Course Catalogue

We are living through an era of unprecedented ecological destruction and profound planetary transformation. The Environmental Humanities emerged as an interdisciplinary field in response to these challenges, seeking to address environmental issues that persist—and often intensify—despite extensive scientific research. This field brings together perspectives from the natural sciences, social sciences, history, and philosophy to explore how knowledge is co-produced by humans and nonhumans in our shared, multi-species world, while critically examining the socio-political structures shaping these interactions. Why are pigeons the “rats with wings”? Is your cat a “wild” animal? What does justice look like in an age of uneven vulnerabilities? Are new ways of living with the nonhuman others still possible, or are we destined to repeat the mistakes of the past? In this seminar, we will journey alongside the wild and the domesticated, as well as forests, minerals, microbes, and many significant others. Through these elenses, we will explore how these non-human companions shape the stories we tell about ourselves and our world. Together, we will reflect on our understanding and responsibility on this damaged planet; we will critically examine how relationships with nature are represented, written, managed, and experienced. Topics will include but not limited to the Anthropocene, multi-species studies, post-coloniality and climate justice, the history of science and technology, and narratives of mourning, care, and coexistence. In the face of a damaged planet and an overwhelming tide of climate crises and extinctions, this seminar invites you to find ways to live and respond meaningfully. Held entirely online, this seminar takes advantage of its international setting for rich intercultural exchanges. Students will develop the ability to communicate complex environmental issues and will gain a critical, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural understanding of ecological topics informed by contemporary Environmental Humanities discourses.