University College Dublin

This course provides an account of the main features, performance, and associated policy issues of the Irish Economy. The course begins with an overview of the evolution of the Irish economy from the 20th century through to the present day. The objectives of Irish economic policy are then defined. The role of the government in achieving these objectives and the various policy issues which arise in their attainment is then considered as students examine some of these areas: regulation and competition policy, labor market and migration, distribution and poverty, manufacturing and internationally-traded services, and education.

This course is specifically designed for visiting students to Ireland; as such, the course provides students with an insight into modern Irish society through an in-depth appraisal of its past history. This knowledge base allows students to become more familiar, and, in turn, feel more at ease, with the society in which they now find themselves interacting on a daily basis. The course is an introduction to fundamental aspects of Irish archaeology, heritage, history, and literature, from the first evidence of human activity on the island to the development of the socio-political frameworks which shape modern Ireland. Students examine the nature of the Irish landscape from the retreat of the glaciers to the impact of major historical events on modern society. The island has been subject to centuries of invasion, plantation, and demographic upheaval leading to some interesting blends of cultural and ethnic influence. Irish poetry is interwoven throughout the archaeological and historical explorations and includes the works of Heaney, Yeats, Hartnett, Kavanagh, and MacNeice.

The course explores the human language faculty from the point of view of language impairment. Both acquired impairment (such as aphasia) and developmental impairment (such as specific language impairment) are examined. As a result, the course also explores the various ways brain activity is monitored and understood. Other areas where language is impaired or develops in some "unusual" way (such as in autism and various genetic syndromes) or in "exceptional" circumstances (such as with isolated children, blind children) are examined in order to determine what factors lead to the impairment of language.

The course teaches key concepts prevalent in organic chemistry and the resulting properties of organic molecules. These are presented based on standard U.S. text books and are complemented by specific examples of compounds present in important drug molecules and natural products. Introductory topics include molecular structure, chemical bonding, and orbital interactions. The resulting properties of molecules are then introduced on key compound classes such as alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes that later are complemented by aromatic rings and functional groups such as alcohols, carbonyls, and amines. Furthermore, the crucial properties that explain the reactivity of organic molecules and enable a detailed understanding through distinct reaction mechanisms are highlighted throughout the course. Finally, these concepts are applied towards the planned synthesis of target molecules in combination with suitable structure determination methods.