Peking University, Beijing

The course is focused on the Greek cinema of the last 50 years and its connection with Modern Greek history. The tragic events of the Greek disaster in Asia Minor (1922), the interwar period, the Civil War (1946-1949) and the military junta (1967-1974) are the main points of reference of most of the Greek film directors examined. Other themes of their films are the depopulation of rural villages during the mid-20th century, the urbanization and emigration, the relations between men and women, the isolation and the condition of women especially in small towns, the struggle for identity and the connection of modern Greece and the ancient Greek civilization. The Greek film directors are distinguished by an increasing awareness of the social problems and the human condition in an unfriendly world because of the wars, struggle for power and serious threats to a decent and harmonious life. Sometimes there is a fusion of reality, nostalgia and dreams given in a poetic and moving way. The connection of cinema and history with literature and art is going also to be pointed out. In this context, several films by Theo Angelopoulos, Michael Cacoyannis, Pantelis Voulgaris, Tassos Boulmetis and Yannis Smaragdis are screened and discussed.

This course begins by discussing the these of knowing yourself and improving yourself. It then covers the topics of adaptation, learning, interpersonal, communication, self-confidence, love, crisis response, career planning, sex and homosexuality, suicide and meaning of life.

This language course teaches pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar of modern Chinese systematically. It focuses on the cultivation of students' reading and writing skills in Chinese and consequently improves students' communication ability. There are three levels according to the textbooks and teaching pace. In level 3 the students learn about 10000 new words and over 500 grammar items; after this course, the students' language level should be equivalent to the HSK level 11. Text: BOYA CHINESE ADVANCED level III (Boya hanyu Feixiang 3). Assessment: tests, homework, participation and class performance.

This course begins with a systematic introduction to the basic theories in folk literature study, thus conducts a detailed analysis of the characteristics of folk literature, its functions and genres, and its relationship with written literature. In addition, various genres of folk literature are introduced with examples chosen from the most representative literary works in China. In this sense, this course is a basic introductory course as well as a selected reading course. Considering the performability and variety of Chinese story-telling and folk opera which may bring difficulty to class lectures, they are not introduced in detail, but instead are presented in the form of video. This course particularly focuses on folksongs and folktales, multimedia presentation are applied. Assessments: Midterm analysis paper 30%, final exam 50%, attendance and class performance 20%.

In terms of literary studies, the course provides a study of two influential European narratives. In terms of cultural studies, the course introduces the central ideas and attitudes of the western world. It examines Virgil's Aeneid and Dante's Divine Comedy. The Aeneid presents the story of a journey with a lofty goal-the foundation of a stable and civilized society, with a hero who embodies the code of reason, duty, and courage. The poem epitomizes the ideals of ancient Greece and Rome. The Divine Comedy presents another journey with a lofty goal- a vision of God, with a hero who seeks spiritual enlightenment. This poem epitomizes Judeo-Christian attitudes. The classical and Christian value systems illustrated in these works are the two most important roots of modern European and North American culture.