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GEOG40830

Academic Year 2026/2027

Global South Fieldwork: Vietnam (GEOG40830)

Subject:
Geography
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Geography
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Christine Bonnin
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
Module Type:
Fieldwork Module
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module will be taught through a co-research field class to Vietnam on the theme of climate change vulnerabilities and resilience in the northern uplands and coastal regions of Vietnam. The class is run in collaboration with Vietnam National University.

The field class will involve literature preparation, fieldwork planning, data collection, presentations and discussion by all students. Students have the option to use this module in order to gather data that will form the basis of their masters theses, where feasible (in this case, discussions will need to begin in the autumn trimester with relevant supervisors).

The field class will comprise of joint field research activities undertaken between UCD Geography masters students and staff and project partner staff and students from Vietnam National University. The Vietnam trip will take place over 2 weeks in May.

The module will provide students with an opportunity to apply and adapt theoretical, methodological and practical knowledge in different social situations. Students will be jointly involved in briefing activities at the start of the module, combining in-class meetings, field trips, as well as meetings with Irish Aid and the Irish Embassy, Hanoi and other development organisations.

During the remainder of the field class, teams of UCD and Vietnam University students will partner to carry out fieldwork projects in thematically shared research areas. The research projects will be decided upon, co-designed and planned prior to the field class and through discussions between UCD and Vietnam partner university students and staff.

Students will also take part in a student-led conference at one of the Vietnam partner universities to present their initial research findings.

Attendance and participation in all activities of the field class is a compulsory requirement.

It is strongly recommended, but not mandatory, that students also take GEOG40760 Development and the Global South in the autumn trimester to support their preparation.

*Please note that there are costs associated with this module, including flights, visas and possibly some in-country costs, and students should budget €800-1000 for this. The module is capped at 10 students from UCD, as total student numbers are expanded with the Vietnam partners and we need to meet the collaboration costs and logistics.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this module, students should have:

1. Attained first-hand experience undertaking empirical fieldwork in Vietnam in order to see a research project through to completion and will have developed a range of essential research skills in relation to this activity. Students will also be involved in a student-led conference at one of the partner universities where they will present their initial research findings.

2. Developed an in-depth and critical understanding of the main processes of socio-cultural, economic, political and environmental development and change taking place in Vietnam and will have had the opportunity to observe some of these transformations through a variety of field visits.

3. Enhanced global engagement and gained valuable international cultural and educational experience, particularly through collaboration with faculty and students based at partner universities in Vietnam.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

10
Small Group

40
Field Trip/External Visits

80
Autonomous Student Learning

70
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
active/task-based learning; peer and group work; lectures; critical writing; reflective learning; enquiry & problem-based learning; debates; case-based learning; student presentations

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Write-up of Key Research Findings.
For this individual assignment you will write up the main preliminary results of the fieldwork that you will carry out (2000 words).		 Week 2 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
45
 Yes
Assignment(Including Essay): Presentation.
You will present on your research topic and your preliminary results at a student-led conference.		 Week 2 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
15
 No
Reflective Assignment: Daily Reflective Journal.
You must keep a daily journal of 250-500 words per day to chart your learning experiences during the field class.		 Week 1, Week 2 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 32 Thurs 13:00 - 14:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 33 Thurs 13:00 - 14:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 26, 30, 31 Thurs 13:00 - 14:50
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