France

This course focuses on the history of Central and Eastern Europe during the mid-15th to mid-17th centuries. Topics include the Holy Roman Empire, The Ottoman Empire, the protestant reformation, Scandinavia, and Russia at this time. Furthermore, it explores the complex relations between these states after the Middle Ages and the creations of the states that would continue into the contemporary era.

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.

At an empirical level, this course provides a solid knowledge in Lebanese history, mainly in the major violent episodes of its trajectory: the civil war (1975-1990), Israeli occupation (1982-2000), and Hezbollah's intervention in Syria (since 2013). It also presents a specific understanding of a practice of power far removed from what can be observed in Western democracies. Without being an authoritarian regime, the Lebanese political staff has always had a particular definition of ruling, a special understanding of democracy, that goes beyond the usual features shared by consociational systems everywhere else in the world (Switzerland, Belgium, Bosnia). This course is hence thought-provoking in political science, as it introduces models of ruling usually unfamiliar, models that are more frequent than typically imagined. By doing so, the course also triggers a shared reflection on theoretical concepts of political science, and a questioning of the universality of some of what Western political sociology sees as basic elementary truths and rules of the game in politics-in-practice. The course addresses Lebanese contemporary history; the notion of militancy in contexts of violence; a critical notion of foreign intervention, peacemaking, peacebuilding, state building, reconciliation, and transitional justice; and a good command of a particular case of consociational politics.

This course delves into the practical aspects of literary translation, focusing on the analysis of translated texts. It examines various issues and challenges that arise during the translation process, including cultural, literary, and linguistic considerations. Close examination of translated works provide insight into the complexities of translation and develop critical thinking skills for evaluating translation choices. Discussions center around the options available for translation, providing a deeper understanding of the strategies and techniques employed in the field. Through a combination of theoretical exploration and practical exercises, the course builds skills in literary translation and develops an appreciation for the art and craft of translation.

This course introduces the concept of public space not only from a theoretical point of view but also through uses and behaviors taking place in urban public spaces, including gender inequalities. Methods of urban ethnography are considered for this purpose. All along the course, specific attention is paid to questioning links between theories and practices. Public space is a topical issue which plays a major role in our society and in our everyday lives. The course focuses on different disciplinary approaches (such as political philosophy, sociology, and urban studies) in order to identify the many meanings the concept can carry. It develops arguments to engage in the current debate around the supposed end of public space.

Set as a new objective of the European Union (EU) by the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam, the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) has since proven to be one of the most dynamic EU policy-making domains. It now encompasses key individual policies addressing fundamental concerns of European citizens: police cooperation, judicial cooperation in criminal and civil matters, border management, visa and asylum policies etc. This course analyzes the progressive development of the AFSJ by providing insights on three main considerations: who are the individual and collective actors contributing to that policy domain; which theories and concepts help us to understand the creation and evolutions of the AFSJ; and what are the key reforms, debates, and controversies of the individual AFSJ policies. 

This course is devoted to the notion of freedom as it is thought of in philosophy. The first part of the course focuses on the ancient idea of freedom as opposed to slavery, or as free will (as in Saint Augustine) to provide the sources from which modern reflections on freedom have been drawn, especially in German idealism. The course then follows the evolution of theories of freedom from Kant, Hegel, and Schelling to Isaiah Berlin, Sartre, Butler, and Axel Honneth, and to the re-emergence of the question of slavery in contemporary thought. An important part of the course is devoted to an in-depth study of F.G.J. Schelling's PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO HUMAN FREEDOM (1809) to confront a seemingly difficult text with the keys to understanding the complex intellectual edifices that underpin our modern vision of freedom.

This course considers the role of journalism in today’s landscape where most people use social media to engage with news content and share information. It discusses the important role of journalism in democracy and the target from autocratic leaders who point to press – and significantly, female journalists – as the enemies of the people. The course also discusses the impact of Artificial Intelligence on journalism and what it means for the future of media. It covers the key elements of journalism to become acquainted with gathering news from different parts of the world and platforms for comparison.

The intellectual challenge and historiographical novelty of this course lie in the change of perspective it proposes: a contemporary history of France seen from its extra-European extensions, which are the overseas territories of the Republic. It revisits significant social, political, economic, and cultural moments in order to gain a different perspective on the history of nation-building. In this sense, this course is part of the abundant renewal of a history of France, thought beyond the limits of the Hexagon and linked to a history of the colonial and imperial fact. A basic knowledge of French history is an essential prerequisite.