Undergraduate curriculum -- international cohort
A one-semester introductory curriculum designed for international students entering science, technology, or interdisciplinary programmes. No prior university-level science required.
About this course
International students at the start of a science or technology degree who need a rigorous but accessible bridge between secondary school and university-level inquiry. Taught in plain English, with vocabulary support for non-native speakers.
How scientists ask questions, design studies, represent knowledge, and communicate findings. Core concepts from systems science, biology, physics, and computing -- treated as a single connected landscape, not isolated silos.
Weekly lectures, short readings, one hands-on lab activity per unit, and structured peer discussion. Assessment is cumulative -- small exercises build toward a final project of your own choosing.
Designed by a systems engineer and knowledge representation researcher. Emphasis on understanding how knowledge is structured, not just memorising facts. AI tools are critically examined, not uncritically used.
Curriculum -- click any unit to expand
By the end of this unit you will be able to identify a researchable question in any domain, state a hypothesis clearly, and distinguish anecdote from evidence.
You will draw a system diagram of a real-world phenomenon of your choice and identify at least two feedback mechanisms within it.
You will interpret three scientific figures from published papers and produce your own concept map connecting at least eight terms from a topic of your choice.
You will explain the relationship between brain activity and perception in a short written piece (400 words) using at least four technical terms correctly.
You will evaluate an AI-generated scientific summary, identify at least two factual or representational errors, and explain why they occurred.
You will write a one-page reflection on a scientific controversy of your choice, identifying the competing interests involved.
You will present a 10-minute project plus a written summary (800 words) documenting your question, method, findings, and limitations.
At a glance
| Week | Topic | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is science? Asking good questions | Lecture + discussion |
| 2 | Observation, hypothesis, and falsifiability | Lab activity |
| 3 | Systems thinking and feedback loops | Lecture + mapping |
| 4 | Data, models, and knowledge representation | Lecture + discussion |
| 5 | Reading science: graphs, tables, concept maps | Lab activity |
| 6 | Life and information: cells and DNA | Lecture |
| 7 | The brain: neurons, perception, consciousness | Lecture + lab |
| 8 | Computing and artificial intelligence | Lecture + workshop |
| 9 | AI critical evaluation lab | Lab activity |
| 10 | Science, society, and ethics | Seminar |
| 11 | Project workshop and peer review | Workshop |
| 12 | Final presentations | Public presentations |
How you are assessed
Instructor