English

This course considers what makes us human by exploring the "deep history" of death from prehistory to the present. Realizing that this question goes beyond the capacity of any single academic discipline, the course turns to history, cultural anthropology, archaeology, paleontology, developmental psychology, and comparative religions to explore the universal human search for the meaning of death and seeking immortality.

This course provides conceptual frameworks that students may find useful in analyzing various types of peace initiatives including humanitarian assistance. Students examine a wide range of debates about peacebuilding and humanitarian intervention, and analyze a variety of intermediary efforts by the UN, NGOs and other relevant institutions. This course is offered in collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Japan--a humanitarian organization working in conflict zones. Humanitarian experts from the MSF will share their practical and hands-on experience in the field of peacebuilding and humanitarian aid, while the professor will offer theoretical discussions relevant to the theme and lead group work and simulation exercises, which aim to facilitate students' understanding of the topics introduced by the MSF experts.

This course consists of three parts. First, it studies the economics of financial markets, with a particular emphasis on interest rates. The second part concerns financial institutions, necessary players for the proper functioning of financial markets. Important topics in this part are (a) asymmetric information problems in financial markets; (b) risk management in banking, and (c) financial crises. The third and last part covers central banks and monetary policy. Understanding monetary policy is important, given its substantial influence on financial markets and overall economic activities.

This course provides a study of literature produced in the United States during the 19th century. It examines cultural diversity throughout history, as it is represented in literature. Its contents cover the following topics: The first literature of the United States, The American Renaissance, Slave narrative and Post-Civil War literature.

This course covers of the fundamentals of heat and mass transport phenomena, which is useful to several engineering designs. The course studies the basic concept of heat transfer, including conduction, convection and radiation. Then it addresses the applications of the concept to industrial designs, such as heat exchanger, boiler and condenser. 

We are in the midst of unprecedented global environmental change. Rising temperatures and sea levels, unpredictable and increasingly volatile weather events, plant and animal extinctions, and continued human expansion and adaptation are all pressing matters for our current and future lives. How did we get here, what are the implications for human and nonhuman life, and where do we go from here? 

This course draws on anthropological concepts and fieldwork findings to explore the complex and reciprocal relationships between humans and our environments. Students will be introduced to environmental anthropology and its potential for understanding not only nature, culture, and their relationship, but also possible solutions to issues related to life on a changed (and changing) planet. 

Students will be introduced to the past, present, and potential future diversity of human-environment relations through topics including fungal networks, human-animal relationships, nonhuman persons, environmental politics, urban development, and of course, climate change. Through this, students will gain an appreciation for the diversity of human life, the environment, and our ways of being in the world, while also developing critical analytical skills beneficial for personal, activist, and academic success. 

This course examines the relationship between Japan and Korea, with a particular focus on the impact of Japan’s colonization of Korea and its postcolonial legacies. Students gain greater insights into how the multifaceted intersections between both countries mutually impacts the shaping of their modernities, national identities, cultural politics, and globalization. The course focuses on various official and popular cultural forms such as museum exhibits, expositions, art, film, anime, TV drama, and international events to analyze the histories of these countries.

This course provides an introduction to genetic studies on behavior, emotions, and cognition - a psychological discipline known as "behavior genetics." The course covers basic concepts in quantitative and molecular genetic sciences, and how these can be applied to study animal behavior, human traits and disorders, and socioeconomic outcomes. This includes studies of genetic and environmental contributions and how statistical models of complex traits are analyzed with computer software. The course covers development of research skills for practical implementation of quantitative genetic statistical methods applicable throughout the life sciences.

This course explores the truthfulness of AI, as a non-reliable source of information, from a linguistic angle. On the premise that AI-tools are increasingly used to provide “information” in professional and private settings, but in reality are producing ‘hallucinations’, false information, the course compares the logic and architecture behind large language models (LLM) used in AI-tools with the logic and architecture behind human cognition (including the capacity for language). It also delves into several aspects of human language that contribute to our inclination to take AI-generated output at face value.

This course introduces students to the core philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, and ethics concepts needed to build better technology and reason about its impact on the economy, civil society, and government.