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General Education Programme is designed to broaden
the interests of students, give them a widen perspective,
and cultivate in them the ability to face the issues of daily
life. Our Department has designated a number of introductory
courses as General Education courses for students of various
disciplines who have interests in different aspects/issues
of Geography and Resource Management.
UGC 212E / GRM 1033 Perspectives on Pan Pearl River
Delta 泛珠三角透視
UGB 213E Earth as Seen from Space 從太空觀地球
UGB 215E China's Mega-projects in the New Millennium
中國世紀工程
UGB 216E Resource Issues in the Age of Globalization
全球化時代的資源問題
UGB 217E Sustainable Development 可持續發展
UGB 218E Environment Hong Kong: the X Files 香港環保X檔案
UGC 219E Understanding Ecotourism 生態旅遊探索
UGC 220E Pursuit of Ideal Living Environment 理想人居環境的追尋
UGC 221E Global Food Resources
全球糧食資源
UGB 222E
Natural Hazards 自然災害
UGC 223E Cities in a Changing World 城巿面面觀
UGB 224E Natural Wonders of the World 世界自然奇觀
UGC
212E / GRM 1033 Perspectives on Pan Pearl River Delta 泛珠三角透視
An introduction to the pattern and problems of development
in the Zhujiang Delta region under the impetus of China’s
open policy. An exploration of the intricate relationship
between Hong Kong and the delta region in the wake of Hong
Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty. This course is both
analytical and futuristic. (Geography and Resource Management
Majors and Minors and students who have taken GRM1033 cannot
take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGB
213E Earth as Seen from Space 從太空觀地球
This is a general education course for students of various
disciplines to understand basic geographical phenomena and
grasp important geographic concepts through the study of remote
sensing images, particularly satellite images. Topics include:
landform, atmosphere, tropical rainforest, land degradation,
environmental pollution, agriculture, urban growth and planning
and regional development. Selected topics are lectured with
demonstration of slides showing images taken at various parts
of the Earth to illustrate the geographical phenomena and
concepts. (Geography and Resource Management Majors and Minors
cannot take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGB
215E China's Mega-projects in the New Millennium 中國世紀工程
As the most populous country in the world, China is confronted
by the problems of overpopulation, desertification, land degradation,
drought, floods, pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Since
1978 the economy has grown rapidly and as of to date, it has
become a rising economic power of the world. However, environmental
pollution and ecological degradation have reached a point
whereby sustainable growth is jeopardized. The conflict between
development and conservation will intensify with China’s plan
to develop the west and accession to the World Trade Organization.
To maintain the momentum of growth, China has implemented
and planned for several mega-projects of far-reaching repercussions,
the scale of which is unmatched in the history of mankind.
They range from multi-purpose water conservancy projects to
biological engineering projects and inter-provincial railway
construction. These projects have been conceived for decades
yet highly controversial and expensive to build. The course
gives students a general background of these mega-projects,
the problems they attempt to resolve, benefits as well as
their impact on the environment. After taking this course,
students should have a comprehensive understanding about the
occurrence, nature and possible solutions of the various environmental
problems China is facing. Lectures will be supplemented with
slides and videos from time to time. (Geography and Resource
Management Majors and Minors and students who have taken GRM2001
cannot take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGB
216E Resource Issues in the Age of Globalization 全球化時代的資源問題
This course introduces students to the interactions of man
and environment in a geographical context. Because of globalization,
the growth of population, increasing need for use of resources,
and in particular the dynamism of societies like Hong Kong,
the course draws substantially on resource issues that are
of most concern. The course focuses on basic geographical
concepts and modern techniques in resource development. The
role of geography and resource management is emphasized on
topical issues that affect lives in modern societies, particularly
in this age of globalization. The course will help students
to broaden their views in understanding the importance of
resource issues in dynamic societies like Hong Kong and the
region at large. (Geography and Resource Management Majors
and Minors and students who have taken GRM1001 cannot take
this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGB
217E Sustainable Development 可持續發展
Sustainable development is a still-evolving concept which seeks to harmonize the relationship between population growth, environment and development. As of to date, the only unified views about the concept are that it should be value-laden, country-specific and build on an inseparable economic, social and ecological framework. The first part of the course addresses the fundamental issues of the concept: evolutionary history, contradictions, sustainability indicators, assessment tools and application. The second part comprises case studies pertaining to Hong Kong, with special emphasis on the sustainable development of environment, economy, transport, agriculture, recreation and fishery. Field trips may be provided to enhance student’s learning experience. (Geography and Resource Management Majors and Minors and students who have taken GRM2301 cannot take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGB
218E Environment Hong Kong: the X Files 香港環保X檔案
This course attempts to encourage students to probe into the
environmental issues of Hong Kong through a number of
case studies and field observations. The aim is to help students
appreciate the complexity of environmental issues and to re-examine
them in a critical and balanced manner so as to broaden their
vision in analysing environmental problems and to develop
their ability in problem-solving. (Geography and Resource
Management Majors and Minors and students who have taken GRM1004
cannot take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGC
219E Understanding Ecotourism 生態旅遊探索
This course will introduce ecotourism which is an important
component of the tourism industry and is becoming relevant
to the society. It will develop and focus on a natural resource-based
perspective incorporating resource and environmental management
principles. Since ecotourism became a buzzword, many government
departments are committed to promote ecotourism and nature-based
tourism in Hong Kong. Ecotourism, is fast growing and is capable
of inculcating environmental education and ethics, conservation,
and will provide opportunities to engage in various types
of recreation activities in the outdoors. The course adopts
an academically challenging and stimulating approach of studying
ecotourism using audio visual materials relevant field trips
as well as lectures. (Geography and Resource Management Majors
cannot take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGC 220E Pursuit of Ideal Living Environment 理想人居環境的追尋
The pursuit of ideal living environment has long been a human undertaking throughout history. Because of environmental variations, some places are definitely better than the others for living and development. In the ancient time, man strived for searching a nice place for settlement where could provide a better resource base. Nowadays, man acquires sciences and technologies to change or even create the environment that makes living pleasant and comfortable.
This course provides the student with the insights needed to gain an understanding of ideal environment for living from the perspective of a geographer. Topics include environmental perception, siting and location, urbanization, land use and functions, urban planning, urban design, architecture and interior design. As the course examines the understanding of ideal environment for living from different angles, students will not only gain objective geographical knowledge about the relationship between man and environment, but also learn how some urban challenges and issues are tackled. While the coverage will be broad and pluralistic, examples and cases of mainland China and Hong Kong will be emphasized. (Geography and Resource Management Majors and Minors cannot take this course to fulfill General Education requirements.)
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UGC
221E Global Food Resources 全球糧食資源
This course examines food from different perspectives: historical,
social, economic, political, cultural, ecological and environmental.
It begins with a global overview of the domestication of plants
and animals for food, evolution of agriculture, food security
and famine, food trade, as well as food safety and ethics.
The pros and cons of conventional, transgenic and organic
agriculture will be examined from a holistic point of view.
This is followed by an investigation of China’s food supply
potentials and problems, regional development of food tastes,
and attempt to revolutionize its food production strategy
in the 21st century. Lectures will be supplemented with videos
and slides. (Geography and Resource Management Majors and Minors
cannot take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGB 222E Natural Hazards 自然災害
This course examines the physical and human dimensions of
natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods
and landslides, soil erosion and desertification. The focus
will be on the causes of major natural hazards, their geographical
distribution, risk and disaster to human society, and human
response to prepare, prevent and mitigate negative impacts.
Study of the interaction between society and natural hazards
will help students better understand the man-environment relationship.
An issue-based approach will be adopted to address a wide
variety of geological, meteorological, hydrological, ecological,
and technological hazards. While the coverage will be broad
and global, case studies of threats, occurrence and consequences
of natural hazards in Hong Kong and Mainland China will be
emphasized. (Geography and Resource Management Majors and Minors
cannot take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGC 223E Cities in a Changing World 城巿面面觀
Cities have always been magnets attracting a growing number of citizens. The unprecedented pace of urbanization has recently witnessed a historic shift of human population with the majority now living in cities. The growth of cities in this age of globalization raises many opportunities and challenges, concerning the quality of life, poverty, sustainability, environmental degradation and urban competitiveness. All of these issues and problems deserve our attention. This course examines cities from different perspectives: historical, social, economic, cultural and environmental. At the global level, an overview of different types of cities, city networks as well as the impact of globalization on urban development will be addressed. At the regional level, it attempts to explore the emergence of cross-border economic regions and urban corridors in Mainland China. At the local level, the internal dynamics of cities will be addressed. By adopting a holistic approach, a variety of cities will be chosen as case studies for understanding urban development. While the coverage will be broad and global, case studies of Mainland China and Hong Kong will be emphasized. Lectures will be supplemented with videos. (Geography and Resource Management Majors and Minors
cannot take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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UGB 224E Natural Wonders of the World 世界自然奇觀
For many of us, the natural wonders of our planet are well known, for example, Antarctica, the Amazon Forests, the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon. Yet, few people really understand their formation and presence. Therefore, this course will introduce students to the concepts and processes of environmental change, including plate tectonics, climatic variation, desertification, oceanic and atmospheric circulation, erosion, river sedimentation as well as land degradation and global warming. ‘Natural Wonders of the World’ adopts a scientific approach to help students understand both the natural and human-induced processes of environmental change behind some of the planet’s most famous natural landscapes, landforms and natural phenomena. An integrated approach to the basic physical processes that shape the planet, including the geological, atmospheric, hydrological and ecological, will be emphasized. Students will also gain an understanding of the varying importance of these "wonders" in shaping the environment on a regional and global scale. The course is designed around the four themes of: (i) the processes and patterns of landscape formation; (ii) the varying scales of sites on the regional and global environment; (iii) the combination of natural and human-induced environmental change; and, (iv) the methods and challenges of protecting natural wonders. In addition to examining the dual processes of natural and human-induced environmental change, the students’ negative preconceptions of volcanic eruptions, monsoons, climatic variation and erosion will be challenged. Finally, a deeper understanding of how human activities are changing these natural phenomena and how they can be protected will be discussed. (Geography and Resource Management Majors and Minors
cannot take this course to fulfil General Education requirements.)
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