2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses
Collaboration across STEM and Liberal Arts: Towards the Future of Urban Environments: Thoughts from the Tamagawa [2]
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Kumiko Kiuchi / Takeshi Nakajima
- Class Format
- Lecture/Exercise (Livestream)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-8 Mon
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LAH.C640
- Number of credits
- 110
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 24, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
［Collaboration across STEM and Liberal Arts］are study group-type subjects that will start in 2024. Each time, students will engage in discussions with guest lecturers who are active leaders in their various fields. Together with participating doctoral graduate students, we will explore new developments and possibilities in convergence science.
The maximum number of students is 50 per class. If the number is exceeded, a lottery will be held.
Group work will be conducted in English, but Japanese may be used if consensus can be reached within the group. Moderators and instructors will give lectures in Japanese, to be translated by ZOOM's translation function.
Students will take an e-learning session on research ethics in the first class. Submission of the “session-completion certificate” is required.
●
The Tama River is a Class A river that flows through Yamanashi Prefecture, Tokyo, and Kanagawa Prefecture before emptying into Tokyo Bay, spanning a total length of 138 km. In October 2019, record-breaking rainfall caused by Typhoon No. 19 led to the river's overflow, resulting in flooding in Kawasaki City, Setagaya Ward, and Ota Ward.
This course examines the global environmental issue of the "Anthropocene" through the specific case of the Tama River. Students will explore the visions and policies necessary for future cities while reconsidering the relationship between urban spaces and nature. Additionally, the course will discuss the use of rivers and riverbanks as "commons."
Course description and aims
Through this lecture, the aim is to acquire the following abilities: ① To gain basic knowledge about the environmental issues surrounding rivers in urban areas. ② To reconsider and deepen discussions on contemporary issues and to become capable of proactively and concretely addressing problem-solving.
Keywords
Tama River, Anthropocene, climate change, urban environment, rivers, multi-species, commons, water culture, Tokyo Bay
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The classes are conducted via ZOOM. The 5th and 6th periods are for guest lectures and Q&A, while the 7th and 8th periods are for group work. From the 2nd to the 6th sessions, we invite guests and engage in multifaceted discussions on contemporary issues, with the Tama River as a specific case study.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | (April 14) Guidance (KIUCHI, NAKAJIMA) + Ice break activities + Research Ethics (On-Demand) | Understand the objectives of this course and share the issues. Acquire basic knowledge about research ethics. |
| Class 2 | (April 21) Yuki YOSHIDA (Ecological Democracy Foundation) Fumihiko OMORI (Graduate School of Environment and Society) x Yuko MITSUKI (Tokyo City University) "Tama River, Ecological Democracy, Common" | Understand the core concepts of Ecological Democracy by looking into the Foundation's specific activities and initiatives related to the Tama River. |
| Class 3 | (April 28) Walking the Riverbank of the Tama River * Fieldwork takes place along the riverbank of the Tama River (meeting point: Futako-tamagawa station) | Examine the relationship between the Tama River riverbed and civic activities, and consider the characteristics and potentials of the commons. |
| Class 4 | (May 12) Mieko Ogura（writer, filmmaker) "Musashi Province and the Tama River - Great Chain of Connections under Asphalt" | Use the Tama River as a case study, understand the insights of urban meteorology. |
| Class 5 | (May 19) Manabu KANDA （Graduate School of Environment and Society) "Urban Meteorology and Nomi River" | Understand a multi-species approach to the environmental history of the Tame River |
| Class 6 | (May 26) Norio OGURA (Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) "From the Tama River to Tokyo Bay: On the Future of Urban Ecology" | Understand the water culture of the Tama River and Tokyo Bay. |
| Class 7 | (2 June) Review of the course (KIUCHI, NAKAJIMA) | Summarize the overall content and discuss future challenges. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None
Reference books, course materials, etc.
More references will be provided in class.
***
Randolph Hester. Design for Ecological Democracy (MIT Press)
Mohsen Mostafavi(ed), Gareth Doherty(ed), Harvard Univ Graduate Sch of Design(ed) Ecological Urbanism (Lars Mueller)
Richard T. T. Forman. Urban Ecology: Science of Cities (Cambridge UP)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Feedback sheets after class (40%), Final report (60%)
Related courses
- LAH.S203 ： Political Science B
Prerequisites
None
Other
*The first class of the course takes place on 14 April (not 7 April)