Description of the course
This course aims to foster in students an active awareness of the impact that the humanities (literature, philosophy, psychology, pedagogy, etc.) can have on how human beings perceive and relate to the environment.
Over the span of five sessions, the course will address the following topics:
- Theories of Environmental Humanities;
- The Lack of an Intercultural Perspective in Environmental Humanities;
- Comparative Perspectives on the Human Environment Relationship: Greco-European, Chinese, and Indian Views;
- Environment and Literature;
- Diverse Approaches within the Field: Blue Studies, Green Studies, Indigenous Studies, Feminist Studies, and more
The course is fully online and combines two frontal (lecture-style) lessons with collaborative learning activities (2 lessons of delivery, 1 lesson for collective reconstruction, restitution and brainstorming). Each student will be asked to deliver a critical final presentation based on a short novel or essay, reflecting on its environmental dimensions (8-10 minutes).
The lessons will be taught by Professor Selusi Ambrogio and will take place online (on Microsoft Teams):
- 6th February 2026, 11.00-13.00 CET
- 13th February 2026, 11.00-13.00 CET
- 6th March 2026, 11.00-13.00 CET
- 13th March 2026, 11.00-13.00 CET
- 20th March 2026, 11.00-13.00 CET
The selected students will be provided with the links to the lessons.
Learning outcomes
Students will be encouraged to focus on works from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds, in order to foster intercultural sensitivity and broaden their interpretive framework. We will use digital instruments as mentimiter for assessing and brainstorming. The course Teams page will be used for collectively sharing materials.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand and explain the key concepts and debates within the field of Environmental Humanities;
- Recognize the limitations of Eurocentric frameworks and appreciate intercultural perspectives on the Environment;
- Analyse literary and philosophical texts through an environmental lens;
- Identify and compare different theoretical approaches (e.g., Blue Studies, Indigenous Studies, Feminist Studies);
- Develop and present a critical reflection on a selected text, demonstrating original thinking and interdisciplinary awareness.
Assessment methods
- Final presentation (with slides) on a short novel or essay, including critical analysis and interdisciplinary connections (60%);
- Oral examination after the end of the whole teaching activities (May) on the 5 classes and on the final presentation (40%).
Who can apply
2 for each ERUA partner University (14 total) with the possibility of taking advantage of places not used by other partner universities.
This course is open to any ERUA master student with an interest in the field of the Environmental Humanities and a basic experience in the discipline of literature and philosophy.
How to apply
Your application should include:
- A short academic CV with related exams;
- A Personal statement in the form of a letter to the instructor.
If you are interested, please submit your application by 16th January 2026 here.
If you have any other administrative questions about the course, please contact your local ERUA team at your university or Unimc local team (tobia.ciarrocchi@unimc.it).
