English

This course covers a range of contemporary topics in economics from both a theoretical and practical perspective. Students learn the theoretical arguments behind each topic covered but also study a whole range of empirical methodologies employed by economists to test these theories. 

This course explores a wide range of contemporary British drama from the 1950s to the present day, examining its existence on both page and stage. Students read a broad spectrum of work, including plays by John Osborne, Samuel Beckett, Sarah Kane, Brian Friel, Tim Crouch, Caryl Churchill, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Liz Lochhead, Ella Hickson, debbie tucker green, Mojisola Adebayo and Travis Alabanza. They also consider the evolution of specific trends, movements and forms across 20th- and 21st-century drama, including in-yer-face theatre, participatory performance and state-of-the-nation drama. The course engages with critical and theoretical perspectives on these playtexts and performances.

 

At least since the 1980s, risk and its forms of calculation and management have been gaining ground as a relevant topic in the social sciences, which crosses different empirical approaches that include, for example, disasters and natural catastrophes, services and financial markets, to security policies and technologies. This course introduces the sociology of risk and offer a brief overview of the consolidation of this field of study and its main theoretical references, as well as exploring the issues, concepts and methodologies raised by the literature. The course is divided into three parts. First, it starts with a brief review of the two classic approaches of sociology and anthropology, namely, respectively, the theory of risk society (Beck, 1992 [1986]) and the theory of cultural risk perception (Douglas and Widalvsky, 1983). Next, it discusses some of the main contributions of governmentality studies to the development of research on risk governance technologies (Burchell, Gordon and Miller, 1991; O'Malley, 2009). While these three currents are more focused on ways of controlling and reducing dangers, threats and risks, in the third part, the course discusses studies that show the positivity of risk and uncertainty in the liberal tradition and the growing demand for “assuming” and “taking risks” in contemporary financial capitalism (Baker and Simon, 2010). Throughout the course, students are encouraged to use the concepts learned as analytical tools for building a sociological understanding of contemporary empirical facts.

As technologies change the way we live and generate vast amounts of personal data, privacy regulation has become a pillar of modern society. Among the patchwork of legal frameworks adopted worldwide, the EU has asserted its regulatory leadership by taking a singular stance. Through the GDPR, the EU has attempted to protect individuals' data rights, with the belief that this will increase trust in these technologies and in turn foster digital growth. This course explores the foundations of EU data protection law, from a critical legal perspective, sheds light on the ongoing challenges that shape this field and, most importantly, empowers students to become informed digital citizens.

This course examines the evolution of British imperial power from the early 19th century to World War I, focusing on its maritime foundations, global ideology, and inherent contradictions between humanitarian discourse and military conquest. It then shifts to a contemporary perspective, analyzing Australia and New Zealand as middle powers in the Indo‑Pacific region, with attention to strategy, security alliances, diplomacy, economic interests, and environmental challenges.

This course discusses Taiwan's popular culture, reviews relevant literatures of Taiwan's popular culture, explores how identity is produced and consumed through ensuing cultural commodities develop its own critical understanding of (Taiwan's) popular culture (in particular the production and consumption of popular culture as cultural, political, economic, social, and historical practices and processes), and teaches approaches, concepts, and issues in the study of production and consumption of popular culture. The course goes through Taiwan's rapid development of both consumer society and democracy hybrid cultural characteristics based on 400 years of hybrid colonial history some representative examples in popular culture, for example, Popular Literature, Popular Music and Cinema, Betel-Nuts Beauties and Electronic-Fancy-Float Girls, Shopping and Queuing, Wedding and Portrait Photography, Adult Films, ACG and Trendy Dramas, Being Kawaii, Baseball, A-Bian Doll, Call-in Show and Red-Shirt Army, and finally Night Market and Food Culture. It discusses the following questions: What is "Taiwaneseness"? How are "Japaneseness" and "Taiwaneseness" (re-)presented in Taiwan's cinema? How is "Taiwaneseness" (re-)produced, circulated, and consumed in Taiwan's popular culture?

This class introduces students to the core principles of marketing and explores how artificial intelligence is transforming modern marketing practices. Topics include consumer behavior, segmentation, branding, and marketing strategy, alongside AI applications such as predictive analytics, personalization, and digital advertising. Through interactive workshops, case studies, and an AI Skills Bootcamp, students will develop practical knowledge and critical understanding of how data-driven technologies are transforming marketing practice.

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to Indigenous Studies in the United States, with a focus on key concepts, historical contexts, and contemporary themes relevant to Native American peoples. Through an interdisciplinary approach grounded in Indigenous epistemologies, it examines the plurality of worldviews, histories, and experiences of Indigenous peoples in the United States – and beyond – to understand the historical and contemporary relationships between Indigenous communities, settler-colonial systems, and current governance structures. Through the study of the relationship between Native American peoples and the U.S. government, the course critically examines topics such as sovereignty, self-determination, governance, land and the use of natural resources, Indigenous justice systems, gender-based violence, Indigenous education, linguistic and cultural transmission, among others. Additional discussions address the history of treaty rights in the United States, the U.S. federal and state recognition processes, the recognition of specific rights for Indigenous peoples at the international level, and evolving concepts of identity and indigeneity. While the primary focus is on American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Nations within the United States, comparative perspectives on Indigenous Peoples worldwide are also provided. Interactive discussions, group exercises, and presentations by guest scholars and practitioners also provide interdisciplinary insights that bridge theory, practice, and community-based experience.

This course introduces the major concepts underpinning pharmacology. It describes the main molecular mechanisms of action of some important classes of drugs acting on the cardiorespiratory system and relates these mechanisms to their cellular, tissue, organ and whole animal effects.

This course provides an overview of some of the major changes, challenges, and evolutions of global media starting in the late 19th century and until the current moment. Drawing on historical and more recent examples of the best work of print and broadcast journalists, it explores the development of the institution of journalism and address topics such as: the changing economic pressures on journalism; the evolution of the role and work of the reporter; the shifting values, practices, ethical standards, and social roles that have been linked to the practice of journalism; and the changes of what core ideals of journalism mean, including truth and objectivity.