English

The course explores the theory of public economics; the empirical effects of taxes, spending and debt on economic growth and stability, resource allocation, the distribution of economic well-being and intergenerational equity; analysis of fiscal institutions; and the current and continuing policy debates. References are made to the fiscal issues and problems of other countries, developed and developing, but the primary focus will be on South Africa

The course introduces students to the foundational concepts in the study of language from the perspective of cognitive science. It explores questions that are still a matter of debate in the field, critically evaluating both evidence and arguments. Students develop a deeper understanding of how language works, some of the principles governing the complex interactions between language and other cognitive dimensions (such as attention, perception, and thought), and a basic understanding of how language functions in the brain.

This course introduces flows, networks, and diasporas as lenses from which to study international migration. The course mainly focuses on international migration from a global south perspective, but has a truly global scope that is particularly explored in analyses of the migration-development nexus. Likewise, the course discusses if and how climate change can be seen as a driver for migration and the role of migration in forming sustainable adaptation. The course focuses on one theme each week divided into two parts; first, conceptual presentations and discussions and second, critical readings of particular analyses/case studies. The exact content of the course may be influenced by students’ particular interests.

This course provides an overview of the level and changes of socio-economic conditions (income, poverty, education, health) in the global south. These conditions are put in perspective in presentations and discussions of the major trends in classical and contemporary thinking about economic development. General textbook material and selected articles on the subject form the core of the readings. The range of topics covered include theories of development, micro- and macroeconomic issues, economic analysis, as well as key policy issues and recommendations.

This course examines the main political and cultural features of early modern Islamic empires from the Balkans to Bengal, and acknowledges that they represent much more than a region waiting to be expanded upon by Europeans. The secondary perspective of the course is to explore a historical depth that can be used to contextualize contemporary legitimacy claims and the use of imperial history in political discussions. The course does this by providing students with in-depth knowledge of a rich Islamic tradition that shaped and brought together a wide geographic area – one that is markedly different from what is typically emphasized in courses on political Islam.

This course covers the high throughput nucleotide sequencing technologies (ChIP-seq, DNA-seq, RNA-seq, single cell), epigenetics, circulating DNA, and mutational load. Topics also include cancer molecular databases, data extraction and analysis, and an introduction to the use of NGS software and coding.