English

The course covers a selection from the following topics: homotopy sets, homotopy groups and the Hurewicz theorem, fibrations and cofibrations, generalized homology theories and spectra, bundles and classifying spaces, characteristic classes, low-dimensional topology, geometric group theory, spectral sequences and cohomology operations. The methods presented are illustrated by applications to various classical problems in algebraic topology.

If justice meant “helping friends and harming enemies,” then it would be important to know who your friends and enemies are – so it is no surprise that Socrates, confronted with that theory of justice, has a fair amount to say about friendship both in Plato and Xenophon. It is however a surprise to find friendship put at the center of Plato’s sketch of the most just city – a city that will also be “a friend to itself” – as well as the center of a Platonic theory of self-knowledge. For interpreters long thought that Socrates had repudiated this account of justice. This course first considers the treatment of individual friendship intertwined with political friendship for Socrates and Plato, and then turns to Aristotle’s disentangled treatment of them with an eye to the question of whether something goes missing when they are disentangled.
 

The course examines strategic brand management through the study of leading Spanish and Barcelona-based brands and industries. Students explore brand equity, positioning, identity, reputation, corporate and place branding, and integrated communications, while analyzing how businesses and institutions use culture, innovation, and strategic communication to build competitive advantage in global markets. Case studies span tourism, fashion, technology, culture, entertainment, food, banking, and other major sectors.

This course aims to enable students to analyze the social background of the operation of Chinese law from the perspective of the sociology of law, the influence and role of various social factors on the operation of law, understand the basic system of Chinese law, and master the ability and methods to use law to solve problems. 

This course covers both major theoretical and practical perspectives of exploring Chinese Political Economy. It utilize theoretical perspectives from political science, economics to systematically analyze the key theoretical and practical issues of China's reform. It will clarify the core logic and mechanisms of China's development and governance. 

The course focuses on the main theories and debates in the postcolonial study of the intersections between racial formations, gender and sexuality, and cultural practices. Develop an understanding of race as a specific object of inquiry within postcolonial theory. There is an emphasis on introducing and sharpening key conceptual tools for analyzing the intersections between race and the social vectors of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, and culture. The course examines postcolonial global realities, paying close attention to postcolonial configurations of social and political relations and the ways in which various expressive forms have recorded and engaged with these postcolonial realities. Questions of power and global asymmetry, social inclusion and exclusion, and cultural representation and appropriation are addressed in our analyses of authors and cultural products that contest, transgress, and rearticulate national boundaries and social identities.

Freedom of will is both a philosophical problem and an empirical issue. However, the distinction between the philosophical and empirical aspects of the problem has not always been clear, leading to serious confusion at times. Bringing together philosophical and empirical approaches, the seminar focuses on the distinction between the philosophical and empirical aspects of the problem, which matters for interdisciplinary work in general. The first part presents several more recent theoretical approaches advocating for and against the existence of freedom of will. The second part reviews recent empirical work on the role of consciousness, intention, or a possible veto in decision-making processes, as well as related lay intuitions. Finally, the third part discusses the effects of psychiatric disorders on free will. A number of case studies on disorders like addiction, antisocial personality disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorders are examined.

The course develops the knowledge and skills needed to communicate effectively in multicultural workplaces and global business settings. Students explore intercultural communication strategies, cultural differences, and effective collaboration in international professional environments.

Africa is religiously pluralistic, having three major religious traditions. These are African indigenous religions, Christianity, and Islam. Each of these is internally diverse and multifaceted, creating a mosaic of religious cultures, rituals, communities, ethics and worldviews. This course investigates the histories, rituals, and discourses of the traditions where they interact, differ, and display common elements. As an introductory course to Religious Studies, content engages the diversity of students' lifeworld's and is cognizant of our African location. The use of innovative teaching and delivery methods, including multilingual pedagogies and digital literacy, that allow more time for active engagement and the development of critical reading, writing, and analytical skills in the Humanities is used. DP requirements: Mandatory attendance of lectures and participation in tutorials. Submission of all work by due dates. Assessment: Continuous assessment (essays, projects, tests, etc.) counts 100%.

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 provides students with tools to analyze the practice of conflict resolution, especially as emerged after the end of the Cold War, through a review of key theories, concepts, and practices of international interventions aimed at peacekeeping and peacebuilding. At the end of the course, the student is able to: Identify and distinguish the different approaches to peacekeeping and interventions; discuss the empirical aspects of international interventions, identifying strengths and weaknesses of different types of action; connect different practices of peacekeeping and peacebuilding with changes in the international system and foreign policies. This is a course based both on lectures and students’ participation and active engagement in class discussions and exercises. Its success depends on students being well prepared for each session.

It is divided into 2 main parts. The first section (16 hours) introduces students to the key theoretical and analytical tools necessary to understand and critically evaluate the practice of conflict management and resolution – including the post-settlement peacebuilding phase – and its evolution. It discusses the main peace intervention doctrines and the challenges encountered in their implementation. It presents and discusses the role of the key actors (above all states and international organizations) in different cases.

The second part of the course (12 hours) takes into consideration some contemporary cases. Students apply concepts and theoretical tools to the analysis of Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Syria, and Ukraine. For this part students are divided into two groups and attend one of the two weekly lectures (thus, as a whole students will attend a total of 28 hour of classes). Students are required to read the material in advance of the class meetings and be ready to engage with both the instructor and their peers.