English

This course offers students a broad introduction to political philosophy. Readings are mostly drawn from Contemporary Anglophone political philosophy (so-called “analytic” philosophy): in particular, Rawls and some of his interlocutors (Nozick, Cohen, Moller-Okin, et. al). Yet students may also occasionally read figures from the history of political thought (Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, Locke, Mill) and some modern European theorists (so-called “continental” philosophers) as well (Habermas, Honneth, Forst). Questions treated in the course are likely to include the following: What is the source of the state’s authority and what could render it legitimate? What is liberty, and what are its limits? Why is property valuable, and how should it be distributed? Is there a trade-off between equality and freedom? Are there any natural rights or are they all conventional? What is justice? Throughout students are concerned with how these questions are treated in different frameworks: liberal, libertarian, socialist, feminist, utilitarian, and anarchist.  

The course considers how gaming emerged from post-War and Cold War cultures and traces its development alongside a history of contemporary capitalism up to the present. It considers games and their relation to nationalism, gender and sexuality, class and intersectionality, among other things. The course asks students to analyze the complex relationships between political context and games. To do so they develop both deep historical knowledge of the industry and solid theoretical tools through which to understand it. Students consider fan cultures, online activism, and community building around the gaming industry.

The course covers human psychological development from childhood to old age and methods used in research in development psychology. It describes theoretical perspectives on personality and related fields of application. The course consists of four modules, this is the first module: Child Psychology. This module studies the psychological and biological development during childhood and how this development is affected by genetic factors and different living conditions. Some of the topics addressed are self-regulation, emotional attachment, social understanding, and friendship. Furthermore, the module covers the research methods used to generate knowledge of child development.

This course traces both the development of English literature and the development of Medieval English society, through the transition from a shame culture to a guilt culture. Students read a selection of outstanding literary works of the early and late medieval period. Beginning with some Old English literature in translation, students consider the heroic ethos and its consequences for personal relationships and societal structures. The course then looks at a variety of key Middle English texts, including some works by Marie de France, Chaucer, and the Pearl-poet, tracing first the transition to feudalism and later the medieval rise of the middle class.

ESG, which stands for Environment, Social and Governance, is a globally popular issue not only for corporations but also among various social and economic profit and nonprofit organizations. It is broadly introduced as a concept and index to improve long-term growth of corporations and society under the concept of sustainability or sustainable society. It is an actively discussed issue aimed not only at enhancing corporate value but also innovating society and putting environmental and social movement into practice.  

This course teaches the general meaning and contents of ESG and studies ESG practices and cases through group work. Furthermore, the course challenges students to generate innovative ideas that can improve social values through practical applications of ESG for corporations and other organizations. 

This course presents a broad picture of international migration in recent history and a detailed picture of its recent trends. It introduces the analytical and empirical tools that are necessary to evaluate its impact on the host countries.

The course provides a fundamental knowledge of genetics. It covers how traits are passed from one generation to the next, the role of genes in biological functions, methods for mapping genes to chromosomes and predicting risk of transmission of monogenic pathologies, and methods to characterize and/or create an animal model for a genetic disease.

This course aims to support participants in establishing a general overview of qualitative educational research, enabling them to critically read and review qualitative academic writings. Participants will also use qualitative research methods to understand the complex and multifaceted nature of educational phenomena based on their own experiences. This course provides the essential foundation for participants to develop as educators (and educational researchers).

This course is an introduction to the theoretical concepts required for subsequent computer science courses. However, the course also provides a stand-alone introduction for students interested in the theory of computation and its links with logic and language theory. The first part of the course focuses on mathematical logic and the second part addresses the fundamentals of computation, automata, and language theory.

This course develops an understanding of key concepts and theories related to climate issues, sustainability, and environmental governance in Africa. It debates climate adaptation and mitigation, sustainable development, and governing the environment, and discusses specific African cases related to climate-smart interventions, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and governance initiatives related to biodiversity conservation and rural development. The course examines key actors in Africa's development and the roles they play in responding to the climate crisis, in sustainability, and in governing natural resources. It discusses relevant questions concerning the relationship between climate, scarcity, and abundance; internationally-driven, climate-smart initiatives in Africa related to the role of state, market, and civil society; and the impacts and coping strategies related to implementing the SDGs in Africa. The course consists of a combination of lectures and workshop-like activities with active student participation and presentations by a number of external lecturers, including guests from the private sector, NGOs, and researchers. This version of the course is worth 15 ECTS (12 quarter UC units) and assessment consists of a written paper on a topic of the student's own choosing comprising 36,000-43,200 characters.