Structure of this document

I have organised this pdf file as follows:

(p. 2) Structure of my bachelor phase: an overview of the courses I have
followed and will follow at the RUG;
(p. 3-5) I would like to do my minor abroad: my first choice (Touhoku Daigaku,
Sendai);
(p. 6-7) I would like to do my minor abroad: my second choice (University of
Iceland, Reykjavic).
Short description
I am a second-year student following the BSc Mathematics programme and
I would like to gain experience abroad by doing a minor in the first semester
of the third year.
I am looking for a geology-centered programme, to better bridge the gap
to the Masters programme I plan to follow. The two universities that really
sparked my interest are Touhoku Daigaku and University of Iceland. Moreover, the first university has the benefit of being located in Japan. I aim to
find work in a Japanese workplace someday, so the first choice is especially
important to me.

Structure of my bachelor phase

These are the courses I have done in my first year and those I will do this
year and next year.
Year 1
Calculus 1 (5)
Introduction to Mathematics (5)
Introduction to Logic (5)
Linear Algebra 1
Mechanics and Relativity 1 (5)
Thermodynamics (5)
Calculus 2 (5)
CAPS (5)
Linear Algebra 2 (5)
Analysis (5)
Probability Theory (5)
Propaedeutic Project (5)

Year 2
Ordinary Differential Equations (5)
Statistics (5)
Project Mathematical Physics (5)
Complex Analysis (5)
Group Theory (5)
Project Systems Theory (5)
Metric Spaces (5)
Partial Differential Equations (5)
History of Mathematics (5)
Numerical Mathematics 1 (5)
Project Dynamical Systems (5)
Physics Laboratory 2 (5)

Year 3
Minor (30)
Analysis on Manifolds (5)
Functional Analysis (5)
Advanced Systems Theory (5)
Structure of Matter (5)
Bachelor Project (15)

My first choice
University

Touhoku Daigaku

Location Sendai, Japan

Why this programme? This university offers a lot of courses on geophysics and geology. After I obtain my bachelors degree in mathematics
at the RUG, I am planning to do the masters programme Earth Surface
and Water (track: Geohazards and Earth Observation) in Utrecht, since
I am interested in natural disasters and tectonics and would like to pursue
a career in that direction. The programme I would like to follow is called
JYPE (Junior Programme in English), and it is aimed at students in the
last year of their bachelors.
Courses In their system, a student is required to gain (at least) 13 credits
per semester, but the credits are heavier: most courses that a student
does in a semester are worth only 2 credits. The total workload for the 13
credits should be comparable to the workload for 30 credits at the RUG.
I have listed below some of the courses that I would like to do, accompanied by the short descriptions as given on their website. The schedules
vary every year, so I cannot be sure which courses are offered during the
autumn/winter period in the year 2017-2018.

- Individual Research Training A (5 credits, mandatory)

Core course of this program (. . . ) Students do research on a current
topic that is related to their field of studies, with the support of research groups to which they are assigned.
- Dynamics of the Earth (2 credits)
This is the introductory geology program to understand the Earth
dynamics. The constituents of the Earth (rocks and minerals) and
their beauty will be taught: museum tour is planned. The structure
of the Earth and driving force for the Earth dynamics (volcanic activities, earthquake, hot spring activities and so on) will be discussed:
a short field excursion around Sendai is planned. Life is also very
important constituents of the Earth, and it will be discussed how life
was flourished in the early Earth and how they coevolved with the
Earth. Geological aspects of current environmental problems (global
warming, etc.) and their possible solution will be discussed.

- Geophysics (2 credits)
This course aims at learning the outlines of geophysics. The following items, which are actively investigated at the Department of Geophysics, are especially focused on:
1. Solid earth physics - Selected topics from the classical and the latest
researches on seismology, paleo-seismology and seismic hazard assessment, together with probabilistic approach of long-term earthquake
forecasting to mitigate damage, several basic earthquake statistics,
and physics of stress transfer to understand the time dependency of
seismic hazard.
2. Fluid earth (atmosphere and ocean) physics - Selected topics from
meteorology, global warming, and physical climatology for the purpose of obtaining a basic knowledge about climate change and related
global environment problems.
3. Solar-terrestrial and planetary physics - Selected topics from geomagnetism, upper atmosphere physics, and planetary science for the
purpose of obtaining a basic knowledge about the electromagnetic environment of the earth and planets.
- Geological Environment and Earthquake Disaster (2 credits)
It is clear through past disastrous earthquakes that the earthquake
damage is quite different depending on the geological conditions. The
earthquake observation during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake explains
this truth. Therefore, it is important to take into account the difference of ground motion due to soil conditions in a seismic design
of urban structures and in urban disaster prevention planning. This
course comprises the lectures, students presentations and discussions
on engineering topics for earthquake disaster prevention considering
geological environment.
- Evolution of the West Pacific Island Arcs and their Environments (2 credits)
This course aims at presenting some basic concepts and information of
geological, geographical and environmental science and the plate tectonic history of the world including Japan Islands, active faults and
earthquakes, ocean environments and their history. Also, this class
deals with the effect of the Western Pacific island arcs and Japan sea
to the coral reefs and Asian monsoon circulation. The lectures include
the problems how natural hazard and earths environmental changes
affect the living world. The students can understand multidisciplinary
aspects of the Western Pacific/North-East Asian regions through the
case studies referred frequently in these lectures.
- Japanese 3 (4 credits)
This is level 3 out of 4, with 1 being the lowest and 4 the highest.
4

I am already quite familiar with the language and, if their is room

for it in my programme, I would love to take lessons to improve my
skills - although I am quite sure living in Sendai will already benefit
me greatly in that respect. One of my aims is to work in Japan, or at
least in Japanese, and I put this below all the other courses because it
is different from the others, but I do think this course might be very
useful in that respect.

My second choice
University

University of Iceland

Location Reykjavik, Iceland

Why this programme? Similar to Touhoku, this university has a wide
range of courses on geology. The programme does not have a proper name:
prospective exchange students can see a list of courses that are taught in
English and will be followed alongside other Icelandic students. This is
essentially the same system as the JYPE.
Courses The credits system seems to be the same as ours: a student is
expected to gain 30 credits each semester. Note: for every course in their
catalogue, the courses that a student should have studied prior to taking
that course as well as the language they are taught in, are displayed. I have
thus only chosen courses for which no prior knowledge of the subject is required, and which are given in English (and are courses that are taught in
the Autumn period).
Please find below courses that I would like to do, with short descriptions
taken from their website.
- Introduction to the Geology of Iceland (10 credits)
The course starts with a five-day study tour in South-Iceland at the
end of August (August 24 - 28), preceded by one-day orientation lectures and preparation. The tour focuses on both constructive and
destructive geological processes as well as human activities in the region. Following the tour, an intensive program of lectures covering
the main aspects of Icelandic tectonics, geology, and geography, will
occupy three and a half weeks. The last half week of September is devoted to writing up a report on the Study tour and, finally, completing
a one-day home examination.
- Tectonics (7.5 credits)
The subject of the course is structural geology and active tectonic
movements with emphasis on processes currently active in Iceland.
Geometry of geological structures, planar and linear structures, use of
the stereographic projection. Primary and secondary structures, fabric of rocks, ductile deformation, folds and folding. Theory of plate
tectonics, plate velocity models, both relative and absolute. Elastic
behaviour of rocks in the crust and mantle. Brittle fracturing. Plate
boundary deformation. Rifts and rifting structures. Transcurrent

faulting and associated structures. Earthquakes and faulting. Measuring crustal movements, GPS-geodesy, levelling, SAR-interferometry,
tilt- and strainmeters. A field project will be carried out in an active
area.
- Introduction to Geophysics (6 credits)
An introduction to the physics of the Earth. The course should be
suitable as a first course for those majoring in geophysics and for geology students wanting to become familiar with the subject. Gravity,
shape and rotation of the Earth, gravity anomalies. The geomagnetic
field, magnetic anomalies, palaeomagnetism. Earthquakes and seismic waves. Layered structure of the Earth, heat transport and the
internal heat of the Earth. Origin and age of the Earth. Dating with
radioactive elements. Geophysics of Iceland, introduction to geophysical research in Iceland.
- Ecology B (6 credits)
Note: the letter B in the name suggests this is a direct follow-up to the Icelandictaught Ecology A, but it is apparently not a prerequisite)

The main emphasis: Introduction to the basics of ecology, concepts,

approaches and applications, with a focus on the utilization of natural
resources. Lectures: The history and discipline of ecology. Population ecology; principles of population growth, effects of density and
population regulation. Species interactions: competition, predation
and other interaction forms. The structure and diversity of biological
communities, succession, food webs, stability, biodiversity. Ecosystems: nutrient and energy cycles and trophic efficiency. Introduction
to Icelandic ecosystems.
- Landscape, views of nature and land use (8 credits)
The concept of landscape is critically examined from the viewpoint of
human geography. Changes in land use, their causes and consequences
for landscape. Special attention will be paid to the landscape impacts
of renewable energy. Conflicts due to different interests and/or diverse
visions of nature are analysed. The relations between energy projects,
tourism and protected areas in Iceland are examined with reference to
landscape. How decisions about energy development are made, and to
what extent public views are taken into account, is also discussed. The
course includes a fieldtrip in the vicinity of Reykjavk on a Saturday in
September.