University of Bordeaux

This course examines comparative politics through the prism of cities, analyzing how urban spaces both drive and reflect political and socio-economic transformations. Drawing on historical sociology, it reinterprets foundational political processes—such as the monopolization of violence and the construction of national authority—through the perspective of urbanization and state-city relations. The course explores diverse urban political traditions in Europe and around the world, comparing how historical and contemporary urban dynamics reshape political societies. Key topics include denationalization and decentralization, the rise of informality, extended urbanization, shifts in welfare provision and solidarity, the transformation of trust networks, and the political implications of environmental change. Throughout the semester, students read and are (re)introduced to the works of some of the main social scientists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including Max Weber, Norbert Elias, Fernand Braudel, Saskia Sassen, Diane Davis, Charles Tilly, Shmuel Eisenstadt, and Michel Foucault.

This course introduces the key components of commercial sales management and their role in creating value for both the consumer and the company. It covers how to make coherent business decisions by understanding the interactions between the commercial department and other organizational functions.

The discovery of "The Seventh Art" of cinema can also take place through documentary cinema, which is not so much an “alternative cinema” as an art that is simply less visible. The course provides an opportunity to explore together—during the first half of the 20th century—this “alternative cinema” (G. Gauthier) or this “other side of cinema” (J. Breschand) in order to understand its definitions and evolution.

This course examines the foundations and evolution of management and organizational theory, focusing on strategic decision-making in complex and globalized environments. It explores the interplay between organizational structure, strategy, ethics, and human behavior, while developing analytical skills for competitive and responsible management.

This course examines the plurality of territorial development models and the economic, social, and political tensions they generate. Through a combination of lectures, guided discussions, applied readings, and case‑based tutorials, it explores how territories seek to enhance competitiveness, attractivity, innovation capacity, and socio‑economic resilience. The course introduces major debates in territorial development, including the definition and evolution of territorial development; competing models such as competitiveness clusters, recreational economies, and mega‑event strategies; the socio‑territorial conflicts arising from development choices; the tensions between economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social equity. By examining contemporary cases—from innovation hubs like Paris‑Saclay to resource conflicts in the Allier region, and from the recreational economy to global sporting events—the course critically assess the impacts, limitations, and contradictions of different development approaches.

From a specifically aesthetic perspective, this course focuses on the sound parameters of cinema. It first involves questioning the characteristics of our listening in relation to our capacities for visual analysis, and then defining the notions of sound image and point of listening, as they have been formulated by sound theorists (Pierre Schaeffer, Michel Chion, Daniel Deshays, Peter Sendy). The course combines a historical perspective on theories and techniques of sound in cinema with a taxonomy of cinematic sounds (voice, speech, music, noise, silence) and an examination of the relationships between image and sound (direct sound, post-synchronization, counterpoint).

This course explores the rise and decline of democracy since the “third wave” of transitions in the late 20th century. It examines the causes of democratic backsliding, the resilience of democratic institutions, and strategies of resistance against authoritarianism. The course analyzes regime dynamics, civil society roles, and alternative authoritarian models shaping global politics today.

This course is designed to develop professional English skills for students in economics, management, and information systems. It focuses on the language and communication strategies required in international business environments, with an emphasis on practical application in economic analysis, project management, and IT-related contexts.

This course explores the fundamental cellular and developmental processes that drive the formation and organization of animal organisms. It combines cell biology and developmental biology, providing both theoretical foundations and practical laboratory experience. The cell biology section covers mitosis, the cell cycle, apoptosis, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and the cytoskeleton, as well as main cell biology techniques. The developmental biology section explores gametogenesis, fertilization, early embryonic stages, and examples of organogenesis.

This course offers a broad survey on Modern European political, intellectual, social, and cultural history, from the end of the 18th century to the aftermath of the Cold War. The topics covered include the age of Revolutions (the French Revolution and its consequences, the Napoleonic era, the Industrial Revolution), the age of Nationalism, the age of Imperialism and Colonialism, World War I and II and the Cold War.