Korea University

An introductory course providing students with a broad overview of political science as a social science discipline, this course seeks to cover the basic principles of political theory, comparative politics, and international relations over the course of the semester. The course covers a wide range of topics, from political theory, ideologies, nations and states, the government, interest groups and society, elections, political psychology, political violence, international relations, and global politics. The goal of the course is to introduce key concepts and ideas in political science, and to encourage students to explore these concepts further through other courses or by themselves.

Utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach based on infrastructural history, this course introduces students to modern and contemporary East Asia. While investigating the formations and transformations of empires and nations as sites of contests and tensions between different ethnicities, polities, and cultures, it also explores major cities in China, Japan, and Korea as the infrastructure of modernity rooted in the mobility of ideas, goods, capitals, and peoples. In doing so, it aims to gain an understanding of the dynamics of changes and continuities that shaped and are shaping the East Asian empires, nation-states, and societies. The major foci of attention are the intra-relations among the three East Asian nations, and the inter-relations between East Asian civilizations and Western civilizations from the late 19th century to now. 

Marketing communications are how firms inform, persuade, and remind consumers about their brands which are viewed as one part of the overall marketing mix. The goal of marketing communications is to convey meanings to the relevant consumer audience to build a strong brand value.  Designing an effective marketing communications mix involves moving the target customer from their current knowledge state on a firm’s brand values to the state desired by the firm.   

This course teaches how to design a marketing communication plan to build brand values. Furthermore, it discusses how to develop an effective marketing communication program and how to design and evaluate different communication plans to achieving the desired objectives of the firm.   

Important note:  The course covers recent advertising clips, including Korean ads that are presented in KOREAN language. There may also be guest speakers from Korean advertising agencies who may lecture in Korean only.

Design thinking is a creative and collaborative process that focuses on understanding the problem from the customer’s perspective. This course introduces design thinking within the context of digital innovation because no disruptive innovations can be made without understanding the customer’s needs and technological change. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, organizations face many challenges, which include disruptive technologies and economic pressures, as well as keeping up with changes in customer behavior. In this sense, design thinking provides an effective tool to cultivate an innovative thinker and uncover creative business opportunities. 

Therefore, this course is designed to:

(1) Understand and analyze the multiple, complex problems of information, systems, and design that one will encounter; and,

(2) Identify opportunities for designing better interactions, decisions, and outcomes. 

More specifically, the course discusses two main themes, “design thinking” and “digital innovation practice” through a digital innovation project solving a real problem. The project will stretch one’s “design thinking” by identifying social design, innovation, information systems problems through a variety of design discussions and exercises. The course also provides practice for “digital innovation” by instructing on ways of synthesizing people-centered design opportunities and creating tangible solutions. 

This course provides students with advanced knowledge and current approaches in systems neuroscience that focuses on understanding brain function and behavior at the level of neural circuits and their interactions.

Previous exposure to basic neurophysiology is recommended. 

This course is designed to introduce students to the basic drivers of international relations in the modern age from the Antiquities, namely, the causes of war and peace through theoretical and historical examination of major conflicts up to the 21st century.

This course teaches how to create 2D art using drawing, ink paintings, collages, and photos. Creating 2D art includes figurative and non-figurative painting and drawing, such as figure paintings, still life drawings and landscape work. This course encourages self-expression by setting subject matter through mixed media and enhances one’s understanding of contemporary art and Korean art. 

This course teaches basic construction principles of clothing through flat pattern production and basic sewing and clothing cutting methods. Specifically, the course explores the structural characteristics of clothing products through pattern making, sewing, and ready-to-wear analysis. 

This course provides a series of strategic frameworks for managing innovation not only in high-technology industries but also in mature industries in terms of vintage innovations. First, it provides participants with the knowledge and tools to analyze both endogenous and exogenous factors of a firm, meaning a firm’s resources, capabilities and industry dynamics to respond to technological and market changes. Equipped with analytic skills, participants will understand how firms formulate and implement strategies, selecting the best one to gain and sustain competitive advantages over each firm’s innovations.

In the aftermath of World War I, the global map underwent significant alterations with the collapse of great empires. The Austro-Hungarian (Habsburg), Russian, Ottoman, and German empires disintegrated, reshaping the geopolitics of Europe and, by extension, the world. This collapse not only redrew borders but also catalyzed national movements, sowed seeds of new conflicts, and heralded a new era of nation-states. 

Significantly, in the backdrop of these monumental changes, the USSR emerged not just as a successor but as a reincarnation of the Russian Empire in its approach to its peripheries. The Soviet Union continued many of the policies, especially towards the “borderlands,” a crucial aspect to understand when examining the historical trajectories of Ukraine and Russia. 

With a focus on the geopolitical significance of Ukraine, situated between Central Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, this course uncovers the historical roots of modern conflicts, notably the Russian-Ukrainian War.