This course aims to introduce China’s cultural heritages from the perspective of cultural geography. As an important sub-discipline in human geography, cultural geography examines how people use space and develop it into places – a process of cultural landscape formation. “Space” here is nothing immutable or monolithic; instead, individuals, groups, civilizations and their culture “craft” characteristic places through interactions with the surrounding environment and specific political and economic systems (themselves determined by culture). China provides numerous extraordinary examples to illustrate these topics. The course includes four key components: 1) the theoretical foundation: fundamentals of cultural geography; 2) the legacies and regional variations of China’s cultural heritages; 3) topical issues about China’s cultural heritages; 4) the cultural convergence in aspects of globalization and cultural transformation. The course provides not only a body of knowledge about the cultural landscape and spatial variations of places in China, but also an understanding of their major transformations that have taken place in a globalizing world.

This course aims at providing students with an overall view on nature conservation in general and Hong Kong in particular. It will examine the history and development of nature conservation in Hong Kong including legislation, designation and management of the protected areas. Specifically, country, marine parks and geopark are developed to protected terrestrial and marine habitats as well as the associated wildlife, and geodiversity, respectively. Threats and problems facing existing protected areas will be discussed. Nature conservation will be addressed through lectures, field trips and students’ projects. It will also introduce concepts and principles of nature conservation in the local and global context, including climate change, ecosystem services, geo-conservation and the global conservation efforts such as the World Summit and Convention of Biodiversity. The course helps students look at nature conservation from the perspective of sustainable development, incorporating the environmental, social and economic dimensions of development, focusing on SDG Goals 14 and 15 in particular. Both SDGs are directly linked to nature conservation efforts, focusing on preserving natural resources, ecosystems, and biodiversity, which are vital for the health of our planet, ensuring sustainable fishing/forest management practices for the benefit of communities.

Climate change is a subject of great interest to all concerned about the future of mankind. However, very few people realize that climate has always been changing since the formation of the Earth. Even fewer people realize that the living things in their totality exert a significant influence in shaping the evolution of the climate itself. One striking feature of the current climate change is that it has arisen from the action of one single species Homo sapiens, owing to its ability to master the use of an enormous amount of energy. This course presents the story of the Earth’s atmosphere since its inception up to the current time, illustrating the close interactions between the physical world and the living world. Observations about the life phenomenon are discussed, including the role of energy in the sustenance of life, individually and collectively. The changing climate has provided the context for the development of life on Earth, in terms of dispersion and diversity. The glacial periods have also shaped the habits and character of human beings. The arrival of the recent warm interglacial period facilitated the emergence of agriculture, enabling human beings to capture and utilize more energy in their life cycles. It brought about major changes to human beings’ way of life as well as significant disruptions to the delicate balance in nature. Major turning points in history such as the emergence of civilizations, the conflict between nomads and pastoralists, wars and maritime colonialism are discussed in the climate context. Industrial revolution and modern consumerism are discussed in terms of their energy consumption and the associated emission of greenhouse gases, which has given rise to the current man-made climate change. Other aspects of this enormous use of energy are discussed, including urbanization, the attrition of the self and human beings’ increasing detachment from nature. Latest projections of the climate in the 21st century and the potential consequences are presented. How the human world would deal with the potential of hazardous climate change will be explored, including the particular problems faced by China as it is about to develop further. It would be a time to reflect on the core human values and how they are to be expressed in the new low-energy world.

This course will provide an introduction of China’s major environmental crises at local, regional, national and global scales and at different stages of development. It covers topics from air pollution (both indoor and outdoor), water shortage (due to the lack of water resources and water pollution), soil pollution, waste management, desertification & deforestation, energy transition and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as climate change. The foci will not only cover the causes and seriousness of the crises from the perspectives of science, technology, society and governance, but also solutions and emerging norms related to the topics. The course endeavors to inspire students to reflect on their own communities and how to approach sustainable development goals at a variety of scales. Multiple of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals are closely relevant to the lectures, including (7) Affordable and Clean Energy, (6) Clean Water and Sanitation, (13) Climate Action, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, (9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and (17) Partnerships for the Goals. This course uses an interdisciplinary approach to lead students through relevant key topics. Students from most departments in natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, public health, and business management will be able to find connections between these topics and their own disciplines. The approach will provide students chances to independently think about the problems beyond any discipline. Because environmental problems are frequently reflected in social and individual daily lives, the course will make students more informed in the increasingly globalizing society for their better contribution to more sustainable development.

Climate change, sea level rise, deforestation, forest fire, severe typhoon, glacier melt, agricultural loss, overpopulation, etc. are terms that you might have heard of. And they are also real and hot crises affecting the sustainability of human beings. How do we know these are all happening? In fact, our earth is being overseen from space every day. One good example is Google Earth that takes us any part of the globe anytime and anywhere using fingertips. Have you wondered where do these images come from? How these images are captured? How can images be used to understand the happening on our earth? Most of these images are captured by giant machines hovering in space known as satellites. “Remote sensing” is the process to collect images from the space or in the air, which is one of the key tools in the regime of spatial information technology. Important information are extracted from these images to gain better understanding of status quo and be more sustainable and responsible to our home – Earth. This course allows students to acquire basic knowledge of remote sensing and to understand how the technology is used to the study and monitor of our earth. The course is divided into two parts. The first part elucidates the basic concept of remote sensing as well as the skills in extracting information from images. The second part unveils the applications of remote sensing images to crucial sustainability issues such as urban development, agriculture, forest management, natural disaster, climate change, etc. These applications connect with three Sustainable Development Goals including #11 (sustainable cities and community), #13 (climate action) and #15 (life on land) set by the United Nations in 2015. Loads of remotely-sensed images are used to illustrate the natural process and human activities that alter the earth surface and to explore the issue of sustainability. Together with hands-on work in tutorials and interactive class activity, students would be aware of how this novel technology is exploring the future of human beings.

As the most populous country in the world, China is confronted by the problems of overpopulation, water scarcity, energy shortage, desertification, 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, the environmental and ecological problems have reached a point whereby sustainable growth is jeopardized. To solve the problems of limited resource per capita, as well as encourage economic development, China has implemented and planned for a series of 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 renewable energy projects and inter-provincial railway construction. These projects have been conceived for decades yet highly controversial and expensive to build. Meanwhile, China has made a commitment that it will shoulder the responsibility of implementing the 2030 development agenda (17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs), and seek solidarity and cooperation to constantly push the cause of global development. This course gives students a general background of these mega-projects, the problems they attempt to resolve, benefits, as well as how these projects trying to meet the SDGs (especially the SDGs 6, 7 and 13 of water scarcity, affordable clean energy and climate actions, respectively), and the potential collaborations with other countries contributing to human well-being. After taking this course, students should have a comprehensive understanding about the occurrence, nature and sustainable solutions of the various environmental problems China is facing.

Globalization processes have been affecting every nook and corner of the world. We are all fascinated by the mushrooming of transnational companies; the increasing cross-boundary flows of resources as well as the increasing competition among places and cities. Resource becomes a keen issue due to the growth of population, trade and economy in the age of globalization. Good management of resources will thus be both global and local concerns. In this regard and with the advent of the global agenda 2030, there is increasing enthusiasm in addressing the most pressing and challenging issues that the world is facing today, and these are Globalization and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This course will thus focus on the interaction of man and environment in a geographical context with special reference to a selection of relevant SDGs. By adopting different perspectives, a variety of resource issues ranging from natural resources to economic and human resources will be examined. The course will be divided into two parts. The first part will be the discussion of basic concepts of globalization and resource issues in the society that are related to selected SDGs. The second part will be issue-based analyses of different resource issues that affect lives in modern societies and that could make a difference in the pursuit of the SDGs particularly in this age of globalization. Various cases in the real world will be analyzed. This course will help students to broaden their views on the SDGs and understand the importance and implications of resource issues in both developing and developed countries.

Hong Kong is fraught with many environmental challenges nowadays, ranging from environmental pollution to nature conservation. These challenges have brought about conflicts between different camps and caused significant difficulties in governance. This course will guide students to critically analyze these environmental challenges through a theoretical framework built upon the latest understanding of the politics of policy making and considerations in ethics, technology and economics. The course will demonstrate the use of the theoretical framework through the analysis of real Hong Kong cases, field trips, video watching and assignments. Through these various learning activities, students are expected to acquire the relevant knowledge and develop skills in critical analysis, data collection, field observation and capability in policy evaluation and problem solving.

What are the major natural hazards and why do they occur around the world? What places are most vulnerable to multiple hazards? What are the disasters caused by a hazard and how do people respond? How to manage various types of natural hazards which affect the sustainability of urban and rural development? Students will find enormous interest in seeking answers to these questions. This course examines the physical and human dimensions of natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, landslides, tropical cyclones, floods and droughts. Through a variety of teaching and learning activities, this course will help students understand major natural hazards from a regional perspective, in terms of their causes, location and distribution, human responses to prepare, prevent and mitigate their impacts on sustainable development. Effective management and mitigation of natural hazards are essential for building safe, resilient, and sustainable cities (SDG11) and for combating and adapting to climate change (SDG13). This course provides students with real-life examples that help students understand the relevant economic, social and environmental issues caused by natural hazards. The knowledge empowers students to evaluate the effectiveness of various mitigation measures to minimise the impact on people, contributing to more resilient and sustainable societies. Study of the interaction between society and natural hazards will help students better understand the man-environment relationship. An issue-based approach from a topical perspective is adopted to address a wide variety of geological, meteorological, and hydrological hazards. The importance of geographical regions in understanding natural hazards and their socio-economic impacts is highlighted throughout the course. Case studies of occurrences and natural hazard management in Hong Kong and other parts of the world are emphasized.

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. This course introduces students to the concepts and processes of environmental change, such as climate change, land use change, desertification, and habitat loss. The course adopts a scientific approach to help students understand the processes of environmental change behind some of the planet’s famous natural landscapes, landforms and natural phenomena. These shall include the natural processes (geological, atmospheric, hydrological and ecological) and anthropogenic processes (land use change, fossil fuel combustion and infrastructure development). The course is designed around the four themes of: (i) the processes and patterns of landscape formation; (ii) the combination of natural and human-induced environmental change; (iii) benefits of natural wonders to human beings; and (iv) the methods and challenges of protecting natural wonders. This course will cover at least three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely SDG13 Climate Action, SDG14 Life Below Water, and SDG15 Life On Land. The impact of climate change on various natural wonders and related human well-being will be examined, along with possible ways to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Also, the influence of human activities on terrestrial and marine ecosystems, as well as possible options for their sustainable management will be discussed.

Since the establishment of the Special Administrative Region in 1997 under “One Country Two Systems”, the synergy between Hong Kong, Macao and the PRD has been renewed. With the recent Central Government’s initiative of the development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, there will be closer and mutually beneficial co-operation among cities in this economic region. This will reshape the socio-economic relations and the urban landscapes of the three places. Studying the changing relations of Hong Kong, Macao and the PRD will not only help students understand the dynamic socio-economic development of the Greater Bay Area as a rapidly growing mega-city region in the world, but also capture the latest transformation of the region. A wide variety of teaching and learning activities, including lectures, forums and video watching will be conducted to present a lively and comprehensive picture of the Greater Bay Area to students.

This course is designed to offer an exhaustive and nuanced exploration of the intricate patterns and rich historical tapestries of urban development worldwide, viewed through a geographic lens. Throughout this course, students will be introduced to a wide range of theories and concepts that are intricately linked to the social and economic evolution of cities across different world regions. These theories and concepts include colonialism, postcolonialism, capitalism, neoliberalism, globalization, post-industrial development, urbanization, and urban sprawl. By exploring these theories and concepts, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of urban development within diverse geographic contexts and with varying historical backgrounds. This course is relevant to SDGs 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). It will provide students with the knowledge and tools to identify inequalities in urban development and analyze the challenges and opportunities in achieving sustainable cities and communities. The curriculum is thoughtfully divided into five key sections, each providing an in-depth analysis of urban development in different regions – Europe, America, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Greater Middle East, and Asia. These sections are carefully curated to help students gain a profound understanding of the diverse economic, political, cultural, and historical influences that have shaped and continue to shape urban landscapes in these varied regions. Students will engage with diverse learning methodologies. This includes detailed case studies that provide real-world examples of urban development, scholarly readings that offer academic perspectives, visual aids that illustrate key concepts, and interactive discussions that encourage critical thinking and collaborative learning. Ideal for students with a passion for urban studies, geography, history, sociology, or related disciplines, this course offers a unique opportunity to explore the world of urban development in a global context, preparing them to become informed and engaged global citizens.

Sustainable development is a global vision for the future. This approach to development should not only generate economic growth, but also distribute its benefits equitably, regenerate the environment rather than destroy it, as well as empower people rather than marginalize them. The UN 2030 Agenda came into effect in 2015 promising to “interlink and integrate” Sustainable Development Goals in an attempt to implement solutions facing humanity. Sustainable development goals are an all-inclusive invitation to act to end poverty, secure the planet and ensure that all people appreciate peace and prosperity. This course introduces the concept of sustainable development, the evolution of models and the implicit assumptions they make, as well as their contradictions. It also traces the advent of the SDGs and the extent that they support the principles of sustainable development. We examine the emergence of environmental problems and critically review the institutional responses to these problems since the late 1960s. We then consider in detail the increasingly popular idea of efforts in the pursuit of the SDGs from different perspectives that centres around people, planet, prosperity, peace and the partnerships involved in achieving the goals. The lectures will explore how achieving sustainable development goals will depends much on effective planning and good governance. Examples from different parts of the world will be used to underline the tight inter-connections between processes in different regions and across geographical scales in the context of sustainable development.

The first part of the course will cover the general introductory concepts and provide students with theoretical and historical background of the discipline. This will be followed by in-depth study of specific environmental settings and resource issues that will complement our understanding of ecotourism. Hong Kong is the main focus of discussion though examples or cases in Mainland China and around the world are also provided throughout the course. Critical issues in ecotourism such as its multi-dimensional impacts, governance, planning, and resource and visitor management will also be covered. Lastly, students will be exposed to the relation of the phenomenon of ecotourism and the concept of sustainable tourism. Some of the lectures will address SDGs, for example, Goals 12, 16 and 17 embrace the knowledge and evolution of environmentalism and nature-human relationship; Goals 14 and 15 connect with the concept of protected areas and environmental conservation; Goals 1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 12 and 13 cover multi-dimensional tourism impacts and, more importantly, climate change issue. The concept of sustainable development will frame and conclude the entire course since the concepts has played an indispensable role in tourism development nowadays.

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 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. Those human settlements which develop an integrated and sustainable approach to the environmental, economic and social challenges will have more chance to grow and prosper.

Ideal living environment is closely related with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG11 and SDG13 with topics covered in this course. Sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) directly address the need for safe, inclusive, and resilient living environments. It includes targets for affordable housing, sustainable urban planning, and access to green and public spaces, resilient building.

Climate Action (SDG 13) mitigates climate change impacts through sustainable practices which helps protect living environments from extreme weather events and environmental degradation.

By focusing on these related SDGs, students can create their ideal living environments by promoting sustainability, enhancing quality of life and addressing climate change challenges that not only meet the needs of current communities that are inclusive, resilient and environmentally friendly, but also ensure sustainability for future generations.

This course provides students with the insights needed to gain an understanding of ideal environment for living from the perspective of a geographer. Key themes include searching for the best location, the rise of city, forms of human settlement, ideal living and quality of life. 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. Ecological civilisation, landscape cities and sustainable development of ideal living environment will also be explored. While the coverage will be broad and pluralistic, examples and cases of Hong Kong, mainland China, and other parts of the world will be emphasized.

In order to enhance the learning experience, an interactive teaching mode will be adopted in the lectures so that the instructor can guide students to analyse the cases and issues through discussions.

Food is essential for life by providing energy and nutrition and achieving zero hunger is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The course adopts a multidisciplinary approach to examine the different issues of food and hunger, and how they change over time. The causes of world hunger will be analyzed with special emphasis on food production systems, bearing in mind there is no single solution to the problem. Moreover, the course delves into the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of hunger, examining how issues such as poverty, food insecurity, and climate change intersect to exacerbate the problem. Towards the end of the course, students will gain a deeper understanding of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) through an exploration of sustainable agricultural practices and strategies to address global hunger challenges in the 21st century. Lectures will be supplemented with case studies, videos and slides.

Popular representations of the African continent produced in global discussions are marked by a stereotyped image of Africa, its culture, environment and development. The purpose of this course is to critically examine the common framing of Africa as a continent of conflict, disasters, poverty and a region that is perpetually in need of external intervention. In addition to the myth that surrounds Africa, there is a growing dynamics of activities resulting into the current interest on the continent.

Earlier, the UN settled on the Agenda 2030 as a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity for the whole world. This plan dovetails very well with the Africa’s Agenda 2063. This therefore provides an opportunity to identify where Africa situates on SDG issues that include its people, its environment and its economic development.

The course will therefore present to students the context of Africa relating to its geography, environment, culture as well as contemporary development issues shaping the destiny of Africa. Through lectures, guest speakers, videos and possibly field studies, students will be able to critically evaluate the stereotypical notion of Africa as a continent rather than as a country as is quite often misconstrued. The course will provide an intellectual platform to understand and analyze issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective as they relate to Africa and humanity. The students will be able to interpret and explain in broad terms, the contemporary position of Africa as it relates to other parts of the world with special attention to its relationship with Asia and China in particular.

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 which deserve our attention.

This course offers students a comprehensive understanding of cities and urban challenges from the perspective of sustainable development. It examines the historical, social, economic, cultural and environmental dimensions of cities. As the course focuses on urban issues at global, regional and local levels, students will not only gain knowledge about the causes and impacts of urban problems, but also learn how different stakeholders can help achieve sustainable liveable cities in the age of globalization. By adopting an issue-based approach, different SDGs such as no poverty (SDG 1), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), reduced inequality (SDG 10) and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), will be included in a variety of topics ranging from socio-economic to environmental aspects in the course. Different cities will be chosen as case studies for understanding various urban challenges and solutions. Apart from lectures, students will develop critical thinking on various urban challenges that affect their daily lives through video discussion, group projects and presentation in the discussion forums.