English

This course examines the grotesque style, a recurrent feature of American literature, by focusing on fiction works from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It begins by covering the definition of the “grotesque” from several scholars, each of whom present the concept differently. The grotesque, therefore, requires special deciphering that is examined in the seminar. An analysis of a selection of grotesque American fiction also allows a study of the reasons for the use of the grotesque and the role it plays.

Designed to provide students with an in-depth exploration of the scientific principles and technological advancements that underpin the production, analysis, and innovation of textiles, this course bridges the gap between science and practical application, equipping students with a robust foundation to navigate the complex world of textiles in various industries. This course offers a comprehensive perspective on the development, manufacturing, and application of textiles, exploring their profound influence on design and construction of clothing. The characteristics of different fibers, yarns, fabrics, and finishes are investigated. 

This course examines the complex richness of 'Americanness'. Divided into historically grounded modules (Race; Religion; Gender; Politics; Region), the course will approach each from a variety of angles: the historiographical, the literary, the cultural, the political, the cinematic. It will open lines of interrelation between historical and imaginary forms in the construction and ongoing redefinition of the United States.

Global Supply Chain Management focuses on why and how companies engage in international supply chain activities. Key topics include motives, barriers, risks, partnership(s), and the global supply chain organization. Coping with various supply chain disruptions is a recurring challenge addressed. Tutorials evolve around student presentations and discussions of relevant literature, case studies, and roleplay. Students regularly present assigned literature or case material, as well as provide additional material such as relevant academic articles, cases, and examples.

This course explores madness and mental illness in recent and historical performance. It asks questions about how a society's constructions of madness are reflected in and produced by performance, and about the versions of subjectivity or selfhood that emerge when we play mad. The course is taught through practice-based case studies of ancient Greek, English Renaissance and 20th/21st century European texts and performances. It examines the versions of madness and mental illness produced in historical performance, and the ways in which these have been reinterpreted and rewritten to reflect current constructions and concerns of and about madness. It explores recent constructions of madness and its "treatment" on stage.

This course gives students an understanding of the intricate relationship between human health and the immune system. It provides students with tools to critically review and understand the current knowledge (sometimes contradictory) behind what we know about the origin of the disease, its clinical phenotype, and its treatment. In order to do so, an expert in the field is invited to lecture each week on a specific disease/condition, ranging from autoimmune disorders and viral infections to cancer and aging. Students also gain an understanding of how the immune system’s power can be harnessed for new therapeutic avenues that are currently explored.

This course is concerned with introducing students to theories and concepts in sociology, and their application. Students are introduced to classical and contemporary social theories. They cover the works of the "founding fathers" of continental European sociology, Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, as well as more contemporary social theory including functionalism and symbolic interactionism. 

This course focuses on computation in the nervous system. Students are introduced to basic neuroscience concepts, learn about how computational models are used to simulate processes in the brain, and learn about theories for how the brain processes information and performs computations. Topics include an introduction to basic neuroscience concepts, models of neurons, neural encoding, neural decoding, information theory, network models, and plasticity/learning. The course is delivered through lectures and computer labs.

Thjs course examines European history from the eighteenth century to the present.

Through classroom study and field trips, this course embarks on a journey of Jerusalem through time and space, over the course of three thousand years, from a regional center to a national capital to the spiritual center for the world’s three great western monotheistic religions. It bulids an understanding and appreciation of its present and future, how the city developed, and how the city seems to touch everyone in the world today.