SP0007 FIELDWORK & DOCUMENTATION: TOPICS IN SUSTAINABILITY

This course aims to equip students with the necessary research skills to plan and execute a research project in sustainability at the nexus of economy, environment and societal space. Through team-based exploration of sustainability issues viewed from an interdisciplinary lens, students will gain knowledge about the process of research, including its fieldwork and documentation, and apply such knowledge in the field. They will learn how to gather and document empirical data ethically, and explain the rationale for the decisions they make as well as evaluate the success and limitations of fieldwork that centers around sustainability issues including, but not limited to, environmental sustainability (e.g., waste, pollution, energy), sociocultural sustainability (e.g., preservation and sustainability of national, regional, ethnic, racial, or other ingroup-based tangible and intangible culture and heritage), and economic sustainability (e.g., the promotion of long-term economic growth through efficient and responsible resource management). The course is project-based, and students work in teams to go through the process of crafting their own subject matter, documenting, writing and storytelling using mixed media. This course contributes to the development of students in the NTU-University Scholars Programme in their competence as researchers with empathy, intercultural communication skills, and creativity. By crafting their own research projects from start to finish, students in this course will learn to evaluate the various sustainability challenges faced by our ever-changing world and, hopefully, cultivate the ability and interest to promote mitigation strategies that improve their own livelihoods and those of their fellow global citizens.