English

This course provides a general overview of secularism in the world. Reading texts, scientific articles, press articles, and historical documents, it reviews case studies with a comparative approach from political science, history, sociology, philosophy, and theology. Topics include the regime of separation of the Churches and the State in France, the secular state, the American civil religion, the Italian concordat, the Danish case, Turkey, the Mexican separation, and the Belgian derogatory regime. 

This course develops students’ familiarity with modern philosophy through an examination of the thought of Spinoza and Leibniz. Students are introduced to the central metaphysical, epistemological, and moral claims of each philosopher, through a reading of primary texts. They develop an appreciation of the historical context within which the thought of Spinoza and Leibniz developed. The course examines the similarities and differences between these two crucial thinkers in the modern period, and set out their approaches to topics such as the nature of substance, knowledge, and morality.

This introductory studio course presents photography as a medium of documentation, critical communication, and personal expression related to social issues and intimate involvement. It builds photography skills including composition, light, and technical expertise. Alongside developing skills, the course considers questions of identity and expression in photography and examines how photographs have been used as markers of cultural identification. The course challenge students to question, explore, and express their own identity through photography and to take inspiration from their host city environment, in synergy or contrast with their own identity. It deepens the ability to think critically and express thoughts through images and related texts by analyzing and interpreting experiences in Italian society. Through various photographic exercises and assignments, the course explores digital photography as a tool to interpret and narrate different aspects of the city and one's personal experience of and with it, reflecting on identity in a visual way. Lectures cover technical aspects related to shooting and editing, conceiving and amplifying projects, and addressing different audiences. The course also offers an overview on Italian and international photographers and different approaches in contemporary photographic practice. Classroom discussions, assigned readings, and photo responses, combined with the personal experience of the photographic medium, help to develop critical skills to understand how photographs work aesthetically and conceptually in various contexts, how they are used in contemporary society and culture, and how they become means of personal exploration.

This course offers a general overview of nanoscience and nanotechnology and their social, economic, and ethical implications. It discusses the main application fields of nanomaterials and how their introduction into a myriad of products is changing and shaping our lives. Other topics include: consumer perception towards nanotechnology-based products; the main investment areas in nanotechnology at the worldwide level; associated risks, ethical issues, and misconceptions.

This advanced-level lecture course covers standard topics of microeconomics. The first half looks at basic price theory and market efficiency, and the second half focuses on market failures (such as market power and asymmetric information) and analyzes whether or not the basic properties of competitive markets are continuing to hold. The course will also introduce game theory and its application as a basic tool.

The course is conceived against the background of important debates on the conceptualization of development in global academic and policy contexts from the post-independence period (1960s) to date. This course is concerned with the notions of "emergence" and "transition" and pays special attention to African economies that are increasingly cited as having "achieved" some level of prominence in this regard. Students are encouraged to engage critically with mainstream thought on African experiences as they examine the interaction between theoretical frameworks/debates and empirical realities.

The course examines a range of Yeats’s poetry, drama, and prose. Structured loosely around different phases of the poet’s career, seminars will emphasize key historical and cultural contexts, ranging from Yeats’s use of Irish myth and folklore through to his engagements with eugenic theory and global politics. They also attend to key question of poetics and ideology, including Yeats’s revisionary compositional practices, his use of poetic form, his attitude towards literary tradition, and how his work intersects with issues of race, religion, gender, and nation. 

This course provides a survey of environmental policy from the perspective of economics. Topics include principles of environmental economics, air pollution, and waste management. It focuses on the application of economic concepts to the analysis of environmental policy and the consequences of economic behavior on the environment. The main aim of the course is to learn how basic economic concepts can be applied to the analysis of economic and social incentives concerning individual and collective decision-making in the context of the environment. Prerequisite: Principle of Microeconomics. 

This course introduces students to key ideas and practices in architectural heritage and conservation, and to a range of practical and digital skills. The course is structured as a mixture of lectures, interactive/practical sessions, and tutorials. The lectures introduce the history, key ideas and philosophies which shape current heritage practice. In parallel, tutorials introduce some of the key policies, processes and practical skills used by architectural historians and heritage professionals.


 

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director or Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. The internship may be taken during one or more terms but the units cannot exceed a total of 12.0 for the year.