English

This course is offered through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program in Science (UROPS). The intent of UROPS is to formally involve undergraduate students in research activities under the supervision of faculty members in their respective fields of study. UROPS aims to enhance undergraduate students’ knowledge of, and acquire the skills required for, the intellectual process of inquiry. 

This studio course introduces the principles of painting and develops skills in composition, observation, and the use of color. The course includes sessions on technique, brushwork, color theory, and the use of different media.  During the first half of the course assignments concentrate on developing different skills and building techniques, using traditional and experimental approaches to painting. During the second half of the course, students use these skills to develop their own work. Students explore the history of art in Florence in the many galleries and museums and use this knowledge to inform their own work. The course covers the technical developments of the Renaissance, including the study of perspective, line, and form. Through guided instructional sessions, students cultivate their unique artistic styles and engage in individual research, which may involve integrating themes and techniques from both modern and contemporary art. This study is the basis for developing painting skills through engaging with, and responding to, the works and artists they study. The course also has a focus on developing skills for self and peer criticism to discuss the development of the work. Students create a final piece supported by an Artist's Statement, a research breakdown outlining the evolution of the project's concept, and technical development. 

This course primarily targets Masters students but also ambitious Bachelor students who want to get the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of specific wireless communication technologies. After completing this course, students will have deep knowledge about wireless technologies from the IEEE 802 protocol family (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth and ZigBee), technologies for adhoc/mesh networks and classical cellular networks. Additionally, during the labs, students will have the opportunity to study selected technologies or technology-oriented problems in hands-on exercises.

As a core course in the department’s program on East Asian studies, this graduate-level course, conducted fully in English, explores various dimensions of the political, economic, and social developments of the People’s Republic of China since 1979. In addition to familiarizing the students with the empirical evidence and relevant methodology of such developments, this course also introduces the theoretical evolution/debates both in China studies and authoritarianism in comparative politics. An extended goal of this course is to prepare the students for delving into new research topics and conducting independent field research in China in the future. Students have to finish all the required readings and be prepared for heavy class participation before each class meeting. Lectures by the instructors where necessary play a supplementary role only.

This course examines the processes of political and social changes and their impact on economic institutions and processes. Topics include: how to make collective decisions for a group of individuals with heterogeneous needs and preferences; typical failures of different voting rule; designing a voting rule that makes rational decisions and satisfies some minimal democratic requirement; how governments and electoral competition work; why economic competition and electoral competition are so different in nature; the role and influence of interest groups in the political process.

This course addresses the political and cultural dimensions of artificial intelligence and network technologies in a range of global contexts. Through an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates the fields of media and communication studies, critical theory, and the philosophy of technology, the course examines the technical and conceptual elements of machine learning, digital automation, and online communication in order to develop an understanding of their social impacts and historical consequences. Topics include: the structure of neural networks and online protocols; the rise of cybernetics as a political logic and technical form; the history of digital logistics and automation; ethical issues surrounding the widespread installation of these technologies across different sectors of society. 

This course examines the ways in which language is being (re)formulated on the Web, especially in multilingual settings. The course focuses on the study and management of electronic language evidence on the Web. The course requires students to take prerequisites.

This is an interdisciplinary course that explores the principles of communication in Design and Engineering. Students learn how they can draw on visual and verbal resources to clearly articulate the valued knowledge in their disciplines to both specialist and non-specialist audiences. Students study a range of narratives around multimodal artifacts such as posters, renderings, drawings, models and exhibits from these disciplines and become familiar with the ways to engage, inform, critique and persuade different audiences and communicate their designs effectively.

The course provides students with an understanding of organizational change as a multifaceted phenomenon and equips them with skills to adopt a reflective, multi-dimensional approach when managing change in their future careers. In their everyday jobs, managers need to identify when change is needed, manage its implementation or guide others through it. In this course students learn about theories, strategies, skills, and techniques for leading successful change.