English

This course introduces fundamental structures and principles of education with the aim of broadening students’ ideas and knowledge about education systems and policy. Students are shown a diversity of approaches by highlighting European and international developments which involve an emphasis on creative pedagogical thinking and they analyze how Ireland fits into this framework. There is also an examination of the socio-cultural aims and requirements of education focusing on pedagogy but also addressing key areas of policy and practice as they relate to social justice, for example, social inclusion, race and ethnicity, gender, and belief systems.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by permission of the instructor. The course discusses the fundamental principles of the relational data model and of the relational database management systems. In particular, the course examines the structure of a relational database, the integrity constraints on data, and the SQL query language. Course contents include: data modelling, database management, language to query databases, and data analysis.

This course covers the main empirical methods used for causal inference in economics, political economy, political science and development: randomized controlled trials, natural experiments, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity design. Students learn how to use these methods to address important questions in the social sciences. The emphasis is on applications and not on the derivation of estimators. Students study a large number of articles published in leading journals in economics and political science. Students consider the research question these articles address, how they address it, what data they use, and the strength and weaknesses of their approach. 

This advanced international relations course focuses on the European Union and its role on the international scene. It provides an overview of EU foreign policy in its variety. It addresses in particular the legal and policy framework of the EU external action providing an analysis of the competences and tools available to the EU to conduct its foreign policy, such as the conclusion of international agreements and the participation of the EU to other international organizations. The course also covers specific policies in which the EU plays an important role, such as Common Commercial Policy (CCP) and Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The interaction between the EU and other international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization is also studied. This course has a strong focus on EU law; prerequisite knowledge of EU government branches and EU law is recommended.

This course looks at key moments in the history of globalization over the ‘"long" 20th century. Approaching globalization as a contested and malleable project, students move from the "first" high age of globalization and empire in the late 19th century, through the reconfiguration of the world system in the wake of the Great Depression and the World Wars, to the era of decolonization and neoliberal globalization in the latter part of the century. Students reflect together on how capitalism, internationalism, empire, immigration, race, the environment, and human rights came to shape the contemporary world.

This course aims to understand the current situation, problems, and challenges of the Korean economy. As the population demographics in Korea changes into an aging society, economists are warning that Korea may experience a long recession like Japan’s lost decades. This course discusses various aspects of the Korean economy by examining the data of the following economic variables: GDP, GDP per capita, income disparity, demography, inflation rate, unemployment rate, interest rates, policy interest rate, money, monetary base, household debts, flow of fund, government budget, government debt, balance of payments, current account balance, trade balance, net foreign asset, and corporate earnings. 

This course explores how South Korean state and capital has been nurturing the country’s popular culture industry and promoting its exports. It discusses how South Korean popular culture attracts audiences, both domestically and globally, and what its strengths and weaknesses are, as well as how South Korea popular culture (mis)represents the current conditions of South Korean society. The course deals with the full spectrum of the popular culture developments, with special focus on films and music.

This courses focuses on the poetic movements and main poets that emerged in Great Britain from the end of WWII to the present. It examines their relationship with modernism and with the British poetic tradition in general. This course explores the connection of poetry with other cultural manifestations in the context of postmodernity. 

Demons, ghosts, and monsters have populated the cultural landscape in Japan for centuries. Appearing in anime, manga, games, and movies, mysterious creatures continue to form the core of contemporary popular culture, sparking a global obsession with Japanese monsters. This course explores the cultural history of the strange and supernatural in Japanese literary, visual, and performing arts. Engaging with primary and critical sources from the eighth century to the present, it considers the social roles that representations of “the weird” have played in Japan.

In the aftermath of World War I, the global map underwent significant alterations with the collapse of great empires. The Austro-Hungarian (Habsburg), Russian, Ottoman, and German empires disintegrated, reshaping the geopolitics of Europe and, by extension, the world. This collapse not only redrew borders but also catalyzed national movements, sowed seeds of new conflicts, and heralded a new era of nation-states. 

Significantly, in the backdrop of these monumental changes, the USSR emerged not just as a successor but as a reincarnation of the Russian Empire in its approach to its peripheries. The Soviet Union continued many of the policies, especially towards the “borderlands,” a crucial aspect to understand when examining the historical trajectories of Ukraine and Russia. 

With a focus on the geopolitical significance of Ukraine, situated between Central Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, this course uncovers the historical roots of modern conflicts, notably the Russian-Ukrainian War.