English

This course covers Cuban cinema since the creation of the film institute (ICAIC) in 1959. The course considers films by Cuban directors, and representations of Cuba by foreign filmmakers and Cuban filmmakers in exile, thus focusing on screenings of Cuba and Cuban topics from multiple viewpoints. Specific aesthetics are studied to contextualize applications of Cuban theoretical texts in relation to imperfect cinema, and the viewer's dialectics. Students explore the effects of non-chronological sequencing and distancing in film; black humor, subjectivity, and alterity; allegorical interpretations leading to censorship; the self and the State, with particular attention to gender and sexuality in relation to law; film autobiography as a genre; auteur cinema; revolution and the creation of the "new man"; revolutionary national identity and marginality; and diaspora, exile and inner exile, among other topics. Overall, the course studies film as a political medium across modern and postmodern contexts, using theoretical texts and key films to illustrate pivotal turning points in socio-historical contexts specific to Cuba and the impact of its 1959 revolution on all aspects of public and private life.

The course is mostly focused on self-directed learning through the completion of weekly 2-hour lab with a number of exercises. In addition, there is one lecture per week. Notes and videos are available to progress through the course via blackboard. Students should be able to create 3D models of complex engineering components using CAD software; build engineering assemblies of components using CAD software; interpret manufacturing engineering drawings; construct manufacturing drawings of components and assemblies using CAD software; and analyze engineering components using simulations techniques.

This course investigates consumer and producer behavior more in-depth and modern microeconomics. Special attention is paid to situations where uncertainty plays a role, to strategic interaction (game theory) and to the consequences of adding psychologically more realistic assumptions about behavior to the mainstream microeconomic model (behavioral economics). The course studies the mechanisms that help us understand that societal and environmental problems are as diverse as nature itself, and that understanding the economics of a more regenerative society requires the study human economic activity in interaction with social, psychological, physical and biological processes. Students are expected to have knowledge of: Microeconomics, Institutions and Welfare (ECB1MI) or Principles of Microeconomics (EC1PME); Mathematics for Economists (ECB1WIS); Statistics (ECB1STAT).

The analysis of variability is mainly concerned with locating the sources of the variability. Many statistical techniques investigate these sources through the use of linear models. This course presents the theory and practice of these models. Topics include: simple linear regression: least squares method, analysis of variance, coefficient of determination, hypothesis tests and confidence intervals for regression parameters, prediction; multiple linear regression: least squares method, analysis of variance, coefficient of determination, reduced versus full models, hypothesis tests and confidence intervals for regression parameters, prediction, polynomial regression; one-way classification models: one-way ANOVA, analysis of treatment effects, contrasts; two-way classification models: interactions, two-way ANOVA for balanced data structures, analysis of treatment effects, contrasts, randomized complete block design; universal approach to linear modeling: dummy variables, multiple linear regression representation of one-way and two-way (unbalanced) models, ANCOVA models, concomitant variables; regression diagnostics: leverage, residual plot, normal probability plot, outlier, studentized residual, influential observation, Cook's distance, multicollinearity, model transformation. 

This course examines the history of folkloristics and the documentation of popular tradition and folklore in Ireland and abroad, with reference to the various movements and interests which have shaped their development. Particular attention is paid to early collecting work in Ireland, and to the work of pioneers in the field. The evolution of collecting methodology in this country, and some of the more important approaches to the study of folklore, are examined and traced from the late 18th century to the present. The course makes reference to the National Folklore Collection's unique archive holdings at UCD, and to the library in the UCD Delargy Centre for Irish Folklore with its comprehensive collection of 18th and 19th century writings and publications.

This course examines American hemispheric history, society, and culture across North and South America. The course will introduce significant social and cultural developments in selected countries of the Americas. Topics will include indigenous - colonial relations; slavery and its legacies; the impact of modernity on society and culture; the struggle for civil rights in 20th and 21st centuries; wars and empire; immigration, forced migration and its impact on politics; globalization and neoliberal economics; and the rise of populist nationalism in the 21st century. 

This course introduces the field of California Studies in its plurality, combining elements of literary and film studies, notions and texts from civilization studies, as well as cultural studies. Starting from the question of what constitutes a “Studies” discipline, it then examines specific works and documents – literature, film, essays, and poetry – that provide insight into the specificities of California culture and its representation. Sometimes trivialized, California has a significant place in the spheres of cultural, artistic, and economic development which has had a vast impact on not only American but also Western and global cultures. Californian representations and themes are often a perfect paradox of dominant and subcultural elements, and the course explores several works and aspects of this construction. As such, it is a perfect laboratory through which to ask broader questions about culture and cultural productions. Authors studied range from Richard Henry Dana to Kem Nunn to Frederick Kohner, and films include titles such as the independent film Humboldt County (2008). In keeping with the Puissance du mode minor thematic, not only odes the course explore this smaller Studies discipline but it also looks at alternative positions in the examination of the works discussed. Students are also encouraged to explore works or concepts linked to the topic and to relate them to their own fields of emerging specialization. This is a seminar rather than a lecture, and active participation in discussions and various activities is expected.

This course provides an introduction and overview of the physics of strong and electroweak interactions and their experimental foundation. These fundamental forces underlie the rich phenomenology of nature's smallest components: elementary particles and atomic nuclei. The course outlines the theoretical and experimental advances which have led to the current understanding of physics at the subatomic scale. These topics are covered at a mathematical level appropriate for undergraduates students of physics. The focus is more on the understanding of phenomena rather than their rigorous mathematical description. The course touches upon selected topics of current interest, including: symmetries and conservation laws in nuclear and particle physics; relativistic kinematics and applications in high-energy reactions; the Standard Model theory: fundamental matter particles and their interactions by strong and electroweak forces; the Higgs mechanism and the origin of mass; neutrino oscillations and masses; effective nucleon-nucleon interactions and models of nuclear physics; alpha, beta, and gamma decay and fission; form factors and structure functions; and selected applications of nuclear and particle physics.

The cell is the basic building block of eukaryotic organisms, and understanding how cells develop and their physiological responses to the environment are key to our understanding of plant growth and development. This course expands on basic cell biology by using the stomatal guard cell as the system to understand plant cell biology. Lectures explore the genetic and molecular regulation of stomatal development and how stomatal guard cells respond to internal and external signals through changes in ion transport to effect changes in stomatal guard cell turgor. Practical components of this course include demonstrations of (i) advanced microscopy techniques (including laser scanning confocal microscopy), (ii) biolistic transformation, and (iii) techniques to assay for stomatal function and stomatal development.

This course cultivates a deep understanding of data augmentation techniques and robust machine learning principles and the ability to apply them to real-world problems.  

Students will implement various data augmentation techniques using programming languages and machine learning libraries and develop problem-solving skills to diagnose and address the performance degradation caused by noisy labels and imbalanced data. Additionally, students will master the use of cross-validation and performance metrics to effectively evaluate models, and learn methods to interpret and explain model predictions, ensuring the development of transparent and trustworthy machine learning applications. The course also emphasizes the ethical aspects of data augmentation and robust machine learning, fostering the ability to implement ethical practices that ensure responsible use of technology. Students will nurture a research-oriented mindset and enhance their collaboration skills through team projects and group discussions, promoting the exchange of ideas.