English

This course provides an introduction to the importance of life cycle systems perspectives in understanding major challenges and solutions to achieving more sustainable societies in this changing world. Students learn about the relationship between mankind and the environment in the context of energy and resource use, consumption and development, and environmental constraints. Furthermore, an examination of social conflict and change from the life–cycle perspective is used to develop an understanding of potential solution pathways for sustainable lifestyle modifications. 

This course examines representative narrative works from various periods of Western civilization, analyzing their overarching themes and close textual details to highlight the distinctive features of Western narrative literature and its evolution throughout history.

This course covers the foundation of international political economy, theories and approaches in international political economy, changes in global political and economic orders, power relations and bargaining processes in international politics and their impact on allocation and distribution of economic resources, and transnational factor and resource mobilization.

This course explores some of the most common techniques, forms, and modes of poetry and develops students' practice as poets. The first half of the semester focuses on aspects of prosody such as metre and rhythm, rhyme and form, register, image, and metaphor, allowing students to reimagine these practices from the point of view of the writing, as well as the analysis, of poetry. The second half of the course concentrates on some of the main genres of poetry, with students encouraged to experiment with their own versions or anti-versions of these modes. The first hour each week is spent on an aspect of poetics, while the second hour is spent workshopping student poems. By the end of the course students have developed in their poetic practice and furthered their oral skills through the recitation of their poems, analysis of other students’ work in workshop, and through weekly discussion of set texts. 

This special topics course covers everything from TikTok trends to influencer politics, this course examines social media as both technological systems and cultural forces that reshape how people communicate, form identities, build communities, and engage in public life. The course explores the interplay between platform design, user behavior, and broader social structures, developing critical frameworks to analyze digital culture's impact on contemporary society.

Ordinarily, we blame people for doing wrong and praise them for doing the right thing. But what is it to blame someone or praise them? And under what conditions is someone worthy of blame or praise for their actions or attitudes? This course looks at the nature of blame and what it is to be blameworthy, as well as how one ought to act under conditions of ignorance or uncertainty. It seems that ignorance sometimes excuses wrong-doing. For instance, one might break a promise to pick up a friend from the airport and yet be blameless, due to ignorance (say because one's friend misinformed one which airport she's arriving at). Under what conditions does ignorance excuse and what type of ignorance excuses (factual vs. formative)? Further, how should one act when one is not sure what is the correct morality?

In Fundamental Cognitive Neuroscience, learn about these processes as well as other complex phenomena such as consciousness, brain structure, and how we change as we age. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject of cognitive neuroscience and is aimed at both students and professionals in, for example, healthcare, or education. The course covers perception, attention, how memory works, emotions, higher cognitive function, communication and our view of others.  All based on what we know about the brain today.

This course examines the history of modern terrorism; its methods, motives, aims, and state responses stretching from its origins in the wake of the French Revolution (when the 'infernal machine' of 'terrorism' is first labeled), through the anarchists of the 1880s and 1890s to the left- and right-wing clashes of the 20th century and the multinational operations of Islamic groups today. Guided by talks from our expert tutor and discussion with classmates, students have the opportunity to examine primary sources from these events and evaluate conflicting historical perspectives to understand better how modern terrorism relentlessly evolved while still caught in the old cliché that 'one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter'.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. The course focuses on the most influential theories regarding the causes of war. Drawing on literature from political anthropology, social psychology, strategic studies, diplomatic history, sociology, political theory, and international relations, it identifies key variables and causal pathways that illuminate war as a recurring phenomenon, as well as specific conflicts. Historical examples are used throughout to illustrate the theoretical material and help students develop critical perspectives. The course equips students with a comprehensive "toolbox" of applied knowledge, enabling them to conduct their own analyses of international conflicts.

The course includes content such as: deciding for war; political institutions and war; interest groups and lobbies; diversion and war; capitalism and war; strategic interaction and bargaining; military technology; international anarchy and the security dilemma; polarity and stability; power transition and hegemonic war; the liberal international order and its crisis; the rise of China and the end of unipolarity; and the Ukrainian War.