This course adopts a student-centered, research-oriented methodology that develops both conceptual understanding of the WEF Nexus and advanced skills in scientific literature review and critical analysis. Teaching and learning activities combine interactive lectures, guided literature study, and group-based review paper projects.
The class consists of six students working in three stable pairs. Each pair is assigned one thematic domain: (1) Nanotechnology in Water, (2) Nanotechnology in Food, or (3) Nanotechnology in Energy. Throughout the semester, each pair will prepare one comprehensive narrative review paper in its assigned domain, explicitly addressing water-energy-food interlinkages, sustainability considerations, and regional relevance (e.g., Jordan and MENA).
At the beginning of the course, lectures introduce core concepts of the WEF Nexus, fundamentals of nanotechnology relevant to water, food, and energy systems, and the principles of academic integrity and scientific writing. The instructor provides training on how to search, select, and critically appraise scientific literature using scholarly databases and reference management tools. Students are guided in formulating focused review topics and research questions within their assigned domain.