EDS303 Introduction to International Environmental Studies

The course provides an introduction to the Master in International Environmental Studies (M-IES), focusing on main issues and perspectives in the study programme. The international environmental studies field is interdisciplinary and the course emphasizes the importance of integrating knowledge across the natural and social sciences. At the same time, the course shows how societal relevance and socio-political issues penetrates the study program. It moreover introduces students to Noragric’s contribution to the field and how we work interdisciplinary. The course will demonstrate the different research focus and perspectives of (some of) the teaching staff. Moreover, through its emphasis on the linkage of theory to empirical examples, the course is designed to also display the intellectual and policy-related value of research within international environmental studies. The course is designed to introduce students to the international environmental studies field with an emphasis on addressing the inter-linkages between local, national, and global governance levels, and the relationships and processes that link the global north and global south.

The course is designed to give students a basic introduction to different ways that environmental change can be understood. It will furthermore support students in recognizing the difference between these approaches (including the implications of choosing a particular empirical and theoretical perspective for understanding the challenges of environmental change). By covering the main theoretical directions in the field of environmental studies, the course ensures that students are able to understand and explain the complexity of nature-society relationships. By the end of the course, students should be familiar with the basic concepts used in the field of international environmental studies. Students should also be able to start to apply different theoretical perspectives to practical cases of environmental change.