| Part IB | Option | Convenor: Dr Ling Zhang 張玲 |
Course Description 2025-26
This paper introduces how historians of China pursue the same inquiry in the context of Chinese history. It introduces the intellectual growth of the field of Chinese environmental history by showcasing its key questions, concerns, concepts, and methods. By emphasising the interdisciplinary nature of environmental history, the paper goes beyond the field and introduces its intersections with other scholarly fields in natural science, social science, and humanities and arts. The goal of the paper is to train students to think and practice like environmental historians, so they may supply meaningful answers to the historical question ‘How did we get here?’ or ‘How did China get here?’
Form and Conduct
This paper is assessed by two items: a review essay that analyses the existing scholarly literature (2000 words) and a short research essay (3000–4000 words, including footnotes but excluding bibliography). Both should be submitted to the Programme Administrator in the Faculty Office no later than the fifth Monday of Full Easter Term.
This description is subject to change, for the latest information, students should consult the Undergraduate Handbook available on the Faculty Intranet.