English

This course introduces the key issues and debates in the economics of globalization. While the benefits of economic globalization are generally accepted in the public arena, the process is known to create some new challenges for consumers, firms, governments and international organizations. This course looks at both opportunities and challenges created by globalization. Concepts and models from international economics are blended with historical analysis to provide an overview of the unfolding process of globalization over the long-term and the economic and political economy factors underlying that evolution. The course also covers specific (country) case studies with the impact of globalization on issues such as poverty, income inequality and the environment. It takes the inter-disciplinary analytical framework, drawing not only in in economics but also political science, and business strategy to illustrate a multi-faceted feature of ongoing globalization.

This course examines principles and best practices for effective communication within workplaces and organizations. It focuses on students’ skills in key areas including: professionalism in communication; listening skills; conflict resolution; and negotiation skills. Particular emphasis is given to the skills required for developing coherent and consistent communication strategies.

The course provides students with experience in designing and executing a research project. Students will undertake a supervised project in collaboration with other students. Emphasis is placed on research design, including the scientific context of the project, logistics, and ethical considerations; application of appropriate methods and techniques; data collection, including field research and other information sources; data analysis and interpretation; and research communication.

This course examines the techniques and uses of epidemiology in preventing poor health, health planning and evaluation.

The course introduces and develops an economic framework for business analysis and corporate valuation. The main focus is on integrating key concepts of economics, accounting, and finance in order to effectively evaluate the information content of financial reports; develop up-to-date applied knowledge of fundamental valuation techniques; and successfully implement investment strategies.

This course examines literary classics that have attracted controversy for reasons including political content; issues of morality/obscenity; transgressing conventions of form; polemical works; questions of authorial identity and authenticity; and controversies over prizes and literary merit.

The course begins with a brief introduction to the marine environment and oceanography. Following on from this a number of topical subjects are used to illustrate recent developments in the field of marine ecology. The biodiversity and biogeography in the marine environment are illustrated with reference to selected habitats, namely coral reefs and the deep ocean. The biology of the deep ocean, in particular the biology of mid-water and hydrothermal vent communities, includes consideration of technological advances in deep ocean exploration. This theme is developed further in lectures on tracking studies, behavior, and conservation of marine megafauna, e.g. sharks, sea birds, and marine mammals. The topical issues of marine pollution (including plastics pollution), ocean acidification and global climate change is considered with respect to effects on marine biodiversity. 

This course examines the modern Japanese sense of cultural, social and national identity, as analyzed by social scientists, cultural historians, and scholars of Japanese thought. Topics include famous studies of the Japanese self by psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists and socio-linguists, supplemented by a historical perspective focusing on the samurai heritage and the ideas behind the Meiji Restoration. Japanese language is not required.

This is an introductory course in microeconomics. The course begins with a discussion of economic history, the characteristics of different economic systems, and the factors influencing economic development following the Industrial Revolution including utility-maximization theory of consumption, optimal-bundle, and indifference curve analysis. Game theoretical frameworks are reviewed to model social interactions amongst economic agents before applying this framework to wage-setting relationships in the labor market. Applications of experimental economic methods are also briefly explored. Finally, standard neo-classical theories of supply and demand as well as firms’ pricing decisions under differing levels of market competition are introduced.

Mathematics underpins virtually everything that we take for granted in our daily lives, and it is sometimes referred to as the “Queen of Science” due to its demands of logical rigor and cold calculations. However, despite its intimidating veneer, mathematics is the culmination of millennia of human endeavor. The purpose of this course is to give an accessible overview of some of the key developments in mathematics, covering the period from the time of the ancients, up to the early modern period. The course also provides an opportunity to apply historical mathematical methods to solve problems. While covering the well-known Greek, Chinese, Islamic, and European mathematicians, the course also addresses Japanese mathematics during the Edo period.　
 

While the course includes written assignments, to properly understand and follow the thinking of the mathematicians, the course covers problem solving using historical mathematical methods. While a background in high-school level math is useful, an enthusiasm for critical thinking and problem solving could replace that prerequisite, since the mathematical concepts will be introduced as they were historically considered.