English

This course traces the history of comics and graphic novels in Western Europe and North America. Beginning with an introduction presenting the main characteristics of this medium, this course traces its development, from the beginnings of storytelling with images in Antiquity to the latest innovations. Even though they have retained their own characteristics over the last two centuries, Western European and North American comics have also developed in close proximity. Following the development of the press and book industry, as well as other media like cinema, comics and graphic novels have a rich history that can only be understood in their cultural context. This course allows students to understand how this medium has shaped and been shaped by many aspects of the history and cultures of these places.

This course addresses the business and social issues related to the use of modern biotechnology. Topics include business development in the industry, operations in running a bio-business, manufacturing practice, drug development process, regulation and policy, intellectual property issues, environmental aspects of biotechnology, ethical and public concerns.

This course explores the art and visual culture of Asia from Neolithic times to the tenth century CE, with a focus on major developments in India, China, Korea, and Japan. Students will engage with a wide array of objects across diverse media—including sculpture, painting, pottery, crafts, and architecture—analyzing them not only as aesthetic forms but also as products of specific historical and cultural contexts. The overarching goal is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of key monuments and artifacts, while also introducing a range of critical approaches to studying visual culture. By the end of the course, students develop visual literacy skills and analytical tools applicable to the study of art traditions in Asia. 

The objective of this course is to work on optimisation problems which can be formulated as linear and network optimisation problems. The course covers formulating linear programming (LP) problems and solving them by the simplex method (algorithm); looking at the geometrical aspect and developing the mathematical theory of the simplex method; studying problems which may be formulated using graphs and networks. These optimisation problems can be solved by using linear or integer programming approaches. However, due to its graphical structure, it is easier to handle these problems by using network algorithmic approaches. Applications of LP and network optimisation are demonstrated. Major topics: Introduction to LP: solving 2-variable LP via graphical methods. Geometry of LP: polyhedron, extreme points, existence of optimal solution at extreme point. Development of simplex method: basic solution, reduced costs and optimality condition, iterative steps in a simplex method, 2-phase method and Big-M method. Duality: dual LP, duality theory, dual simplex method. Sensitivity Analysis. Network optimisation problems: minimal spanning tree problems, shortest path problems, maximal flow problems, minimum cost flow problems, salesman problems and postman problems. The course requires students to take prerequisites.

This course examines the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on work processes in organizational contexts, on the professions and on expertise. It starts with defining what AI is, examining how it exactly works, how it is used in professional contexts, and how its uses should be regulated. The course uses a number of case studies from across finance, health organizations, or urban planning to investigate how AI changes the professions, expertise, and organizations. 

Art museums are increasingly programming performance and live art events. At the same time, visual artists are looking to the theatre for aesthetics and forms to incorporate into their work. This seminar uncovers points of connection between performance and the visual arts, looking at key moments in the history of relations between these forms and giving particular attention to the current rise of theatrical aesthetics in contemporary arts practice. Through the Department’s three-year partnership with Tate Exchange, students have the opportunity to work in Tate Modern and to explore performance in the context of the art gallery. Students respond to the work of a range of contemporary artists – indicatively Pablo Bronstein, Boris Charmatz, Tacita Dean, Trisha Donnelly, Tim Etchells, Tino Sehgal and others. Working through creative examples, this course raises big questions about performance, theatricality, curation, participation, and museum practice. 

This course introduces methods for creating systems that use data intelligently to improve themselves. This requires combining human intelligence (using methods like crowdsourcing, collaborative design) with artificial intelligence (discovering which technology designs help which people) through designing randomized A/B experiments that are collaborative, dynamic, and personalized. The course requires students to take prerequisites.

This course offers students insights and different perspectives that can help explain why, over the centuries, some nations and cities succeed in our global economy while others fail. The course is divided into three parts. The first part introduces theories of global economics and the determinants for a nation/city to achieve power and prosperity versus poverty from a historical perspective. The second part examines specific case studies to enhance our understanding of concepts and broad intellectual perspectives to do with international trade, and monetary and financial systems. The course ends with current challenges in the global economy and the way nations and cities might resolve those problems. Special attention is given to the emergence of the world economy in the 21st century and the changing world economic order over time.

This course provides students with a broad understanding of international business, including the fundamental abilities and knowledge essential to the doing of business internationally: both in theory and practice. The course offers a foundation in international business. 

This course introduces fiction film screenwriting. It covers the professional practice of developing, writing and rewriting short film scripts in a collaborative, workshop environment. Upon completing this course, students will have significantly developed their practice in preparation for future screenwriting projects.