English

In 1951, six European countries signed the Treaty of Paris to form the European Coal and Steel Community that laid the foundation for what is known today as the European Union (EU). Since its humble beginnings, the EU has played a crucial role in the political and economic development of Europe and the globe and has evolved into an ‘ever closer union’ of currently 27 member states that have pooled their sovereignty to a historically unprecedented degree. Today, the EU constitutes one of the most complex and intriguing political and economic systems in the world, and as the European integration process remains in flux, the EU remains a moving target for those who study it. This course focuses on the scientific study of the EU and EU politics. It offers you the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the EU’s institutional actors and decision-making procedures, to actively analyze EU politics and policy-making, and to find answers to the various theoretical and empirical questions that are raised by the EU’s existence and developments. To provide you with a more tangible feel for the EU and the problems of EU policy-making and to make your learning experience as interactive as possible, the course complements regular class meetings with simulations of the Council of the European Union.

This course explores key themes in political sociology, a major sub-field of sociology with strong linkages to political science and political philosophy. The focus is on the dynamics and relations of power in society, specific problems and issues related to ‘power’ are examined across the grassroots and global levels of sociological investigation. Intersectional and global comparative perspectives are stressed through an exploration of diverse case studies that span different historical eras and contemporary settings. Principles of ‘research-based learning’ (RBL) are emphasized throughout the course to stress the intimate link between sociological theory and methodology. Salient themes explored include democratization, active citizenship, nationalism, neoliberalism, elitism, populism, authoritarianism, repression, protest, and revolution. A working knowledge of introductory sociology and social science research methods is required.

What is a reasonable value for a derivative on the financial market? The course consists of two related parts. The first part looks at option theory in discrete time. The purpose is to introduce fundamental concepts of financial markets such as free of arbitrage and completeness as well as martingales and martingale measures. Tree structures to model time dynamics of stock prices and information flows are used. The second part studies models formulated in continuous time. The models used are formulated as stochastic differential equations (SDE:s). The theories behind Brownian motion, stochastic integrals, Ito-'s formula, measures changes, and numeraires are presented and applied to option theory both for the stock and the interest rate markets. Students derive e.g. the Black-Scholes formula and how to create a replicating portfolio for a derivative contract.

This course introduces the representative studies and core theories in the fields of behavioral economics and decision psychology. The lectures include topics such as prospect theory, heuristics and biases, self-control, and social decision making. This course teaches one how to analyze and solve various problems of choice in daily life, based on the psychological and economic theories of decision making.

Designed for advanced level undergraduate Psychology students, participants must have taken the introductory psychology courses (both I and II) or similar courses; students who do not meet this prerequisite must seek permission from the instructor on the first day of the course. To succeed in this course, it is highly recommended that participants are familiar with basic terms in elementary statistics.

This course provides a first introduction to the field of political economy and the geopolitics of natural resources. It is based on rich literature from political philosophy, economics, comparative politics, and international relations. The period of analysis focuses on the post-war era and does not concentrate on any particular region. However, the specific characteristics of different regions or countries are discussed, including Latin America, Russia, Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa region.

This course offers an introduction to the historical and cultural aspects of Medieval European Civilization by drawing parallels between modern-day societal, economic, and cultural occurrences and the Medieval past.  The course explores weekly themes that reflect contemporary societal issues that lend themselves to a (historical) comparative analytical approach. Themes include modern misrepresentation of Medieval culture, the ‘White’ Middle Ages, modern reflections on Medieval pandemics, revolts and political order in the Middle Ages, and minorities and persecution in the Middle Ages. The course consists of lectures and tutor groups. Students are evaluated on their participation, presentation, scientific paper, and written exam. Prerequisites include any course in history or sociology or substantial high school knowledge in history.

This course introduces students to the basic principles of spatial analysis. Students learn how to use spatial analysis methods and fundamental spatial algorithms for a variety of applications in human and physical geography. The course is structured along the two spatial data representations, vector data, and raster data. Students learn to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to perform the analysis.

This course provides students with an introduction to management accounting and control so as to help them understand the role of management accounting and control systems within organizations and improve their knowledge of the use of accounting information in decision making.

Population aging is a global trend, especially in East Asia. In Taiwan, the population of those ages 65 and over will reach 20% of the total population in 2025. Though the total number of the aging population is relatively small compared to developed countries, the speed at which it is occurring is one of the fastest in the world, thus leaving Taiwan less time to prepare policies and reconstruct an aging society. 

Aging-related social policies are major challenges for many countries. This course introduces various policy areas among different countries: health and mental health, social care, economic security, lifelong learning, senior employment, voluntary services, age-friendly community development, social sustainability, and SDGs, etc.