ‘smart technologies’ such as sensors, tracking-devices, crowd sourcing and social media open possibilities to create information and gain knowledge about our environment beyond that what is possible with ‘traditional’ sources of data. Especially analyses of spatial-temporal processes and interactions between people and their environment are accelerated by these new sources of data. Examples are the movements of people (tourists) through a city and the consequences for its accessibility or the perception of people about certain places.\nThe drawback is that these data often comes in high volumes, are often ill structured, and often are collected with a different purpose than that of environmental analyses. This means that (pre) processing, analyses, and visualization of such data requires specific skills. This includes, for example skills to create meaningful patterns from the data by applying (spatial) classification and clustering techniques, or applying sentiment and topic analyses techniques on for example social-media data. Knowing how to visualize these often-complex type of data is essential to effectively share and communicate the outcomes of analyses.\nMoreover, making sense of these data and transform it to information useful for design, participation, decision-making and governance processes requires a critical attitude and good knowledge about the quality of the data, as well as critical reflections on the social and political implications of using smart technologies in environmental policy and decision-making. This course will pay ample attention to societal aspects such as citizen engagement in data gathering, ethical questions around big data and automation, and implications of using smart technologies on social and power relation in (urban) environmental policy. \nTo successfully follow this course knowledge about modern data-science concepts and techniques such as treated in Data Science Concepts (INF-xxxxx) or a data science minor is assumed.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- understand the specific aspects of applying data-science for the environmental science domains;\n- evaluate the quality and understand the limitations of data-sources from ‘smart technologies’;\n- design procedures to solve an information need using data-science and visualization techniques;\n- extract meaningful patterns/knowledge and synthesize it in an appropriate way such that is can be understood and used within an environmental design or planning process;\n- apply appropriate data visualization techniques to complex environmental data;\n- develop an attitude of responsibility by reflecting on the societal implications of using smart technologies and big data;\n- identify boundaries between practices and develop and demonstrate the competences necessary for crossing these boundaries." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "International and eu environmental law"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course offers an overview of how international and EU law responds to today’s most pressing environmental problems. It shows which unique solutions, and problems, the legal system presents in addressing these environmental problems. We discuss topics such as climate change, marine protection, biodiversity, energy, and the role of human rights. Overarching themes include the interaction and overlap of national and international legal systems in addressing environmental problems, and the role of individuals in these processes. In order to provide students with a solid foundation, fundamentals of national, EU and international (environmental) law are also set out, leading to the development of legal skills and knowledge that students can use beyond the current course.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- discuss the main regulatory challenges for environmental law from a global, national and local perspective;\n- identify the key public and private actors, institutions and processes of international and EU environmental law;\n- appraise the different ways in which law can protect, and endanger, the environment;\n- critically compare different regulatory approaches to environmental problems." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environmental analytical techniques"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe lectures give an introduction into analytical chemistry with emphasis on spectrometry to measure inorganic coumpounds, structure elucidation and chromatography of organic compounds, organic carbon (humus) fractionation and free ion analysis using electrodes and the Donnan membrane technique (DMT). Selection of a particular method is exemplified by real-world problems in air, soil and water chemistry, environmental chemistry, environmental technology, etc. (case-study).\nTutorials related to the lecture topics help improving insight by answering questions and solving assignments (simple calculations).\nIn the practical students determine different chemical forms of compounds (e.g. heavy metals, benzene) in groundwater, surface water, soil, and plant material with a variety of analytical techniques, such as: inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), mass spectrometry (MS), gas chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The structure of unknown organic constituents is elucidated by means of mass spectroscopy (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Free ions are analysed using specific metallic electrodes and with a specific separation method (DMT). Organic material is fractionated to determine humic and fulvic acid concentrations using TOC analysis (Total Organic Carbon). The various methods available are compared with respect to their field of application, limits of detection, selectivity, accuracy, precision, throughput and robustness.\nGroups of students (3-4) will work on a case-study reflecting real-life problems. The group has to analyse the problem situation regarding chemical analytical aspects, formulate a proposal for further research and specify the chemical analytical techniques to be used.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- demonstrate insight into how to tackle practical chemical analytical problems;\n- demonstrate understanding of the basic theory and relevant parameters in analytical chemistry;\n- apply methods of instrumental chemical analysis to natural materials and (eco)systems;\n- demonstrate awareness of the limitations of the various methods;\n- report about experimental analytical results and draw correct conclusions;\n- discuss chemical analytical aspects relevant for the selection of proper analytical techniques for real-life problem situations." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Interviews and questionnaires: design and analysis"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe course is especially useful for students who plan to use interviews and/or questionnaires as part of their MSc. thesis or PhD dissertation. It is targeted at students of all study programs who would like to learn about the design, data collection and analysis of interview and questionnaire data. Using subject-response data, i.e. ‘asking questions to people’, can happen in many modalities, ranging from qualitative, exploratory and relatively unstructured interviews to quantitative, explanatory and tightly structured self-administered questionnaire. The complexity of choosing the right method, designing your data collection plan, pre-testing your instruments, gathering and analyzing your subject-response data is often underestimated.\nDuring this course students will follow interactive sessions where core principles will be explained and then applied in groups to concrete research projects. In-class discussions and (roleplay) exercises will be used to stimulate effective learning. There will be practicals using Atlas.ti and RStudio to analyse the data. With the help of instructor and peer feedback, students will learn about and practice with the complete cycle of research design, pre-testing, data collection, coding and analysis for both semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaires (with the latter building on the outcomes of the former).\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nwork out and justify a conceptual design (or 'blueprint’) for the interview guide and for the questionnaire;\ndesign a practical interview guide based on the blueprint and following taught design principles;\ndesign a practical questionnaire based on the blueprint and following taught design principles;\npre-test the questionnaire using appropriate interviewing techniques;\ncode and analyze interview data using methods such as inductive and deductive content analysis in Atlas.ti;\nconstruct and test scales for a questionnaire using Cronbach’s alpha and Principal Component Analysis in RStudio;\nconduct meaningful statistical analysis of questionnaire using among others general linear models and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Empowerment for sustainability"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course aims to foster a multifaceted understanding of empowerment for sustainability, and to equip you to walk your talk of sustainability. Firstly, it engages you to explore conceptually the complex nature of (un)sustainability and empowerment, and to distinguish paradigms in terms of worldviews and mindsets impacting society and the environment. Secondly, it exposes you to your own agency and it supports you to uncover your potential through which you can contribute to sustainability endeavors within your sphere of influence. Thirdly, it enables you to cultivate qualities and capacities (competencies) for actively participating into the quest for sustainability and navigating its complexities, namely: reflexivity, perspective-taking, (worldview) communication, personal leadership, entrepreneurial mindset, emotional awareness, care and self-sustainability. This course integrates theory, reflexive thinking and actions.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain and personalize concepts related to (un)sustainability, modernity, post- and trans-modernity paradigms, empowerment and agency related competencies;\n- understand their own agency and own competencies by creating and implementing a personal real life sustainability project of their own choice, within their own sphere of influence;\n- share and discuss their own personal real life sustainability project, related outcomes and learning process with clarity, inspiration and sense of ownership of own project." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environmental education and learning for sustainability"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nEducation and learning, citizen participation and whole system innovations are considered important tools in developing people's environmental and sustainability interests, concerns and competences, but also to improve the performance of people, organizations and systems in transitioning towards sustainable living and ecological mindfulness. This course enables students to actively engage with critical issues in designing an appropriate environmental and sustainability education programme or activity, using a variety of learning and community engagement approaches. During the course students explore the emancipatory use of education, learning, communication, multi-stakeholder participation and whole system re-design. The emancipatory capacity-building perspective, as opposed to an instrumental behaviour change-oriented perspective, will be explored, related, challenged and illustrated by practical examples from multiple contexts.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nidentify new forms of education, learning and capacity-building that can contribute to restoring, regenerating and re-imagining human - nature - environment relationships;\nunderstand the role of education and learning in environmental policy making, sustainability transitions, stimulating awareness, action and a change in lifestyle, connecting people, young and old, with the natural world, and other sustainability-oriented learning initiatives;\ndevelop and critique an environmental/sustainability education strategy or a specific strategy for an environmental innovation/sustainability transition process of their own choice\nactively engage their peers in a sustainability topic through a hands-on educational activity they co-design." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Communicating for sustainability and responsible innovation"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nWhile sustainability is the most intractable and daunting challenge of our generation, it is less clear how to communicate, engage, empower and use science and innovation responsibly. Communicating for sustainability used to be considered a straight-forward affair: a matter of providing the public with scientific information. Yet, this 'information deficit' model proved elusive. Sustainability came to be recognised as a ‘wicked’ problem with no single solution and with equally legitimate definitions, each shaped by different values and producing different outcomes. In this course we provide students with concepts and methods to explore the challenge of communicating for sustainability and responsible innovation. Across the six lectures we explore the need for reframing environmental communication, for dialogue and co-design, and for transformative, system-wide and integrative approaches. To give the course a practical edge, we deliver six skills sessions that enable students in small groups to develop their own focus group project on a “wicked” sustainability challenge of their own choice recruiting fellow WUR students as participants (from outside the course). Learning and developing skills of focus group design, active listening, small group moderation and analysis we explore how the views, values and expectations of citizens can co-produce new approaches for communicating a 'wicked' sustainability challenge.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain social science concepts and theories on communication for sustainability;\n- explain social science concepts and theories on responsible research and innovation;\n- apply social science concepts and theories to the course profile;\n- design and carry out a public engagement focus group project;\n- design a communication strategy using the results of empirical research." . . "Presential"@en . "FALSE" . . "Risk communication"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis intensive course provides insight into theoretical and practical-strategic matters of risk communication. Special attention will be given to risk communication in the context of the life sciences issues and life science technologies such as malaria, zoonoses, gene technology, flooding, climate change, novel agro-technologies, and food scares. In our rapidly changing knowledge society, experts and non-experts tend to have different appreciations of science and technology issues. What exactly is the nature of these differences and what are the communicative implications? We will discuss psychological theories regarding risk perception. How do people process complex information regarding particular risks and what is the role of emotions therein? How does media coverage of risks affect the public's sense of anxiety? Attention will also be paid to sociological theories of risk and trust. Is there a general mistrust of science and technology, and can this be explained by a trust or knowledge deficit of the public? Under what conditions are institutions capable of handling and communicating risks? Throughout the course assignments and group work help students to translate theoretical insights to risk communication practices based on their own choice. Students from the bachelor Communication and Life Sciences (BCL) are expected to work on a risk topic for the assignment that is related to their choice of track.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain the core theoretical concepts in the field of risk communication;\n- identify relevant social processes related to the perception and acceptance of risks;\n- analyse and evaluate current communication practices in the field of risk communication;\n- apply these insights to develop practical suggestions for effective and legitimate forms of risk communication;\n- analyse a case on the topic of a particular risk, report the results, and give a presentation on this study." . . "Presential"@en . "FALSE" . . "Educational design and teaching for sustainability"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course enables students to understand, design, facilitate and experience sustainability-oriented teaching, learning and capacity-building processes. It is targeted towards students who seek to build their capacities as future sustainability-oriented educators, and who like to like to design and engage with deep learning processes fostering responsibility and transformation in educational contexts (e.g. a school), in communities (e.g. a group of citizens), and in organizations (e.g. a local government).\n\nThe course is envisioned as a ‘laboratory’. It is intended to facilitate students' abilities to integrate the theory and the practice of education, teaching and learning aiming at fostering responsible engagement into sustainability challenges, at the crossroad between science and society. Based on their own aspirations, students design an educational initiative of their own choosing to address a sustainability aspect they care about, and put into action their didactical abilities while considering the socio-cultural characteristics of the context of their initiative. Through this initiative, students gain the tools to design an educational module or trajectory, and to facilitate the cultivation of multiple ways of knowing, being and doing that help responding to sustainability challenges. Depending on the nature of the initiative, students can experiment with a variety of creative methods of teaching, facilitation, and capacity-building in order to encourage mental, emotional, somatic, moral and aesthetic forms of learning. Students, from a variety of disciplines, closely interact throughout the course by working in peer groups supporting each other and exchanging feedback.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- understand education and learning theories and how they can be applied for cultivating people's sustainability-oriented understanding, engagement, and transformation;\n- understand the key challenges of teaching, learning, and capacity-building in relation to a wicked problem such as sustainability in formal education settings (e.g. in higher education) and non-formal or informal settings (e.g. in multi-stakeholder community);\n- identify a sustainability challenge they care about and articulate its characteristics;\n-design an educational initiative of own choice (e.g. a module, course, training, blog, etc.) to respond to that identified sustainability challenge;\n- apply a variety of teaching and learning activities and articulate and justify corresponding theoretical underpinnings from the education and learning sciences;\n- support peer learning by providing constructive feedback to the design of the intervention and didactical performance of peers from their own and other disciplines;\n- reflect on their (future) role and purpose as an educational professional and the competences needed to perform this role within the context of sustainability challenges." . . "Presential"@en . "FALSE" . . "Msc research practice knowledge, technology and innovation"@en . . "24" . "Contents:\nThe MSc Research Practice is a research project under supervision of a Wageningen university supervisor that replaces the internship in the programme of the student (only possible for students of MSc programmes that allow students to choose for a Research Practice). The Research Practice should differ from a regular thesis in the following way:\nthe Research Practice has additional learning outcomes related to career preparation and personal development;\nthe Research Practice has additional assessment criteria related to the above mentioned additional learning outcomes.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of the MSc research practice, the student is expected to be able to:\nevaluate career interests and ambitions in relation to the research project and reflect on professional ambitions and capabilities;\ndevelop a research plan, including: a description of the research topic in relation to the wider scientific context; identification of the knowledge gap; formulation of research questions and/or a hypothesis, aims and objectives; an explanation of how you intend to conduct the research (e.g. in terms of a design for the project, data-collection and -analysis methods, research tools);\ncollect, select and process data, using the design for the project, methods and tools described in the research plan;\nanalyse and synthesise the data in order to answer the research questions and/or test the hypothesis;\nformulate answers to the research questions that are supported by the research outcomes; pay attention to potential limitations; critically discuss the outcomes in relation to the wider scientific and societal context;\nreport on the research, both in writing and in oral presentation;\nwork in compliance with academic codes of conduct and with proper management of time and resources;\nmake use of input and feedback for executing the research project and provide feedback to others;\ndefine personal learning goals, which could include domain-specific skills, and reflect on development therein. The student should formulate at least two specific personal learning goals in consultation and agreement with the supervisor.\nActivities:\nresearch proposal and planning: the student prepares by reading literature related to the project, formulating research question/hypothesis and proposing approaches and methods;\ncarrying out the research project: the student executes research activities and document findings and sources carefully;\nfeedback: the student receives and processes feedback while working on the project and provides feedback to other students and staff;\nresearch report: the student writes a comprehensive, consistent and concise report containing all the elements of a full scientific paper in the discipline of the chair group;\nreflection report: the student reflects on the academic skills applied or learned during the Research Practice, the general and personal learning goals that have been achieved (or are still to be achieved) and the contribution of the Research Practice to the student’s career interests and ambitions;\noral presentation: the student presents major research findings to other MSc students and staff members of the Chair Group;\noral defence: the student defends the Research Practice and development of scientific skills and attitude, and places results and conclusions in the wider context of the field of science." . . "Presential"@en . "FALSE" . . "Msc research practice strategic communication"@en . . "24" . "Contents:\nThe MSc Research Practice is a research project under supervision of a Wageningen university supervisor that replaces the internship in the programme of the student (only possible for students of MSc programmes that allow students to choose for a Research Practice). The Research Practice should differ from a regular thesis in the following way:\nthe Research Practice has additional learning outcomes related to career preparation and personal development;\nthe Research Practice has additional assessment criteria related to the above mentioned additional learning outcomes.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of the MSc research practice, the student is expected to be able to:\nevaluate career interests and ambitions in relation to the research project and reflect on professional ambitions and capabilities;\ndevelop a research plan, including: a description of the research topic in relation to the wider scientific context; identification of the knowledge gap; formulation of research questions and/or a hypothesis, aims and objectives; an explanation of how you intend to conduct the research (e.g. in terms of a design for the project, data-collection and -analysis methods, research tools);\ncollect, select and process data, using the design for the project, methods and tools described in the research plan;\nanalyse and synthesise the data in order to answer the research questions and/or test the hypothesis;\nformulate answers to the research questions that are supported by the research outcomes; pay attention to potential limitations; critically discuss the outcomes in relation to the wider scientific and societal context;\nreport on the research, both in writing and in oral presentation;\nwork in compliance with academic codes of conduct and with proper management of time and resources;\nmake use of input and feedback for executing the research project and provide feedback to others;\ndefine personal learning goals, which could include domain-specific skills, and reflect on development therein. The student should formulate at least two specific personal learning goals in consultation and agreement with the supervisor.\nActivities:\nresearch proposal and planning: the student prepares by reading literature related to the project, formulating research question/hypothesis and proposing approaches and methods;\ncarrying out the research project: the student executes research activities and document findings and sources carefully;\nfeedback: the student receives and processes feedback while working on the project and provides feedback to other students and staff;\nresearch report: the student writes a comprehensive, consistent and concise report containing all the elements of a full scientific paper in the discipline of the chair group;\nreflection report: the student reflects on the academic skills applied or learned during the Research Practice, the general and personal learning goals that have been achieved (or are still to be achieved) and the contribution of the Research Practice to the student’s career interests and ambitions;\noral presentation: the student presents major research findings to other MSc students and staff members of the Chair Group;\noral defence: the student defends the Research Practice and development of scientific skills and attitude, and places results and conclusions in the wider context of the field of science." . . "Presential"@en . "FALSE" . . "Msc research practice education and learning sciences"@en . . "24" . "Contents:\nThe MSc Research Practice is a research project under supervision of a Wageningen university supervisor that replaces the internship in the programme of the student (only possible for students of MSc programmes that allow students to choose for a Research Practice). The Research Practice should differ from a regular thesis in the following way:\nthe Research Practice has additional learning outcomes related to career preparation and personal development;\nthe Research Practice has additional assessment criteria related to the above mentioned additional learning outcomes.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of the MSc research practice, the student is expected to be able to:\nevaluate career interests and ambitions in relation to the research project and reflect on professional ambitions and capabilities;\ndevelop a research plan, including: a description of the research topic in relation to the wider scientific context; identification of the knowledge gap; formulation of research questions and/or a hypothesis, aims and objectives; an explanation of how you intend to conduct the research (e.g. in terms of a design for the project, data-collection and -analysis methods, research tools);\ncollect, select and process data, using the design for the project, methods and tools described in the research plan;\nanalyse and synthesise the data in order to answer the research questions and/or test the hypothesis;\nformulate answers to the research questions that are supported by the research outcomes; pay attention to potential limitations; critically discuss the outcomes in relation to the wider scientific and societal context;\nreport on the research, both in writing and in oral presentation;\nwork in compliance with academic codes of conduct and with proper management of time and resources;\nmake use of input and feedback for executing the research project and provide feedback to others;\ndefine personal learning goals, which could include domain-specific skills, and reflect on development therein. The student should formulate at least two specific personal learning goals in consultation and agreement with the supervisor.\nActivities:\nresearch proposal and planning: the student prepares by reading literature related to the project, formulating research question/hypothesis and proposing approaches and methods;\ncarrying out the research project: the student executes research activities and document findings and sources carefully;\nfeedback: the student receives and processes feedback while working on the project and provides feedback to other students and staff;\nresearch report: the student writes a comprehensive, consistent and concise report containing all the elements of a full scientific paper in the discipline of the chair group;\nreflection report: the student reflects on the academic skills applied or learned during the Research Practice, the general and personal learning goals that have been achieved (or are still to be achieved) and the contribution of the Research Practice to the student’s career interests and ambitions;\noral presentation: the student presents major research findings to other MSc students and staff members of the Chair Group;\noral defence: the student defends the Research Practice and development of scientific skills and attitude, and places results and conclusions in the wider context of the field of science." . . "Presential"@en . "FALSE" . . "European workshop environmental sciences and management"@en . . "12" . "Contents:\nIn this course, a group of 30 students of different nationalities and disciplinary background work together on an environmental problem commissioned by a client. The course consists of three phases. In the preparation period students integrate their knowledge of environmental sciences and natural resource management to make a project plan based on the Terms of Reference received from the commissioner. In this period an applied training in project management, data collection & interview techniques, and team work is offered. A few lectures are given to provide students with additional background information to tackle the issue. The second phase consists of two weeks of field work mainly dedicated to data collection by interviews, a survey and observations on site. At the end of this phase the preliminary results will be presented to the commissioner. Finally, students are expected to analyse the data, incorporate the feedback from the commissioner and write a concise consultancy report. In this final phase supporting lectures on data analysis and consultancy report writing are given as well as feedback on the draft reports. Every student is expected to steer their own learning process and be actively involved by contributing knowledge and expertise to the group assignments and to reflect on this.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- contribute their academic knowledge, general academic skills, and attitude to a transdisciplinary-oriented project dealing with a complex problem commissioned by a client outside the university;\n- develop recommendations to mitigate an environmental issue by using theories and methods in the field of environmental sciences and management and by collecting, selecting, analysing and synthesizing information;\n- work as part of a multidisciplinary and multicultural team and value the contribution of different perspectives in designing solutions for complex (environmental) problems;\n- develop a project management plan (including a data generation plan), execute it and adjust it if circumstances make it necessary;\n- reflect on aspects that are of importance for successfully executing a project, such as project management, decision making in a complex situation, team roles and team building;\n- reflect on their own functioning and contribution to the execution of a project in terms of disciplinary knowledge, academic skills, group dynamics, intercultural setting;\n- reflect on their own (personal development of) knowledge, skills, attitude and performance, and how to develop these in the future;\n- communicate their findings orally or in writing to the commissioner, in a manner that is consistent with the commissioner's needs and level of knowledge." . . "Presential"@en . "no data" . . "Academic consultancy training"@en . . "9" . "Contents:\nIn the ACT course, teams of 5 to 8 students are assigned to execute a transdisciplinary-oriented academic consultancy project for an external commissioner (for example governmental, private and civil society organizations). The teams are composed on the basis of the required disciplinary mix for the execution of the project and the preferences expressed by students. Each team has an assigned process coach and an academic advisor (content coach) relevant to the project. The multidisciplinary and preferably multicultural team will carry out a design-type project for their commissioner. This might be the design of new technologies, policy papers, business strategies, regional development arrangements, communication plans or draft research plans for integrated research programmes. Crucial is that teams bring together academic insights and practical knowledge, reach a synthesis of the compiled information in consultation with the commissioner, and translate this into an advice on future actions for their commissioner.\nWe require students to be fully available during the hours ACT is scheduled (mornings in weeks 1,2,3 and 8; full days in weeks 4-7). By default most of the scheduled sessions (e.g. CPD sessions, team meetings, meetings with the coaches) take place on campus (unless ACT coordination instructs otherwise), and your presence in these sessions is mandatory. The ACT course is scheduled in such a way that students can combine the course with MOS modules. Note that there is an alternative version of ACT which is called 'Entrepreneurial ACT' (E-ACT). This version is offered only in some of the periods throughout the year (you will be informed about the available options via e-mail by your study advisor).\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- define, and adjust when and if necessary, with a team and in interaction with a commissioner, the goal of their transdisciplinary-oriented project and a project proposal plan, including research questions, methods of analysis, expected outputs, budget, project planning and management;\n- contribute at an academic level to the execution of a transdisciplinary-oriented project, both in terms of process and content, by gathering, selecting and analysing information and by integrating this into final project deliverables;\n- discuss and defend their viewpoints and conclusions in a professional and academically correct way;\n- implement reflective learning by an assessment of their personal functioning in and contribution to a professional team and discuss reflections and feedback in writing and during assessment interviews;\n- demonstrate academic consultancy attitude and skills to execute the team project within a complex collaborative environment." . . "Presential"@en . "FALSE" . . "International environmental policy consultancy"@en . . "12" . "Contents:\nThe International Environmental Policy Consultancy course is part of the Sustainable Development Diplomacy (SDD) track and can accommodate up to 24 students. Students who have been admitted to the SDD track have right of precedence. As this is a so-called Academic Master Cluster course, any vacancies are open to other students if they have successfully completed at least 24 credits of MSc-level courses or a first MSc-thesis.\n\nThis course is an innovative, collaborative, applied course and practical consultancy in environmental policy consultation at the global level. Linked via digital technology with students in a parallel course at SUNY, the State University of New York and or students from other universities, students in this course engage in a consultancy project with the Policy Analysis Branch of the United Nations Division for Sustainable Development (UN-DSD) focusing on 'Assessing Sustainable Development for the UN Global Sustainable Development Report'. Together with their counterparts, students will fulfill the client's Terms of Reference, producing and delivering material in support of the new global Sustainable Development Goals.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- apply their academic knowledge and general academic skills and attitude to a project dealing with a complex problem commissioned by a client outside the university;\n- design solutions to an environmental issue;\n- work and crossing boundaries as part of a multi-disciplinary and -cultural team (in three global regions);\n- develop a project management plan, execute it and adjust it if circumstances make it necessary;\n- reflect on aspects that are of importance for successfully executing a project;\n- reflect on their own functioning and contribution to the execution of a project in terms of disciplinary knowledge, academic skills, group dynamics, and intercultural setting;\n- communicate their findings orally and in writing to the client." . . "Presential"@en . "no data" . . "Capacity building for sustainable development"@en . . "12" . "Contents:\nThis Academic Master Cluster variant offers students the possibility to develop their capacity-building skills for sustainable development through theory-enriched project-based activities, the design of an educational manual and the practice of teaching and facilitation skills. This course ELS69312 consists of the two courses ELS31806 (Environmental and Sustainability Education), ELS32806 (Educational Design and Teaching for Sustainability) and an additional assignment that covers the AMC learning goals for (1) working on a real-life sustainability topic and with an organization in society (e.g., government, private, non-governmental/civil society), (2) managing teamwork and social team dynamics, and (3) personal and professional development.\nNB. To prevent for a study load that extends the 12 EC study load of the two courses, some assignments from the two underlying courses will be slightly reduced in workload for AMC students.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter completion of this course students meet the learning outcomes of the courses ELS31806 and ELS32806, and are expected to be able to:\n- design an educational manual on a sustainability topic in consultation with a real-life organization in society, and focusing on the competencies stakeholders need to address a sustainability topic;\n- facilitate (peer group) teamwork in either ELS31806 or ELS32806, show insight in, and how to stimulate group dynamics and effective teamwork, and adjust their facilitation interventions to these insights;\n- design and facilitate a reflective (evaluative) group meeting in either ELS31806 or ELS32806;\n- set SMART learning goals for their professional and personal development in the context of the two courses and beyond and show how to actively achieve these learning goals." . . "Presential"@en . "no data" . . "Research master cluster: proposal writing"@en . . "12" . "Contents:\nThe course Research Master Cluster: Proposal Writing focuses on acquiring and improving students' professional skills in writing and defending a scientific research proposal. The students start the course with their own more or less realistic scientific idea and develop it into an attractive grant proposal of high quality that will be defended before a jury of experts and peers. The proposal will be formulated and composed based on the application form “NWO Open Competition Domain Science - M1” provided by NWO.\n\nThe students are in charge of the writing process and are responsible to arrange the meetings and make agreements with their personal coach, the group coach, fellow students and/or other experts. To support the process from writing to defending, skills training, such as academic writing, argumentation and presentation skills will be given. Lectures will deal with stakeholder analysis, including the identification of governmental, public, private and industrial funds to finance the research (EU, KNAW, NWO, Top Sectors or company-based R&D). Additional lectures on publication culture, ethics and PhD student’s experiences will be given. Reflection on fellow student’s proposals and performances and on personal development are also integral part of the process.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\napply academic knowledge and skills to design a research project in the context of the Wageningen Life Sciences;\ncollect relevant information within a scientific field, identify existing knowledge gaps and translate them into research objectives;\ndefine and describe the most suitable methodological approaches for the research project;\ncritically analyse the scientific merits of peer's research proposals;\npresent and defend a PhD grant proposal;\ncommunicate effectively with other academics, including personal and group coaches, reviewers, and a scientific jury;\nreflect upon their own research proposal, personal development and functioning as an academic;\nbecome efficient in organising meetings and reaching deadlines." . . "Presential"@en . "FALSE" . . "Chemical processes in soil, water, atmosphere"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe lectures and tutorials will cover the major chemical processes in Soil, Water, and Atmosphere in six themes. These themes are:\nchemical composition and speciation of natural aqueous solutions (week 1);\nmineral-water interactions: Dissolution & precipitation (week 2);\nsediment-water interactions (week 3);\nsolid-solution interfaces: Particles, surfaces & adsorption (week 4);\ntroposphere chemistry (week 5);\ncloud formation & chemistry (week 6).\nThe themes are quantitatively approached and exercised in the tutorials.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nrecognize the role of chemistry in processes acting in soil, water, and atmosphere;\ndescribe, explain, and quantify by calculations the following major chemical processes in practical applications (under simplified conditions): aqueous equilibrium speciation, mineral solubility equilibria, adsorption (regulating the behavior of minor components), redox processes in water-sediment systems, equilibrium and dynamic processes regulating the composition of the atmosphere." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Water quality"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis advanced course provides a critical overview of the processes and quantitative process descriptions that are essential to understanding surface water quality and systems analysis of aquatic systems. Chemical and physical processes are emphasized and treated in the context of policy and risk assessment developments. Six themes will be treated:\n- advanced aquatic chemistry;\n- transport and exchange processes;\n- fate and bio-magnification of micro-pollutants;\n- nutrient behaviour and algal nuisance;\n- basic water quality modelling;\n- oceans and plastic pollution.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to quantify and critically evaluate the importance of physical, chemical and biological processes in freshwater and marine aquatic (eco)systems, such as chemical reactions in lakes and rivers, solute transport, sedimentation and re-suspension, gas-water exchange, sediment-water exchange, adsorption and bioaccumulation, oligotrophication and eutrophication, nutrient behaviour and retention, C-, N-, and P- behaviour in aquatic systems, light climate and algal growth, carbonate and aragonite formation, marine geochemistry, ocean acidification and plastic pollution." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Chemical stress ecology and ecotoxicology"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course focuses on the fate of toxic compounds and their effects on populations and ecosystems. It deals with the assessment of both exposure and ecological effects, and their interconnection. Main subjects are exposure on higher biological organisation levels, ecological effects, bio-monitoring, risk assessment of anthropogenic stressors and natural stressors like cyanotoxins, and multiple stresses.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- perform ecotoxicological toxicity and bioassay experiments with non-standard test species;\n- interpret the results of chemical fate and eco(toxico)logical models;\n- perform microcosm and mesocosm experiment to evaluate effects on a food-web and interpret its results;\n- perform an advanced multivariate data analysis on chemical and biological monitoring data;\n- design, perform and evaluate your own experiment to test a self-formulated hypothesis;\n- conceptualise and organise experimental work and its interpretation as a group." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Practical aquatic ecology and water quality"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe aim of this practical is to get insight in the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Participants will learn research methods that have been developed to collect samples from different components of aquatic ecosystems, and to analyze some of the most important processes. In particular the oxygen- and carbon cycle will be studied, the productivity of algal- and water plant-dominated systems, and selected aspects of the behavior of persistent organic pollutants will be addressed. The latter will focus on sorption characteristics of several chlorobenzenes to sediment and plastics, including error propagation. Oxygen dynamics will be studied in detail by means of field and laboratory experiments focused on reaeration, primary production, sediment oxygen consumption, and respiration. Measurements will be performed in the Forum Pond at campus that together with laboratory experiments will yield parameter values for a model on oxygen dynamics. The model will be built in Smart, tested against a dataset from continuous measurements in the pond, and results will be presented.\nIn the third week, the entire group will receive in-depth limnological training at Lake De Kienehoef (Sint-Oedenrode), its adjacent pond in the park, and the nearby lowland river Dommel. This five day intense field practical includes camping at the site from Sunday till Saturday. The lake is a former sand excavation and stratifies during summer. Vertical profiles of water quality variables will be made, as well as a detailed description of abundance and spatial distributions of macrophytes, macrofauna and zooplankton. The fish community will be sampled, and sediment cores will be collected. The pond, which is located in a recreational park, will be examined thoroughly; water quality variables, sediment, fish, plants and macrofauna will be studied. A drift sampling will take place on part of the Dommel river.\nIn the last week, data gathered during the multi-day field trip will be elaborated, a search for the cause of extinction and turbidity in the deep lake will be undertaken, and an overall report of the field trip will be written. Participants will use a lab/field notebook to log their activities and meassurements. Particiapnts will use the e-learning tool LabBuddy to prepare for the practicals.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nconstruct a model on a selected process, such as oxygen dynamics in a pond, using the program Smart and to evaluate its performance;\nperform adsorption experiments with organic micro-pollutants, calculate their adsorption and assess error propagation;\ndemonstrate sampling techniques when performing aquatic ecological research;\nadapt to varying conditions during multi-day fieldwork;\ncompose a scientific report when cooperating with several groups of participants." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Applications in soil and water chemistry"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nVarious aspects of chemical interactions of compounds in the soil-water environment (nutrients, contaminants) and their applications are part of this course. Most relevant process studied is speciation (especially adsorption and complexation). Applications focus on practical calculation and measurement procedures (what should be measured).\nLectures: fundamental aspects and practical applicability of speciation processes in soil, groundwater and surface water; applications to soil remediation, soil fertility, water quality, risk assessment, etc.\nPC practical: structural approach in solving chemical equilibria (speciation calculations) using a computer model.\nLab practical: determination of adsorption behaviour of heavy metals to solid and suspended particles (clay, oxides, organic matter); chemical analysis (AAS, TOC, pH); parameter fitting (multiple linear regression).\nTutorials: assignments related to lecture topics; simulation of adsorption behaviour using a speciation model .\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nconduct laboratory experiments to determine adsorption isotherms, analyse important chemical soil and water characteristics and interpret experimental results;\nanalyse speciation problems in soil-water systems and perform speciation calculations with a computer speciation model;\ndescribe and predict compound behaviour in soil and surface water;\nindicate applicability of speciation in soil and water chemistry." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Soil quality"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe dynamics of nutrients and contaminants within the terrestrial ecosystem including the groundwater and their relationship with soil biota are explained and related to actual environmental issues such as mobility, bioavailability, soil quality assessment, soil remediation, and nature restoration. Soil quality aspects are discussed with a focus on nature, agriculture and the environment. Actual environmental issues regarding nutrients (in surplus as well as limiting supplies) and contaminants are presented and explained. Soil quality standards are discussed in relation to chemical compound behaviour, risk assessment protocols, and fertilizer recommendations. An outline is given of the policy legislation.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\ndescribe and explain the concept of biological and chemical soil quality and their interrelations;\ndescribe and discuss relevance, advantages and disadvantages of the use of various soil quality indicators;\nevaluate soil quality in the fields of environmental pollution, sustainable agriculture, land use change, and climate change;\nexecute and analyse scientific experiments on contaminant bioavailability;\nreport on experimental results in the framework of soil quality evaluation." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "The soil carbon dilemma"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThere is a trade-off between using carbon (as a source of energy, and benefiting from the nutrients released - but accepting a decline in organic matter) and hoarding carbon (to mitigate effects of increasing atmospheric CO2, but sequestering nutrients). This trade-off between different ecosystem functions and services provided by carbon suggests that carbon is subject to a zero-sum game. Could we transform a zero-sum game into a win-win situation: sequestering carbon while also raising energy crops and improving soil fertility? Several (interlinked) scientific controversies that are important for resolving or managing the carbon dilemma will be discussed and novel research questions will be identified.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nanalyse scientific results and arguments on all sides of controversies over key mechanisms regulating soil C cycling;\nevaluate the validity of novel scientific insights and judge their implications for the C dilemma;\ndiscuss some of the social, economical and environmental implications of soil C sequestration;\nconstruct unbiased argumentation describing the carbon dilemma controversies;\nprovide constructive criticism to peers (fellow student and authors)." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Biological interactions in soils"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course deals with interactions between soil organisms and soil in the context of cycles of C, N and P. Important topics of soil fertility and global change will be addressed. Keywords: organic matter decomposition and nutrient mineralization, reactions of plants to excess and deficiency, role of plants, mycorrhizas and soil fauna in C, N and P cycles, soil structure, greenhouse gas emissions. The practical will train basic experimental techniques in soil biology and fertility, experimental design and processing of data. Part of the experiments can be designed by the students so that they complete the whole experimental cycle.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\ndemonstrate knowledge of the main interactions in the soil between plants, nutrients and soil biota;\ndemonstrate insight in the effects of human-induced disturbances on these interactions;\ncritically evaluate and discuss conflicting views in the literature on key biotic interactions in the soil;\ndesign, execute and report experiments that quantify interactions between biota and cycles of carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Research methods in soil biology"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nSoil life is key to sustainable (agro)ecosystems. Soil biology studies the role of soil life in key element (carbon, nutrient) transformations in soils using a wide array of laboratory-based methods. Soil biologists study the role of the soil biota in ecosystem processes at a range of scales; from the life in a soil ped to the role of soil biota in climate change at a global scale. Studies focus, for example, on the role of soil life in the cycles of nutrient elements (N, P, micronutrients) to enhance soil ecosystem services and warrant a more efficient agriculture that is more sustainable with the environment.\n\nThe primary objective is to teach you the principles of experimentation in soil biology. You will design your own experiment, carry out field sampling and laboratory work and analyze and present your findings. You will cover a variety of laboratory techniques, and gain necessary practical experience for a future thesis in soil biology. Furthermore you will address practical questions regarding data documentation, data transformation, statistics and presentation of your research. There will be lectures and workshops to support you in writing and presenting your results. At the end of the last week you will present your results in the form of a short research article focusing on the research methods.\n\nThis research methods course prepares you for a master thesis in soil biology or a related topic.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:\nformulate a research plan for a field study in soil biology, including research questions and hypotheses, aims and objectives, and a short explanation on how you intend to conduct the research;\nperform laboratory research at the soil biology lab using the research plan and the relevant methods and tools available;\nanalyze and synthesize the data in order to answer the research questions, including the application of data normalization and data transformation, and the application of statistical tools provided in the course;\nreport on the research in the form of a short scientific article with a focus on the research methods;\nindependently discuss about acquired knowledge and experience." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Nutrients in a circular agriculture"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nHuman interference with the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) has resulted in unacceptable global changes. The rate at which we convert N2 from the atmosphere into fertilizer N, and mine finite sources of P for agricultural use, results in severe environmental issues. Hence, we need to develop more circular agricultural systems that reduce external inputs and environmental losses, reuse waste streams, and maximize resource use efficiency.\nThis course provides insights to assess and improve the circularity of N and P flows in agriculture. Circularity will be approached from a biogeochemical perspective, at field and farm scale, with a focus on the soil-plant continuum. The course includes the following topics:\nBrush up on soil nutrient cycles\nLatest insights on circularity\nAssessing circularity with nutrient flow analysis\nOptimizing flows of multiple nutrients\nPreventing nutrient loss from agricultural fields\nRecycling nutrients by reusing waste products\nDesigning for circularity\n\nThis advanced course is intended for students who are registered as an MSc student in the MEE, MOA or MPS programmes and all those who have passed the course(s) listed under “Mandatory knowledge” successfully. Nutrients in a Circular Agriculture is one of the preparatory courses for an MSc thesis in the Soil Biology group.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:\nevaluate circularity based on nutrient flow analyses\nanalyse the use efficiency of multiple nutrients\nevaluate management options to reduce nutrient losses\npredict the fertilizer value of organic waste products\nanalyse the potential of waste products as fertilizers\nassess options to improve circularity in agriculture" . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Atmospheric composition and air quality"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe objective of this course is to show how simple principles of physics and chemistry can be applied to describe a complex system as the atmosphere, and how one can reduce the complex system to build models. The second objective is to convey a basic but current knowledge of atmospheric composition in terms of air pollution and greenhouse gas concentrations, and their effects, along with an appreciation for the research that led to this knowledge. This course gives students the knowledge and skills to understand today's most pressing issues in atmospheric chemistry and air quality. This includes the chain of processes that occur between emissions of pollutants from natural and anthropogenic sources, and their effect on the composition of the atmosphere and on human health. Special emphasis is on quantifying the effects of air pollution through numerical modelling of the processes involved (e.g., transport, chemistry, deposition, biogeochemical cycles) and through acquisition and analysis of field measurements. Sources, effects and possible abatement measures of local air pollution, acid deposition, eutrophication, ozone in troposphere and stratosphere (the ozone hole) and climate change are explained.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nunderstand and apply basic numerical calculations in atmospheric physics and chemistry;\nanalyze the role of various physical and chemical processes in air pollution, climate change, and ozone destruction;\nset up and apply simple models to simulate atmospheric change;\ncritically evaluate scientific papers on the effect of air pollution on human health.\nIn more detail, after successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nexplain the structure and composition of the atmosphere, and summarize the fundamental drivers of its composition;\nexplain the global cycles of oxygen (O), carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) through the Earth reservoirs, and explain how these make life on Earth possible;\nsummarize what controls climate on Earth. Students should be able to reflect on the different roles of climate parameters such as solar radiation, CO2, water vapour, aerosols and clouds;\nanalyze the role of emissions and chemistry leading to ozone smog, and assess how ozone events may be countered in practice. They recognize the special role of aerosols in air pollution, climate change, and stratospheric ozone depletion;\napply the concepts of emissions, residence time, lifetime, and distance of transport to set up a mass balance." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Meteorology and climate"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course provides basic understanding of the meteorological processes for students in soil science, hydrology, environmental sciences, earth system science and for students specializing in meteorology and air quality. It focuses on understanding and quantifying physical processes in the atmosphere that determine weather, climate and air quality and treats advanced theory of part of the material treated in the first-year course Introduction Atmosphere MAQ-10306. It serves as an introduction for advanced courses of Meteorology and Air Quality Chair Group.\nBy performing the exercises and practicals, students are able to become acquainted with the order of magnitude of the various meteorological quantities. The theory is still only given as a broad outline. Detailed theoretical knowledge and strict mathematical derivations are reserved for more advanced courses.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nexplain the basics of atmospheric radiation;\ncalculate, relate and evaluate various atmospheric humidity quantities;\napply stability analysis and other applications of thermodynamic diagrams;\ndescribe the dynamics of the atmosphere by using simple formulas (mostly descriptive);\ndiscuss atmospheric predictability and uncertainty;\nclarify the formation of clouds and precipitation: showers, thunderstorms and tornadoes;\nreview the meteorology of the atmospheric boundary layer (descriptive);\nexplain the basics of climate and climate change." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environmental toxicology"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course gives an overview of different aspects playing a role in the challenging field of environmental toxicology. Toxicology itself already is very interdisciplinary, but environmental toxicology even adds (environmental) chemistry, earth sciences, biology of a wide range of species and ecology to this. The course is set-up as an integration between lectures, practicals, computer sessions, videos and excursion. The book 'Principles of Ecotoxicology' is used to develop a basis for the rest of the subjects in the course. About half of the lectures will focus on a variety of timely additional issues. In the practical part of the course you will use a set of experiments to identify two unkown chemicals based on their toxicity profiles. Applying a set of modern in vitro and in vivo assays you will address the toxicity of the unknown and compare this with literature data/ Based on this, the identity of the chemicals can be assessed. This will be presented both orally as well as in a small report.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- summarise the most relevant terms, principles and methods in environmental toxicology;\n- distinguish the main sources and types of environmental pollutants and assess their potential environmental fate;\n- evaluate the characteristics of compounds, organisms and ecosystem for their consequences for environmental fate and effect propagation:\n- design and execute toxicological dose-response experiments in a comprehensive way and analyse and critically discuss the results (written);\n- create an experimental approach with meaningful endpoints to assess the environmental and human risk for a topical environmental contamination case." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environmental risk assessment of chemicals"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nAt Wageningen University several courses are focused on processes underlying the environmental impact of chemicals on human and environmental health (e.g. Environmental Toxicology (TOX30806), Chemical Stress Ecology and Risk Assessment (AEW30806)). Within these natural sciences- oriented courses, the existing regulations and the methods for the assessment of the environmental risks of chemicals and contaminants for human and environmental health are only touched upon. However, environmental risk assessment of chemicals is essential for safe use and application of products, for protecting the quality of our living environment for all species including man, as well as for taking decisions in subsequent risk management, risk communication and risk governance activities. Different regulatory frameworks exist to assess Environmental Risks of chemicals, each with specific focus, scientific underpinning and technical approaches (toolkits). Examples of such frameworks are REACH, Plant Protection Product and Biocide Directives of the EU, the Water Framework Directive of the EU and also the derivation of Environmental Quality Standards for soil, water and atmosphere. Environmental Quality Standards can be applied in site-specific risk assessments of chemicals, although alternative approaches are more and more demanded in order to achieve case- specific, tailor- made solutions.\nIn order to comply with such different regulatory frameworks, there is a high demand for well-trained risk assessors, who have the conceptual synopsis of the different approaches and even more who have the scientific and technical knowledge and skills to design and conduct environmental risk assessments. This course, Environmental Risk Assessment of Chemicals (ERAC), is set up to meet this need and has therefore great societal urgency. It will provide students with the know-how and dexterity to perform risk assessments in different settings/roles, e.g. as a regulator, in an academic setting or as a consultancy advisor. Students will gain deep insight in 1) prospective environmental risk assessment, i.e. assessment of risks of chemicals prior to market authorisation and use, 2) retrospective environmental risk assessment, i.e. risks of chemicals after their use and environmental release, and 3) environmental risk assessment of legacy contaminants resulting from historic use and release and/or from natural sources (e.g. PCBs, dioxins and heavy metals). Differences and similarities between the different regulatory framework will be explained, and developments in the regulation of new emerging compounds will be covered. Students will learn to apply approaches and techniques within the different frameworks to real life examples. A major theme in this course is how to deal with the uncertainty and limited availability of data for decision making in environmental risk assessment and how to ascertain that the majority of environmental species are adequately protected without the need for testing all of them. The concepts and approaches in environmental risk assessment will also be compared in a wider context with other risk assessment-frameworks especially those for food-related chemicals, which also include environmentally relevant regulated chemicals and contaminants.\nRisk assessment is an integration of natural sciences and social sciences. ERAC, with a primary focus on the technical concepts and skills needed in the different Risk assessment frameworks, will connect the more natural science-oriented courses on environmental impact of chemicals with the more social science- and policy-oriented courses on risk governance (ENP35806) and environmental economics (ENR21306). The target groups of the course are students of MES, MML, MEE, MAM, MBI.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- create a vision on the concepts of prospective and retrospective environmental risk assessment;\n- reflect upon communalities and differences between environmental risk assessment and risk assessment for human health and food;\n- recognize the evolution of regulatory frameworks by studying past, present and future frameworks that are presently under construction;\n- integrate science and process based knowledge with the abovementioned concepts in the design, conduction and interpretation of environmental risk assessment of chemicals in different frameworks at play in the EU (e.g. Plant Protection Products and biocide registration, REACH, Site Specific environmental risk assessment, Water Framework Directive, setting of environmental quality standards) ;\n- compile and evaluate inputs for environmental risk assessment in different settings and frameworks, and reflect upon the potential impact of uncertainty;\n- analyse concepts of read across between chemicals and interpolation between species and cases;\n- critically conduct the technical and computational steps in environmental risk assessment in different settings and frameworks, integrated with the relevant stakeholders;\n- interpret results of environmental risk assessment and provide input for risk management, risk communication and risk governance" . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "General toxicology"@en . . "3" . "Contents:\nIntroductory course on basic principles in toxicology, organ-specific toxic effects and risk assessment.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- summarize important generalized toxicological (biochemical) mechanisms underlying toxic responses following exposure to toxic chemicals;\n- interpret the consequences of physiological processes on toxic responses in the human body;\n- apply some important mechanisms (modes of action) of toxic chemicals that underlie the adverse effects observed to important toxic chemicals in food and the environment;\n- Argue how non-laboratory animal data can be used in the toxicological risk assessment of chemicals;\n- recall what type of data is required by regulatory bodies for the safety assessment of chemicals;\n- design and execute a comprehensive toxicological concentration-response experiment and critically report and discus the results;\n- apply the basic principles of risk assessment of chemicals in food and the environment." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Marine animal ecology"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course aims at providing knowledge and understanding on the functioning and resilience of marine animals in a changing environment. In this course we will focus on the mechanisms of adaptation of marine animal to environmental changes. We will then use this understanding of ecological mechanisms to explore the concept and implementation of Building with Nature (BwN). BwN is the synergistic combination of coastal engineering and ecological processes. \nAdaptation involves different ecological and evolutionary time-scales, from short-term plasticity to long-term adaptation. A multi-level approach will be taken: adaptation at the organism level (eco-physiology, recruitment and early life-stage development), at the population level (population genomics/genetics) and at the ecosystem level (shifts in community composition). Latest developments in the field will be used to illustrate ecological concepts in multiple ecosystems, including temperate, tropical and deep sea systems. Understanding of these concepts is vital to assess the adaptive responses of animals and ecosystems to various influences and human activities and the opportunities for management of a.o. biodiversity, invasive species or impacts of climate change. Techniques that are used in marine animal ecology will be discussed and practiced. \nBuilding with Nature is an approach in which local conditions are taken into account during an early planning stage of coastal engineering, to be able to make use of services provided by engineering species and additional positive effects of local ecosystem functions. The local conditions include the natural physical processes, ecology and social-economic aspects. By not just building in nature but also with nature, additional benefits can be created for nature, recreation and the local economy while preventing adverse effects. Current developments will be included such as the implementation of bivalve reefs for coastal protection and marine production and dedicated coral reef building and restoration that enhance biodiversity and provide several ecosystem services for local communities. To experience the complexity of building with nature projects, the students will develop a conceptual design, including physical, ecological, economic, and governance aspects, the students will learn to quantify the engineering functions (e.g. sediment capture, wave energy dissipation) and other ecosystem services of Building with Nature designs. Students will integrate disciplinary aspects of a Building with Nature design (e.g. physical, ecological, economic, and governance aspects) by making a knowledge clip about an existing or a new Building with Nature project.\nWe expect active participation from the students during interactive lectures, tutorials, practicals and monitoring activities at an oyster reef in the Netherlands. During, the course, selected trending topics in marine animal ecology will be presented. Each student has to define a relevant research question and write a short research proposal. The student also will pitch this proposal during a short presentation.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain relevant terms, principles, processes and concepts in Marine Animal Ecology;\n- design a research approach to address a specific question in Marine Animal Ecology;\n- produce experimental and empirical data in Marine Animal Ecology;\n- analyse provided data from field studies;\n- identify commercially available marine animals using DNA barcoding data;\n- collect, analyse and evaluate scientific information on a current issue;\n- develop a testable hypothesis and write a research proposal;\n- present and defend a research proposal, while convey the message in a compelling manner;\n- name and explain in relevant terms principles, processes and concepts in Marine Animal Ecology." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environmental policy: analysis and evaluation"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe course provides a detailed introduction to the social scientific study of environmental politics, with a focus on policy analysis and evaluation. We discuss models of environmental policy processes and networks, instruments of environmental policy (such as regulatory, market-based and information-based approaches) and frameworks to evaluate environmental policy. The course focuses on analysis and evaluation in theory and in practice, through in-depth case studies. A (group) assignment on environmental policy evaluation is an integral part of the course.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n1) Demonstrate knowledge of:\n- Unique challenges facing environmental policy making,\n- Current theories and models of (environmental) policy formulation, implementation and evaluation,\n- The role of key actors and multiple levels of authority in environmental policy making.\n2) Evaluate effectiveness of environmental policy by critically applying methods and techniques of policy evaluation; and recommend improvements.\n3) Demonstrate stronger skills in:\n- Reading scholarly literature critically,\n- Formulating and defending an own viewpoint,\n- Writing clearly and concisely,\n- Presenting/debating policy evaluation lessons in a group and/or in class,\n- Working effectively in a team." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Interviews and questionnaires: design and analysis"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe course is especially useful for students who plan to use interviews and/or questionnaires as part of their MSc. thesis or PhD dissertation. It is targeted at students of all study programs who would like to learn about the design, data collection and analysis of interview and questionnaire data. Using subject-response data, i.e. ‘asking questions to people’, can happen in many modalities, ranging from qualitative, exploratory and relatively unstructured interviews to quantitative, explanatory and tightly structured self-administered questionnaire. The complexity of choosing the right method, designing your data collection plan, pre-testing your instruments, gathering and analyzing your subject-response data is often underestimated.\nDuring this course students will follow interactive sessions where core principles will be explained and then applied in groups to concrete research projects. In-class discussions and (roleplay) exercises will be used to stimulate effective learning. There will be practicals using Atlas.ti and RStudio to analyse the data. With the help of instructor and peer feedback, students will learn about and practice with the complete cycle of research design, pre-testing, data collection, coding and analysis for both semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaires (with the latter building on the outcomes of the former).\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nwork out and justify a conceptual design (or 'blueprint’) for the interview guide and for the questionnaire;\ndesign a practical interview guide based on the blueprint and following taught design principles;\ndesign a practical questionnaire based on the blueprint and following taught design principles;\npre-test the questionnaire using appropriate interviewing techniques;\ncode and analyze interview data using methods such as inductive and deductive content analysis in Atlas.ti;\nconstruct and test scales for a questionnaire using Cronbach’s alpha and Principal Component Analysis in RStudio;\nconduct meaningful statistical analysis of questionnaire using among others general linear models and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "International environmental policy"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe course introduces students to the world of international environmental policy and provides them with concepts and methods to analyze and understand a variety of international environmental regimes. Students will go beyond knowing that there is such a thing as international environmental policy and that it faces many problems, to understanding what these problems are and how the actors involved try to address them. The course takes place in the form of alternating theory and case-study lectures, with a weekly tutorial focused on enhancing practical analytical skills. It provides students with an analytical toolbox to assess the structure and effectiveness of an international environmental regime, helping students to simplify the complex world of international environmental policy for purposes of analysis. Students will learn how to identify and formulate pertinent questions in this field, providing a necessary foundation for informed discussion and evaluation. Their acquired knowledge will be assessed in the form of an individual essay and a written exam.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n1) Explain the meaning and relevance of key concepts in international environmental policy\n2) Make use of conceptual frameworks from international relations and global governance\n3) Analyze the structure and dynamics of an international environmental regime\n4) Visualize the main elements and relationships of an international environmental regime\n5) Formulate questions about the effectiveness of an international environmental regime for the purpose of informed discussion" . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Sustainable technology in society"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis social scientific course that deals with the development and use of environmentally sound technology in modern societies. Global industrial pollution, resource depletion or climate change are often presented as problems that need technological solutions. The social sciences study and critically address these mostly technically defined problems and solutions by using contextual models in which technology is seen as socially constructed and employed as part of the range of social practices that constitute society. Through the readings, lectures, assignments and tutorials students become acquainted with the societal dimensions of planning, designing and managing sustainable technology and technological systems such as urban infrastructures, food and housing and building in the Global North and Global South.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:\nrecognize and understand theories on social practice, technology and system innovation;\nexplain and compare social science theories and methods to analyse sustainable technology in society;\napply social science theories and methods to contemporary sustainable technology developments in various contexts (such as urban infrastructures, food, housing and building).\ndemonstrate knowledge of current socio-technical experiments in technological systems such as urban infrastructures, food, housing and building;\ndesign socio-technological niches for sustainable technology development;\nevaluate present day socio-technological experiments in terms of their contribution to technological transitions;\ndiscuss, report, present and defend a case of sustainable technology development within a chosen field;" . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environment and development"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course focuses on the nature and causes of environmental problems in developing countries with specific attention given to the institutional and political structures governing ecological sustainability and economic development. Student will learn to identify and critically assess institutional and political strategies for managing environment and natural resources through concepts such as ecological modernization theory, political ecology, and global value chain analysis. These approaches are illustrated in the lectures through a series of case-studies from developing countries. Students are also given the opportunity to experience the practice of decision making over environment through a course long role-play or 'simulation'. Using these approaches attention is given to both the causes and solutions of environmental problems and the role of state and non state actors interacting at local, national and global scales. The course is given in English and caters for MSc students with an interest and background in both technical and social environmental sciences.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain the history and background to contemporary causes and solutions to environmental problems in developing nations;\n- distinguish key concepts and theories that help to explain the relationship between environment and development;\n- apply key concepts drawn from the theories taught in the course, to a relevant aspect of the simulation that explains the dilemmas and solutions to environmental problems in developing countries;\n- support ideas of how governance and policy can better contribute to improved development and environment outcomes;\n- practice analytical skills for critical social science through individual academic writing by locating relevant literature and organizing theories and concepts." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Advanced international environmental politics and diplomacy"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe course will provide students with in-depth knowledge and engagement with international environmental politics, including new actors and mechanisms of rule-making and implementation. We will bring diverse theoretical traditions in political science, international relations and global environmental governance to bear on the ways in which to different actors conceptualize and work towards the legitimacy, accountability and effectiveness of international efforts to combat key trans-boundary environmental challenges.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- understand historical evolution and diverse theoretical traditions (realist, institutionalist, constructivist, deliberative) in international environmental politics;\n- understand the latest theoretical debates about the changing nature and practices of international environmental policy-making, including actors, agents, architectures and accountability;\n- understand the theory and practice of international environmental negotiations and diplomacy;\n- read scholarly literature critically and synthesize key arguments;\n- formulate and defend an own viewpoint, in writing and orally;\n- write clearly and concisely;\n- present and/or debate key concepts in international environmental politics;\n- present and engage with alternative perspectives, through negotiation simulations." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environmental economics for environmental sciences"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe course provides an introduction to environmental economics and is developed for students of non-economic study programmes. It is also suitable as an introduction to environmental economics for students of economic study programmes. The aim of the course is to show how environmental problems can be approached and analysed using economic theory. Furthermore, the course demonstrates how economics provides guidance to address serious environmental problems such as global warming, ozone depletion, air and water pollution at different scales (global, regional). In particular, the course will establish the foundations of environmental economics. The students will learn how markets function and under which conditions markets fail, giving rise to a misallocation of resources causing environmental problems. These insights will then be used to analyse how policy interventions can correct market failure and enhance social welfare.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain the theoretical foundations of environmental economics;\n- explain key concepts, strengths and limitations of environmental economic analysis (e.g. sustainability, efficiency, Pareto optimality, market failure, externalities);\n- analyse important environmental problems (e.g. pollution) from an economic point of view;\n- explain key economic instruments and policy measures for solving economic problems (e.g. taxes, subsidies, tradable permits) on an international scale;\n- apply economic concepts in a specific case in the domain of environmental economics;\n- compile and structure information about a topic in environmental economics for writing a scientific essay." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Natural resource economics and management"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis course deals with the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources. The key question is how intensely a resource should be exploited, considering the typical properties of the resource, possible externalities, and future generations. The course deals with nonrenewable resources (e.g. minerals and fossil fuels), renewable resources (forests, ecosystems, and fisheries), and recycling. The course also pays attention to the economic theory of different policy instruments. We will discuss the green paradox, resource extraction taxes, individual transferable quota in fisheries and carbon subsidies in forest management.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- apply dynamic optimization techniques to management of non-renewable resources (such as fossil fuels and phosphate) and renewable resources (such as forestry, fisheries, and ecosystems);\n- analyse economic problems of natural resource use in an intertemporal perspective;\n- evaluate economic problems of natural resource use, taking into account concerns of intergenerational equity, sustainability, and discounting;\n- understand how institutional dynamics and resource dynamics mutually influence each other in a social-ecological system;\n- translate real-world problems into mathematical models." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Economic modeling of sustainability challenges"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nSustainability challenges often require researchers and policy makers to make projections of the environmental and economic impact of policies before those policies are implemented. For example, what impacts on employment and income distribution can we expect from a tax on greenhouse gas emissions? How much will arable farmers earn in the coming decades on a warming planet? And how will liberalization of the international food market affect the environment? To make such projections we need to model the interaction between economic and natural systems. Policy advisors such as Wageningen Economic Research (WEcR), PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) use a range of economic models for this purpose. For example, WEcR uses MAGNET to study international climate issues and AGMEMOD to analyze the greening of the EU’s agricultural policies. Usually these are large numerical models, but their core principles are rooted in economic theory. In this course you learn how to apply this economic theory in small simplified numerical economic simulation models that can be used to make projections of sustainability challenges such as climate change and natural resource use.\n\nThis course is followed by students from various master programmes including the MSc programmes Economics of Sustainability (MMED), Environmental Sciences (MES), Climate Studies (MCL), Urban Environmental Management (MUE) and International Development Studies (MID). You learn from teaming up with students in other study programmes in social and environmental sciences to tackle modelling challenges. Models discussed include mathematical programming, partial equilibrium, input-output and applied general equilibrium models as well as neoclassical Ramsey growth models.\n\nThis course provides students the analytical insights and skills to develop and critically evaluate applied economic models and is an excellent preparation for writing an MSc-thesis. The course can be directly followed by a thesis with Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group (ENR-80436) and Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group (AEP-80436).\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain the micro-economic theory underlying economic simulation models;\n- create small economic simulation models using good modelling practices;\n- assess the economic behaviour of a given model;\n- assess the natural science elements of a given model;\n- critically reflect on the potential uses and limitations of economic simulation models." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Economics of urban environmental challenges"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nMany environmental problems are the result of the economic choices of individuals and how these choices interact with policies producing different outcomes at the urban system scale: what products we buy, how much we heat our homes, which mode of transport we take for our daily commute. Addressing these problems also requires an understanding of how people make their choices, how social interactions and the biophysical environment influence them in complex ways, and how specific policy interventions can also influence those choices. In urban areas, the cumulative impacts of those individual choices are particularly visible, simply because many people and firms share limited space. Designing and evaluating effective interventions and policy solutions to urban challenges is of key importance, in light of local and global environmental problems that an increasingly urban population is confronted with. This course deals with the analysis of individual economic choices in urban areas, the city as a complex system subject to multiple influences, and potential policy solutions for a sustainable future.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nUnderstand the city as a complex system of social, economic, and biophysical factors;\nApply principles of economic and behavioural theory to environmental challenges in urban areas and regions;\nAssess the individual and policy responses to environmental challenges;\nAnalyze the role of individual characteristics, and biophysical, spatial and policy factors in human behaviour and its implications for the urban system" . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Cost-benefit analysis and environmental valuation"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThis advanced course covers on the one hand the economic analysis of investments and policy changes (Cost-Benefit Analysis), on the other hand it treats the valuation of environmental effects of such projects or policies (Environmental Valuation). Investments are often in productive sectors, such as in land consolidation, polders, irrigation and drainage projects, or in infrastructure, for example roads and railways, or, less often, in nature conservation projects. Policy changes that can be appraised are, for example, taxes, price-support measures and market regulations. CBA is a decision-making tool for policy makers, using financial and economic criteria. Emphasis is put on the theory of cost-benefit analysis: welfare economic foundations, financial versus economic analysis, valuation of commodities, capital, labour and foreign exchange, discount rate, shadow pricing, effects on income distribution, and environmental effects. The last element is extensively treated under the headings travel cost methods, contingent valuation, hedonic pricing, existence value, and irreversibility, risks and uncertainty.\nThis is an advanced course that builds on knowledge offered in introductory microeconomics or environmental economics courses such as ENR20306, ENR21306, DEC10306, or UEC21806. Students are strongly recommended to take one of these introductory courses before enrolling in this course.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- demonstrate a thorough understanding of the theory of cost-benefit analysis as founded on micro-economic theory;\n- show a good ability in the application of project, programme and policy appraisal;\n- pass an informed judgement on such economic interventions;\n- demonstrate a thorough understanding of environmental valuation methods and to apply such methods." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Fundamentals of environmental technology"@en . . "4" . "Contents:\nGeneral basic knowledge of environmental technology is refreshed and extended as a preparation for the more specific courses ETE-30306, ETE-30806 and ETE-35306. Attention is paid to phase-separation processes and chemical and biological conversion processes for the treatment of water, gases, soil and solid wastes. These processes are analysed by mass balances, which are a powerful tool to design, model and optimize treatment processes. Physical, chemical and biological aspects, including equilibrium states and conversion rates, that are relevant for the development and application of separation and conversion processes, as well as the mathematics for the analysis of mass balances are discussed. The theory is critically evaluated in a technical laboratory practical.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- demonstrate the fundamental knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics necessary for the advanced master courses in environmental technology;\n- set up mass balances for chemical and biological reactor systems and separation technology;\n- integrate this knowledge to design, optimize and characterize separation devices and reactor systems." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Introductory thermodynamics a"@en . . "2" . "Contents:\nThermodynamics is the science that uses the First Law (energy is conserved) and the Second Law (entropy of the universe goes to a maximum) to describe how systems change when they interact with each other or with their surroundings. Thermodynamics was originally meant to increase the efficiency of steam engines, and has nowadays a prominent place in many scientific disciplines including cosmology, physics (phase transitions), chemistry (chemical reactions) and engineering (efficiency of energy conversion).\nThis course introduces thermodynamic concepts, including energy, enthalpy, entropy, chemical potential, Gibbs and Helmholtz energy. On the basis of the First and Second Law of thermodynamics, the equilibrium concept will be introduced and used to describe reversible and irreversible processes. The Gibbs energy has a central role in this. Given the molar Gibbs energies of the reactants and products involved in a process, it can be deduced in what direction a process tends to go, what will be the maximum yield of a particular product and how the direction or yield for a process can be influenced by changing temperature, pressure and composition of a system.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- describe simplifications that make thermodynamics quantitative\n- identify thermodynamic concepts in real life applications;\n- interpret real life processes and systems in terms of thermodynamic concepts;\n- perform calculations of thermodynamic properties (e.g. heat, work, energy, entropy, molar Gibbs energy) for ideal gases, pure substances, (non-) ideal mixtures and electrochemical systems;\n- calculate the change in the molar Gibbs energy of reactions and apply this to phase transitions, equilibria and chemical reactions." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Biological processes for resource recovery"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe subject of this course is the exploration of microbiological opportunities to recover resources within Environmental Technology, thereby closing material cycles with minimal losses. Thermodynamic, microbiological and biotechnological unified principles are used to assess the viability of those opportunities for application in practice. Viable opportunities are developed into technological concepts working at optimal energy conditions.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- assess the thermodynamic feasibility of biological reactions for resources recovery under actual conditions;\n- assess the microbial biomass yield of biological reactions for resources recovery;\n- evaluate substrate properties (toxicity, bioavailability, biodegradability) for their effect on biological processes for resource recovery;\n- calculate the dimensions of bioreactors used for resource recovery;\n- explain biofilm theory and use the equations involved;\n- explain how biological processes can be used to produce recyclable crystals and minerals, and be able to use the involved mathematical relationships;\n- use the acquired knowledge to design a biological process to steer the microbial competition for substrates in mixed cultures in such a way that desired reactions occur." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Processes for water treatment and reuse"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nGlobal water scarcity necessitates the reuse of domestic, agricultural and industrial wastewaters. To achieve this objective, in many cases advanced treatment concepts are required, in which biological treatment processes for removal and recovery of bulk contaminants are supported by physical-chemical treatment methods for removal of trace and/or non-biodegradable contaminants. In this course, the emphasis is on these physical-chemical unit operations and technology trains for drinking water purification and micropollutants removal from water. Membrane treatment and advanced oxidation processes are some examples of the unit operations. This course deals with the background knowledge required for reactor design, optimization of reactor performance and scaling up. This includes physical transport phenomena, chemical and physical equilibria, chemical reaction kinetics, phase separation, and biological processes. A number of realistic cases are described, which illustrate how, based on wastewater characteristics and effluent requirements, the appropriate unit processes can be selected and designed.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- apply the principles of diffusion and mass transfer for modeling and design of separation processes;\n- model coupling of mass transfer, mass diffusion and chemical or biological reactions for reactor design;\n- integrate this knowledge for complex integrated design calculations;\n- evaluate a broad range of advanced water treatment technologies for application in water reuse systems;\n- evaluate water quality with respect to chemical and biological safety for use in drinking water applications;\n- select and design drinking water technology trains for water purification." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environmental electrochemical engineering"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nCurrent societal transitions, including the change from fossil fuel-driven towards renewable based processes, require innovative (electrified) technologies for (drinking) water treatment and resource recovery. Furthermore, there is an increasing need for large-scale energy storage systems. This course will cover the fundamental aspects of electrochemical engineering, including the principles of an electrochemical cell, electrode processes and materials, transport mechanisms in (ion exchange) membranes, and electrochemical measurements. Furthermore, the course captures innovative and state-of-the-art electrochemical processes for water treatment, energy storage, resource recovery. We discuss the theory and application of (flow) batteries, supercapacitors, (microbial) fuel and electrolysis cells, and of electrochemical desalination, separation, disinfection, electroplating, and corrosion processes.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- explain fundamentals/basics of electrochemical engineering, including faradaic and capacitive electrode processes, electro-interfacial phenomena, Nernst and Butler-Volmer theory, and important properties of electrolytes;\n- interpret the dynamics of (bio-)electrochemical systems, including ion transport in (ion exchange) membranes (Nernst-Planck theory);\n- characterize environmental (bio-)electrochemical systems based on experiments, data interpretation and calculations;\n- evaluate the performance, potential and limitations of environmental electrochemical technologies;\n- design an electrochemical process for water treatment, energy storage or resource recovery, taking into account the complex composition of (water) streams." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environmental systems analysis: methods and applications"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nEnvironmental problems are complex and of a multidisciplinary character. In solving these problems often many actors are involved. Analyzing such complex problems requires an integrated approach. In this course, tools and methods are taught that can be used to analyze environmental issues while taking into account these interactions. Environmental systems analysis studies are often performed to assist decision-makers in finding solutions to specific environmental problems. In this course, attention is paid to interactions between researchers (systems analysts) and the users (decision-makers) of the results of environmental systems analysis studies.\nThe course starts with a general introduction in which a systems analysis procedure is presented. Next, tools and methods used in environmental systems analysis are introduced. Special attention is given to modelling. Group work study gives more insight in the use of environmental systems analysis and tools and methods.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- describe the general procedure of environmental systems analysis (in steps);\n- describe the basic characteristics of environmental systems analysis, with a focus on integrating knowledge from the natural and social science domains;\n- describe the importance of the science-policy interface, with attention to integrated assessment models;\n- apply the following tools that can be used in different steps of environmental systems analysis:\ncausal diagram;\nstakeholder analysis;\necosystem service analysis;\ncost-benefit analysis;\nscenario analysis;\nenvironmental modelling;\nmulti-criteria analysis;\nlife cycle assessment;\nenvironmental impact assessment;\n- integrate the appropriate environmental systems analysis tools;\n- perform a limited environmental systems analysis to analyze complex environmental problems." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Environmental assessments of nutrient and pollution management"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nIn this course, we discuss environmental impacts of agricultural production and energy production and present various (chains of) models to assess the impacts of policy scenarios and management options on air, soil and water quality. An important aim of the modelling tools and resulting analyses is to support managers (e.g. farmers or foresters) or policy/decision-makers in taking appropriate management or policy measures. With respect to agricultural production, we focus on the management of large-scale (diffuse) inputs of carbon, nutrients and metals, specifically by fertilizer, manure and human waste. Considering both agricultural production and energy production, we also pay attention to (trans-boundary) pollution problems, including emissions of greenhouse gases, causing climate change, and of sulfur and nitrogen compounds, causing air pollution. During the group work students will work in small groups (4-5 students) in which they will write a research proposal on the design of an environmental model system. To follow the course, students do not need to have experience in programming or computer modelling.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- recall and explain main interacting environmental impacts of food & energy production on soil, water and air quality and the potential of management options to reduce those impacts;\n- explain the choice and impacts of different model approaches in view of differences in pollutant behaviour and model aim;\n- understand the principles of agent based models and the related environmental impacts in coupled social-environmental systems;\n- evaluate the usefulness of environmental models in integrated environmental assessments;\n- assess the relevance of different management options to reconcile nutrient use in food production with protection of soil, water and air quality;\n- design an integrated environmental assessment model in terms of model specifications (model inputs, outputs, system boundaries etc.) and model linkages;\nMore details on the second and fourth learning outcome are present in the course guide." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Engaging and modelling with stakeholders to solve environmental problems"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nEnvironmental systems are complex involving many actors with a wide range of interests and perceptions. This course aims to enhance students’ understanding and practical abilities of how to actively involve which stakeholders in the scientific process. Stakeholder involvement is imperative to ensure fair representation, and it helps increase our knowledge of human behaviour in different contexts. In addition, students will be able to learn how to facilitate participatory decision-making involving stakeholders, in order to solve wicked problems. Students will learn to use a selection of methods and tools to successfully link science and policy making, by integrating stakeholder knowledge. Fundamental to the course is hands-on experience on how different methods can help to engage stakeholders and interact with them in concrete case studies. Emphasis is on the development and use of future scenarios and (participatory) modelling techniques (Fuzzy Cognitive Maps and Agent-Based Models) to understand stakeholders’ perspectives and behaviour, and how these are translated to collective decision-making. Special attention is paid to facilitation techniques and practical skills in stakeholder engagement. The course provides a meeting ground for students from environmental and social sciences study programs, by combining methods from both fields. In this multidisciplinary context, students learn about transdisciplinary concepts and tools, and apply them in a hands-on setting.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- recognise and describe complex environmental systems and their properties;\n- justify stakeholder engagement and participatory decision-making in solving wicked environmental problems;\n- get familiar with facilitation on multi-stakeholder collaboration processes for building consensus, trust and improve decision-making;\n- assess the value of participatory approaches, in particular related to Story-And-Simulation;\n- assess the advantages of qualitative and quantitative methods and how to link them;\n- apply a variety of participatory methods and tools to involve and work actively with stakeholders." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Regional environmental management"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nIn regional environmental management many, often conflicting, interests have to be taken into account. In this process the importance of ecosystems and ecosystem services are often neglected. For balanced decision-making, it is necessary to analyse the impacts of human interventions in a given ecosystem or region in an integrated way, taking due account of all main ecosystem services, the economic, social, institutional and ecological context, and stakeholders’ interests and perceptions. The course starts with an introduction of a regional environmental management framework, concepts and tools with special emphasis on ecosystem services and natural capital accounting. Students will practice with these tools in case studies and apply them to selected regional environmental management issues.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course the students are expected to be able to:\n- explain, critically discuss and apply the main regional environmental management tools;\n- understand the different approaches to map and value ecosystem services and natural capital and apply this information in trade-off analysis;\n- understand and apply basic models that can be used in support of regional environmental management and describe the importance of uncertainties;\n- identify, understand and assess stakeholder perspectives in regional environmental management;\n- understand how main institutional and financing instruments for ecosystem services can be applied to improve regional environmental management;\n- apply regional environmental management tools within a multidisciplinary project team." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Modelling future water stress"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nThe availability of clean water is essential for nature as well as for people. In many world regions the availability of clean water is at risk as a result of population growth, economic and urban developments. The course focusses on global modelling of water demand by society and water availability in a changing world. You will acquire skills to use these models and knowledge to critically reflect on model skills and explore the usability of modelling results for water management decision making. Based on this, students will be asked to design and apply an indicator for water stress that accounts for both water quantity and water quality issues for sectors (e.g., cities, agriculture). Students are exposed to models in different ways in the course with a focus on running and interpreting models. The course is not primarily aimed at teaching programming skills.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- critically discuss global water quantity issues such as water shortage for human uses (e.g., cities, agriculture) and flooding in relation to water quality issues related to nutrients, water temperature, pathogens, salinity, plastic and toxic compounds;\n- assess the skill and output of integrated modelling of water quantity and water quality issues;\n- use simple global water system models;\n- design and apply an indicator for water stress that takes into account both water quantity and water quality." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Integrated water management"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nAll over the world human societies are intervening in water systems. More and more these interventions reduce or exceed the carrying capacity of our rivers, lakes, wetlands, etc. And climate change will aggravate this. Integrated water management is an approach with many faces. The understanding of a small farmer in Peru, for instance, will be completely different from that of an international river basin manager in Europe or from other scale levels. As integrated water management is context dependent, you will learn to identify assumptions, approaches and traditions in different situations. Students will be able to critically appreciate different knowledge and conceptual stance and methodologies applied in other continents and at different spatial and governance scale levels. To improve management of our water resources, we need to better understand interactions between human interventions and water system functioning. The IWM course addresses such interactions by analysing water management from local urban water to transboundary river levels, characterized by messy problems and uncertainties in knowledge.\nYou will acquire the capacity to analyse such messy situations and to propose and critically assess research strategies. To do so dimensions of integration are identified and systems\nthinking approaches are used. We put emphasis on linking scientific approaches with the practice of integrated water management in the real world. Throughout the course students will learn about concepts and gain practical experience by participating in a serious game based on the real-world IWM case of the Markermeer in the Netherlands. Students\nwill use concepts to produce scientific reflection on practical experience gained through participation in the game and analyzing cases literature from around the world.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\ncritically reflect on different definitions [JA1] of integrated and adaptive water management;\nexplain systems thinking approaches and methods that play a role in integrated and adaptive water management;\nanalyze complex, multi-scale and multi-stakeholder water issues from a researchers perspective;\nassess the process of developing solutions to integrated water management issues / challenges." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Water governance: concepts and practices"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nWater governance is not just the ability to predict, regulate and control water flows, but more so the ability to manage and regulate the ways in which people and societies interact with water. Water cycles should therefore not be seen just as physical flows, but as hydro-social cycles: comprising of all societal interaction involved in water winning or abstraction, storage, treatment, distribution, use and consumption, collection of waste water, treatment, discharge to open waters or recycling.\nThis course is meant for Master students (MID, MES, MCL) who want to specialise or major in a water related topic. The course combines social as well as technical water expertise and stimulates students to work from an interdisciplinary angle. The lectures will introduce theories and concepts of water governance and contemporary water debates on various levels. Tutorial's will be geared to discussions of literature in which theories are applied in practices of water governance. Lastly individual paper writing help students to position themselves in contemporary debates around water governance.\nWhile the emphasis of the course is on the way people and societies interact with water, there is a deliberatively wide scope of the course. It ranges from rural to urban, local to global water governance, and from water related laws and institutions to social-technical innovations. Case studies of water governance include waste water and irrigation systems; urban water supply and sanitation; and ground water and river basin management in both Northern (OECD) and Southern (non-OECD) contexts.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- interpret the theories and concepts underlying multiple levels of water goverance and contemporary global water debates;\n- retrieve the concepts and theories to describe, understand and analyse processes of socio-technical change in hydro-social cycles and legal regulation of water resources as well as the definitions of water rights;\n- through the study of literature, and the writing of papers on case studies, apply concepts of socio-technical change, legal regulation and water rights in urban water supply, sanitation; irrigation systems, ground water subtraction or river basin management in both Northern (OECD) and Southern (non-OECD) contexts;\n- position themselves in (policy) debates about various modes of water governance in urban water supply, sanitation; irrigation systems, ground water subtraction or river basin management in both Northern (OECD) and Southern (non-OECD) contexts." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Climate change adaptation in water management"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nOver the past centuries, the amount of water used for human activities has rapidly increased. To increase water availability for human water use and to prevent floods, many natural water systems around the world have been modified. As a result, the carrying capacity of these water systems has been reduced or exceeded. Future climate change and socio-economic development are expected to aggravate this. How future developments and climate change will affect the water systems is highly uncertain. To improve water management in the future, it is important to better understand the interactions between climate change, human interventions, and the functioning of water systems. Also, it is important to manage our systems in a more flexible and adaptive way. This course will cover key theories, methods, and approaches to adapting water systems to future pressures, like climate change and socio-economic changes. The group work (that is part of this course) will focus on impacts and adaptation in urbanized deltas.\n\nDuring the course, the students will learn about climate change scenarios and the impacts of climate change on water resources, flood risks, and water management. We will discuss how socio-economic changes affect water systems, water demand, and land use. Using this information, the students will learn how to develop different types of scenarios and how to do a vulnerability assessment.\n\nIn the course, different approaches to climate change adaptation in the water sector and possible adaptation tools will also be addressed. Future changes are highly uncertain. During the course, we will discuss what methods are available to develop governance arrangements that take into account the uncertainties. We will discuss examples from both the developed and developing world, and we will cover topics such as water scarcity, saltwater intrusion, pollution, and changing flood risks.\n\nDuring the course, students will develop an adaptive water management plan for an urbanized (sub)-basin or delta. Students will study the main climate change impacts, develop future scenarios, and assess the main vulnerabilities of that basin/delta, and will, based on their findings, develop an adaptation strategy from a critical assessment of different adaptation measures and governance arrangements.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\nexplain the main principles of water management considering global change;\nanalyze climate change impacts on water resources and water management practices;\ndesign simple future water use scenarios relevant for water management specific to a case-study region;\nintegrate social and biophysical vulnerabilities into planning for water systems;\ndesign simple adaptation measures and different governance arrangements for climate change adaptation, specific to a case-study region;\ncritically assess developed adaptation measures related to the management of water resources." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Natural hazards and disasters"@en . . "6" . "Contents:\nDisasters related to earthquakes, tsunamis, mudslides, floods, droughts, (wild)fires and famines seriously affect human societies. This interdisciplinary course introduces different analytical perspectives on the causes and consequences of disaster, including the question where disaster begins and where normality resumes, it explores the interconnections between natural hazards, the vulnerability of populations exposed to them, and the relation with climate change. It also discusses the responses to disaster as developed in different social domains, including local communities, governance structures and science. Guest lectures by experts address technical issues such as the use of remote sensing in disaster management.\nNB The course does not go into the specific geophysical mechanics of disastrous events.\nLearning outcomes:\nAfter successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:\n- identify and discuss the prevailing theories, key concepts and analytical methods in disaster studies, especially disaster sociology;\n- explain the concepts of vulnerability, capacity and social resilience and use them as analytical tools;\n- identify and discuss disaster (risk) management practices and policies at local, national and international levels;\n- relate social and natural-science aspects of disasters and disaster management;\n- comprehend and critically discuss the key concepts;\n- synthesise information and formulate new questions on the above issues by designing and presenting a poster to their fellow-students." . . "Presential"@en . "TRUE" . . "Master in Environmental Sciences"@en . . "https://www.wur.nl/en/education-programmes/master/msc-programmes/msc-environmental-sciences.htm" . "120"^^ . "Presential"@en . "The Environmental Sciences master's programme in Wageningen has its roots in the natural, technological and social sciences. Students will gain insight into the socio-economic causes and the characteristics of pollution and degradation of the natural environment, including the effects on human beings, the atmosphere, ecosystems and other organisms. This two-year programme is based on an interdisciplinary approach. Students learn to develop analytical tools and models, as well as technologies, socio-political arrangements and economic instruments to prevent and control the wicked environmental and sustainability issues like climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion."@en . . "2"@en . "FALSE" . . "Master"@en . "Thesis" . "2314.00" . "Euro"@en . "19600.00" . "Mandatory" . "Graduates find jobs at many different organisations. Professional job possibilities can be found as:\r\n\r\nA researcher at a university or a research institute\r\nAn adviser at governmental authorities (ministries, provinces and municipalities) or waterboards\r\nAn engineer or a consultant in the industry"@en . "4"^^ . "TRUE" . "Downstream"@en . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .