English

In this course, students review the major groups of invertebrates which, apart from arthropods, account for most of the animal species on the planet. The course provides the tools for describing and understanding biodiversity and many of the species discussed play key ecological and economic roles. Students review classification of invertebrates into major groups and examine some of the extraordinary solutions they have developed to movement, feeding, sensing, and reproduction. Practical sessions illustrate the variety of invertebrate life and include a field trip to search for specimens on the shore. Key skills include scientific drawing and dissection and, above all, the skill of species identification, including classification, use of keys and guidebooks and taxonomic conventions. 

This taster course is for international students who are interested in studying Putonghua. Students will be systematically introduced to Chinese characters (formation, history, stroke orders, etc.). Additionally, students will have a chance to learn some basic daily conversations in Putonghua.

This introductory course covers basic concepts and history of the press and mass media, the functions of mass media in modern society, and introduces basic research methods to equip students with skills to critically appraise media issues. Throughout this course, heavy emphasis will be placed on critical thinking and how to effectively interpret how media functions and its effects on society. 

The course covers the development of European integration after the Second World War with a special focus on questions concerning national and supranational identities and values. The aim is to study the EU's development from the time of the European Coal and Steel Community to the UK's withdrawal in 2020, partly chronologically, but also based on a present-day perspective.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of theoretical and practical challenges involved in the complex subject of global governance. It traces the evolving roles of both states and non-state actors and covers a wide range of issues on peace and security; human rights and democracy; money and finance; trade and investment, and sustainable development and the environment. 

This course focuses on the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to negotiate, execute, and monitor the performance of international commercial contracts. This course provides undergraduate law students with a comprehensive understanding of the life cycle of international commercial contracts. It covers key aspects such as contract formation, interpretation, performance, non-performance, remedies for breach, exemptions, and dispute resolution. By the end of the course, students have a strong foundation in the principles and practices governing international commercial contracts, enabling them to effectively draft, analyze, and negotiate such contracts.

This course is an upper intermediate listening and speaking course in Putonghua, focusing on students’ fluency in speaking and appropriateness in usage. In addition to daily situations and semi-formal situations, students will also be introduced to various aspects of Chinese culture and society. 

This course combines seminars and site visits to take students on a cultural, literary journey through the many layers of Berlin. The course takes a historical look at 1920s Berlin, the liberal republic and how the Fascist government came to be. It then goes on to post WW2, when it became a frontline of the Cold War. Students explore the fall of the Wall in 1989 and the birth of Berlin in a new era as a center of creativity. 

In this course, students gain insight into a variety of approaches to ensuring that children grow up healthy and with opportunities to become contributing members of society. The historical roots, current issues, and future challenges related to children’s well-being are addressed. Students gain diverse knowledge and form opinions on a broad spectrum of related topics, including family life, the influence of the turbulent 20th century on youth and education, regional and national differences in educational systems, preventive youth health care, public policy on social services and divorce support, parental leave, and day care provision. Students learn about alternative educational approaches, such as those developed by Maria Montessori, Rudolf Steiner, Célestin Freinet, and A. S. Neill. Site visits to relevant museums and exhibitions deepens students’ theoretical learning. The course incorporates guest talks in order to foreground the place of family, schools and child development across societies and cultures.

A knowledge of the past and the long reach of historical processes is vital to an understanding of the modern world in terms of both physical landscapes and the evolution of economic, social and cultural landscapes. Past imperial and colonial practices and their legacies are key to understanding contemporary global inequalities (e.g. uneven economic development, resource access, population structures) and the societal challenges facing developing countries. Historical geography focuses on the dynamic relationship between space and time offering a geographical analysis of the past and an historical analysis of geographic patterns. This course charts the evolution of human society across the globe examining the emergence of regions and places with distinctive identities and characteristics in an increasingly globalizing world. In doing so it introduces key concepts in historical geography that illuminate processes of continuity and change, linkages, and ruptures and the intersections between power and society.