Earth and Environmental Sciences - Junior

Course # EAES 3256 

Credits 6  

Prerequisites: Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences, Sedimentary Geology

Course Description

Welcome to Structural Geology, the study of the physical evidence and mechanisms of rock deformation, such as jointing, faulting, folding, and flow. These structures provide information on the Earth's crust's history, geologic hazards (such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides), and the distribution of natural resources and contaminants. This course provides an introduction to the theoretical principles, observational methodologies, and analytical methods utilized in contemporary structural geology. Geologic formations are investigated in the field and via the analysis of published data sets in order to comprehend basic processes. Structural geology requires understanding of geological maps and basic knowledge of geological mapping. Therefore, in this course you will be introduced with the basic techniques of geological mapping and field observations to collect structural data for geological mapping. The goal of this course is to help you better appreciate the relevance of structural geology to a wide range of problems in the Earth and environmental sciences and to apply the knowledge and skills you acquire to whatever field of study you choose by putting your own observations within the context of addressing these problems.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Observe geological structures in an unfamiliar outcrop and collect data for structural analyses
• Synthesize your observations from hand samples, outcrops, and geological maps of unfamiliar geological structures
• Analyze collected structural data and interpret the results of your structural analysis in the context of the geological evolution of a study area
• Formulate hypotheses to explain the genesis of the observed structures, and test these hypotheses using physical or numerical models
• Assess the relevance of an unknown geological structure to a problem be it in volcanology, hydrology, energy resources, earthquake risks, or planetary science

Course Assessments and Grading 

Course # EAES 3266 

Credits 6  

Prerequisite: Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences

TBA

Course # EAES 3246 

Credits 6

Prerequisites: Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences. 

Course Description 

Soil determines the nature of plant ecosystems and the capacity of land to support human, animal, plant, and other organisms. This introductory soil science course is designed to provide an overview of the fundamental concepts of soil science and lead to the development of students’ understanding of the properties and processes that are basic to the use and management of soils. Specifically, this course covers the fundamentals of soils including soil formation, soil classification, soil physics, soil biology, soil ecology, soil chemistry along with soil management aspects such as soil fertility and nutrient management, soil erosion and control and soil health in the Anthropocene. Students are also expected to gain practical experience by conducting soil lab experiments which would enhance their understanding about the importance of soil, various types of soil, physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil especially in mountainous areas.

Course Learning Outcomes  

Upon completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to: 

• Explain soil formation process including the basic processes, environmental factors, weathering, and characteristics of soil profile.
• Evaluate various classes of soil including categories of soil taxonomy, features of soil diagnostic horizons and characteristics of soil orders.
• Explain the basic physical, biological, ecological, chemical, and mineralogical properties of soil. 
• Determine soil textural classes using soil textural triangle. 
• Explain the chemical properties of soil such as pH, salinity, acidity, and the role of organisms that live in the soil.
• Explain the importance of the soil in the environment, the interactions of various properties of soil and its impact on plant growth, soil behaviour, and soil management.
• Evaluate the challenges of soil management related to nutrients, erosion, and maintenance of soil health.

Course Assessments and Grading 

Course # ECON 3213E         

Credits 3

Prerequisites: Basics of entrepreneurship  

Course description 

Social, economic, and cultural inequalities and environmental issues continue to exist in the Central Asia region and globally. Governments, corporations, NGOs, and individuals recognize these challenges and seek initiatives that enable sustainable development. The course introduces the different models, frameworks, and processes of social entrepreneurship. The mission and vision of social entrepreneurship is explored.  

Course learning outcomes  

Upon completing the course, students will be able to:  

• Define social entrepreneurship in the local and global context 
• Explain the legal, cultural and business framework and different models of social enterprises in the region through case studies and working with a real social enterprise 
• Apply the social business model canvas 
• Identify social and environmental issues in the local context;
• Identify what are the opportunities for social enterprise around these issues 

Course Assessments and Grading 

Course # ECON 4233

Credits 3

Course Description 

Exploring Tourism Economics in Central Asia's Mountainous Regions is a course designed to delve into the economic aspects of tourism specific to Central Asia's mountainous areas. After a series of introductory lectures, this course fosters active student participation through a "guided readings and presentations" approach. Functioning more like a research seminar, students are encouraged to present and engage in discussions about current research in related fields. In addition, students engage with the tourism industry through visits of tourist service providers, specific resorts, and other key industry stakeholders, gaining firsthand experience and insights. 

There will a be a few introductory lectures on selected topics from existing tourism textbooks.  

Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to: 

• describe the driving forces of the tourism sector in mountainous regions
• recognize the gains and losses linked to tourism activities for different categories of people and localities
• describe the role of mountain tourism in the Central Asian economies
• analyze how tourism stakeholders can be affected by the competitive and macroeconomic environments
• discuss the economic impacts of tourism on mountainous communities are
• analyze how economics can support policy implications to manage leisure and tourism in remote mountainous areas

Course Assessments and Grading

Course # EAES 4216E

Credits 6

Prerequisites: Chemistry, Physics, Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Governance: Water, Air, Land and Biosphere 

Course Description 

Water resources are experiencing increased environmental, social, political, and economic impacts. To address these impacts, it is highly important to have comprehensive understanding of science and policy related to water resources management for further sound and sustainable decision-making. This interdisciplinary course adopts a holistic approach to water management with a specific focus on technical, economic, and social aspects. Students are expected to gain practical experience in modelling a conventional water treatment process, attend field trips including a local water treatment plant and a hydropower plant as well as participate in an engaging role-play simulation game related to promotion of Water-Food-Energy approach which would all enhance their understanding of scientific and policy aspects of water management. 

Course Learning Outcomes  

Upon completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to: 

• Explain the hydrological cycle including hydrological processes and their interactions.
• Apply surface water hydrology and groundwater hydrology analysis including derivation of unit hydrograph, flow duration curves, flood frequency and setting up groundwater balance for various scenarios.
• Estimate agricultural, urban and hydropower demands for meeting human needs.
• Explain the basic water quality parameters such as temperature, DO, pH and turbidity.
• Explain the conventional water treatment and municipal wastewater treatment processes along with physical, chemical, microbiological and radiological characteristics of water and wastewater.
• Describe water allocation frameworks including national, basin, regional/sub-basin and individual as well as water allocation challenges.
• Describe the water conflict and cooperation scholarship including causes of water conflicts, role of stakeholders and tools and tracks of water diplomacy.
• Examine the main principles and mechanisms of international environmental law relevant to water resources management and their implementation in water legislation of Central Asia.
• Discuss the existing challenges of transboundary water cooperation including interactions between water, food, and energy sectors.

Course Assessments and Grading 

Course # ECON 4223E         

Credits 3

Prerequisites: Microeconomics

This course is provided by CERGE-EI.

Course Description

Energy is a basic necessity of daily life and a vital input to industry in any society. New technologies, especially renewable power generators, such as wind and solar, are changing industry. Also, new climate policies have a growing influence on the economics and practical functioning of energy systems, especially the electricity industry. First, this course aims to give a deeper theoretical insight regarding economic externalities, such as global warming. Several classical economic instruments are presented, such as Pigovean taxes, cap-and-trade programs, subsidies, and mandates. The theory addressed has broad applications, including in the field of public finance and public policy. Second, this course gives an overview of the economics of new potential decarbonization technologies, such as hydrogen, heat pumps, electric cars, and gas as a transition fuel. Third, the most recent decarbonization developments will be discussed.

Course # ECON 1002

Credits 6

Course Description 

This course is an introductory course in macroeconomics. It provides students with key concepts and principles of contemporary macroeconomic theory and begins with a formal introduction on core macroeconomic principles. The course introduces and covers core macroeconomic topics such as national output, unemployment, monetary system, inflation, economic growth, financial markets, and macroeconomics of open economies. The goal is to develop a coherent analytical framework to analyze and understand macroeconomic phenomena and policies. Discussions of contemporary macroeconomic policy and extensive references to current economic issues faced by the US and global economies will be one aspect of class instruction. Additionally, data and case studies from transition economies of Central Asia are presented.  

Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon completing the course, students will be able to:  

• Define key macroeconomic concepts and principles. 
• Calculate basic macroeconomic indicators related to GDP and cost of living within a group of countries or individual states. 
• Explain how the real economy operates in the long run from production and growth perspectives. 
• Explain the role of monetary and fiscal policies to tackle inflation and unemployment. 
• Discuss advantages and disadvantages of the open economy. 
• Explain both potential and limits of economic policy aimed at macroeconomic stabilization and long-term economic growth. 

Course Assessments and Grading 

Course # EAES 4226E          

Credits 6

Prerequisites: Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences, Geomorphology, Information Technology.

Course Description  

This course will teach students how to use numerical models to simulate land surface processes. It covers both the theory and the practice of spatio-temporal modeling, which is based on the interactions of physical processes on the land surface. The course consists of two main parts: 1) introduction to the application of python in Earth and Environmental Sciences and 2) modeling of land surface processes. The first part aims at getting students familiar with the python programming language with specific applications to Earth and Environmental Sciences, which is a powerful tool for scientific computing. This part covers the basic syntax, data structures, control structures, functions, and classes in python. The goal of the second part focuses on land surface processes modeling and will teach students how to apply their python skills to build and run land surface models using the Landlab framework. Landlab is a python-based modeling platform that allows users to create and couple different components that represent land surface processes. In the second part of the course, we will model diffusive hillslope processes, advective fluvial processes, and finally create a static model of landslide probability distribution using Landlab dynamic and static components. 

Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:  

• Design simple programs using the Python programming language.
• Represent physical objects and processes in discretized and numerical models.
• Apply physical laws to simulate physical processes and visualize the outcome of such simulations.
• Quantify changes of different types of landscapes using numerical models of either individual or combined physical processes.
• Visualize and interpret simulated numerical models of land surface processes.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # ECON 3246

Credits 6

Prerequisite: Introduction to Microeconomics

Course Description

This course focuses on processes of economic development within the context of low and middle-income countries, emphasizing the implications for development strategies and policies. Key issues include the level and nature of inter-relationships between rural and urban development, the processes of economic transformation, and the role of institutions and policies in development. The analytical approach and many of the issues discussed are drawn from development economics, although these will be positioned within the broader geographical, social and political context of Central Asia. The course employs theories and skills learnt in other economics courses and applies them in a less abstract way through collection and analysis of data from various sources. By the end of the course, the students should be able to identify relevant problems constraining the economic (rural and urban) development of the individual Central Asian republics and approach these problems in a rigorous and critical way.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completing the course, students will be able to:  

• Discuss economic theories that have shaped growth and development
• Explain the causes and consequences of underdevelopment, poverty and income inequality
• Apply the tools of economic analysis to problems of rural and urban development
• Analyze policy initiatives undertaken to spur economic growth and their economic, social and environmental impact
• Employ theory and data to conduct basic economic analyses on issues specific to economic development
• Evaluate empirical work in development.

Course Assessment and Grading 

Course # ECON 4246E         

Credits 6

Prerequisite: Introduction to Statistics

Course Description 

This course provides an overview of the issues and methods involved in measuring the impact of policies, programs, and interventions, with a focus on developing countries. Through lectures, case studies, and real-world examples, you learn how to quantify the causal effect of interventions by carefully understanding attribution and the practical applications of methodologies. The course explores the steps involved in designing an evaluation, including conceptualization, developing a theory of change, understanding the different methodologies for conducting impact evaluation and choosing the most appropriate methodology given the set of circumstances. You learn about four methods of impact evaluation (randomized controlled trials (RCTs), instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, and difference-in-differences), and the weaknesses and strengths, as well as their appropriateness to real life evaluation scenarios.  The goal of this course is to equip you with the skills to design and conduct rigorous evaluations and so that you can make a real positive impact in the world, whether it be in academia, non-profit work, social entrepreneurship, private philanthropy or government. 

Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to: 

• Explain the theory of change underlying the causal relationship between an intervention and its outcomes.
• Develop evaluation questions that effectively measure the impact of a program or policy.
• Evaluate and select appropriate comparison groups that approximate the counterfactual in various real-life scenarios.
• Apply experimental and quasi-experimental designs to evaluate the impact of interventions.
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different impact evaluation methodologies and make informed decisions on the most appropriate methodology for a given situation.

Course Assessment and Grading 

Course # MDIA 4086

Credits 6

Course Description 

This course explores the development theory of Communication for Development and Social Change (CDSC) / Communication for Development (C4D), an emerging field of studies and professional practice whose goal is to use communication processes, techniques and media to facilitate social, economic and technological development.  The traditions of employing CDSC; the factors that influence theory and practice; the organization of CDSC; and new and evolving approaches to CDSC are introduced.  The different ways in which communication can be leveraged to bring about change in attitudes, behavior and knowledge in individuals and communities are explored. The ways in which 'participation' can make a difference in the planning, implementation and evaluation of social change processes and the key role played by culture in social change, and contemporary uses of community media in the facilitation of change are analyzed. The course is designed to strengthen knowledge of key theories and concepts in this area of study and build skills for work in the state, inter-governmental and NGO sectors. 

Course Learning Outcomes  

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:  

• Define key theories around communication, development, culture, behavior and social change;
• Analyze the role of communication in shaping social norms, attitudes, and behaviours;
• Define and distinguish key CDSC concepts, principles, approaches, methods and techniques;
• Evaluate a variety of communication issues in distinct societal and geographical areas in order to do identify best CDSC practices;
• Apply communication theories to real-world scenarios through case studies;
• Analyze mediated social change in order to better understand its impact and its relevance to specific contexts;
• Identify the steps involved in the design and development of effective, evidence-based and human rights-based C4D strategies in line with best practice.

Course Assessments and Grading