Korea University

This course provides a comprehensive and rigorous treatment of Thermodynamics from an engineering point of view. The foundation for the use of conservation equations will be developed by taking a general approach to the solution of a number of interdisciplinary engineering problems. This will help in gaining a better understanding of more specific fields such as fluid mechanics and heat transfer. 

This course explores the complex interactions between international politics and the global economy, encompassing subjects ranging from geopolitics, security, climate change, global financial systems, and the impact of technology on international trade. 

Students will examine the evolving dynamics of international political economies to navigate the complexities of global economic policymaking process, through a thorough engagement with current case studies to understand the impact of economic decisions on global political structures and vice versa. 

This course introduces the basic mechanisms of global management and basic concepts of international management.  

Topics include globalization; national differences in political, economic, and legal systems; differences in culture; the competitive environment; foreign direct investment; developed vs. developing markets; exporting, importing, and countertrade; global production and supply chain management; and global marketing and business analytics.  

This course introduces the recently emerging fields of decision-making neuroscience and neuroeconomics. Topics include the core elements of the brain mechanism related to decision-making, such as dopamine function, approach and avoidance circuits, value calculation, and the dilemma of stability versus flexibility. In addition, this course covers the neuroscientific model of decision-making and how to understand and apply it to various choices in everyday life. 

This course is intended for advanced-level undergraduate students who have completed an introductory psychology course and are familiar with basic terms in neuroscience and elementary statistics. 

This course buildes competency in understanding and interpreting a range of different research methods and results. Through the analysis of various research papers, students will need to use critical thinking and logical reasoning to either agree, disagree, or seek further clarification of conclusions provided in the research discussion sections.

This course covers processes and theories of government taxation, examining two traditional roles of government in relation to market mechanisms: the provision of public goods and services, and the provision of social insurance and income redistribution. 

This course is not only about theoretical analysis of the abstract expenditure programs, but also about specific institutions and policy debates in Korean context. 

First and second year levels of microeconomics are prerequisite. It is also recommended that students are equipped with mathematical skills related to economics. 

Some of the supplementary materials are written in Korean, thus some Korean language familiarity is recommended; although the materials will be explained in English, some of the terminologies cannot be translated.  

This course provides an overview of contemporary popular culture in Korea, with a focus on the media’s role in expressing and shaping it. Students will learn theoretical concepts to analyze Korean popular culture from an academic perspective, covering topics such as gender, collective memory, music, Korean wave, film, broadcasting and more. The course includes group research projects and class discussions. 

This course examines the intersection of fashion, media, and cultural history from the early 20th century to the present day. This course explores the evolution of fashion within both Western and Korean fashion history in the twentieth century. Students will explore how ideals have changed over the decades and how various cultural and historical contexts have been differently addressed in various fashion styles. Students will also explore the way ideals have been portrayed through a variety of media such as fashion dolls, fashion illustrations, magazines, advertisements, photography, television shows, films, exhibitions, fashion collections, and more. 

This course explores the international relations of the East Asian countries of China, Japan, and Korea and provides students with critical perspectives on various issues related to international relations in East Asia. This course examines the question of how East Asian countries have coped with the West (Western values, power, economy, etc.,) since the European expansion in the nineteenth century that broke apart the China-centered East Asian world order. 

Topics include national security, foreign policy, regional and global governance, civilizational/modernity politics, and power transition.   

This course examines the idea of family as a social institution that is both historically and culturally situated and investigates how the family unit both shapes and is shaped by transformations in the economy, the state, and other social institutions, as well as the systemic forces of racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, nationalism, and other structural factors.  

The course critically evaluates theoretical frameworks and current research on family dynamics in the West and examines the challenges encountered by contemporary families in Korea. Moreover, it facilitates reflection on the underlying structural factors contributing to and potential resolutions for other social problems unique in the Korean context. 

Some topics covered in the course will include: how the nuclear family came to be treated as natural; how the concept of family has historically evolved; how contemporary sexuality and dating has transformed family formations; the inequality of race, gender, and class in family forms; the emergence of diverse families and changes in the roles of family members; an increase in small households and single-person households; the rise in the age at first marriage and the decline in birth rates; the dynamics of parent-child relationships, parenting practices, household labor, and the distribution of household chores; population aging; transnational and immigrant families; and other related topics.