Free University of Berlin

At the end of the 20th century, several scholars famously pronounced that society had become “posthuman” (N. Katherine Hayles) and that “we are cyborgs” (Donna Haraway). Two and a half decades later, this diagnosis seems even more accurate: cyborgs, androids, and artificial intelligence populate literature and film; ‘cyborg’ technology in medicine can replaces limbs, organs, and senses; and artificial intelligence assists humans in various ways in their daily lives, from applications in their phones to digital assistants and chatbots. What are the implications of these developments for a traditional understanding of the human and the relationship between humans and machines? How do these transformations impact ideas about, and representations of, the human body and embodiment? What ethical and socio-political issues are at stake? The course explores these questions with the help of theoretical approaches from the fields of Posthumanism, Gender Studies and Critical Race Studies, as well as literary texts and films. Students read two contemporary novels – Jeanette Winterson’s Frankissstein (2019) and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun (2021) – and watch two films – Alex Garland’s Ex Machina (2014) and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus (2012). They also have a chat with Chat GPT.

German academic writing is a skill that can be learned. By engaging with selected modern literary texts in the writing lab, students practice to develop research questions, prepare outlines, draft exposés, construct arguments, and comment on academic positions. The goal of the course is to enable participants to prepare well-structured term papers, bachelor's or master's theses, dissertations, and presentations. It also address the grammatical and
stylistic peculiarities of the German academic language, including intercultural distinctions. Moreover, students investigate the promise, perils, and limitations of artificial intelligence (AI), and the extent to which AI can facilitate many areas of academic work but not replace the need for critical and innovative thinking. By the end of the course, participants are equipped to successfully stand their ground in German academic discourse. At the same time, they acquire transferable skills to write clearly structured, concise academic texts in their own language.

In the last two decades, an increasing number of artists have engaged the specters of colonialism that continue to haunt us in our postcolonial present. In their work, the archive often figures as source or resource, matter or metaphor, and presence or absence of the colonial past. Considering the intensity of this archival return, it is no exaggeration to state that the archive has emerged as a paradigm through which artists pursue engagements with colonial histories. In their work the archive enables them to confront the legacies of their colonial pasts and provides them with possibilities to conceptualize the hidden histories and counter-memories that have been suppressed by screen memories whose traumatic contents need to be addressed to open up alternative futures. Conventionally imagined as a technology for the storage of traces of the past, in this context the archive may be thought of as a site to rethink the past, present, and future. This seminar examines how work in the archive explores alternative relations between past, present and future. This is done by examining a range of practices adopted by scholars, archivists, social activists, and contemporary artists in their engagement with the archive. This includes themes like; how colonial archives have been neglected, destroyed, and replaced by decolonial archives; how photographers have embraced archival images as material to recycle and repurpose; how contemporary artists have developed alternative archival epistemologies; how restitution might be conceived as a form of archival memory work; and why, in the post-apartheid context in South Africa, the decolonization of the university has been conceived as a question of the archive. In sum, the seminar examines how the archival turn addresses the question of African futures.

The course explores the long-term socio-economic consequences of exposure to natural disasters, focusing on the level of the individual. It consists of two complementary classes that have to be taken together. The first part of the course provides students with a theoretical foundation for understanding how natural disasters can shape economic and social outcomes over time. It focuses on discussing channels and mechanisms through which the natural environment and disasters or upheaval, in particular, affect individuals. Topics covered include the impact of such disasters on health, education, household income, labor markets, and migration. Students familiarize themselves with underlying microeconomic models, discuss research methods like causal inference strategies, and analyze empirical findings from academic research. The second part of the course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of the concepts covered in class through active engagement with empirical studies. Students are required to present and critically discuss academic papers that investigate natural disaster effects using micro-level data. The seminar emphasizes methodological approaches, data sources, and empirical strategies, encouraging students to evaluate the presented research critically and develop their analytical skills.

This course offers an in-depth exploration of quantitative text analysis methods for studying international relations. Students engage with advanced computational techniques, including text classification, topic modeling, and network analysis, to systematically examine textual data. The class places emphasis on methodological rigor, critical interpretation of results, and the application of these tools to address key research questions in the field. It is designed to equip students with the skills needed to conduct independent research using text as data.

This course immerses students in a global examination of the rise of far-right movements, employing mixed methods to explore radicalization, narratives, and mobilization strategies. The comparative perspective encompasses cases in both Latin America and Europe. Participants gain practical experience in qualitative data collection and analysis techniques, as well as skills in database construction and discourse analysis. The course culminates in the drafting of a research publication, fostering the development of rigorous academic skills.

Why do cities exist? Why do firms cluster? Why is economic activity not equally distributed across space? This course addresses the central questions of why cities emerge, what roles cities will continue to play in the economy, and what determines the rise and fall of cities. Technically, the course provides an introduction to the field of urban economics. It focuses on stylized facts, basic microeconomic concepts, and empirical applications. Special
attention is paid to social problems in cities, including housing, public transit, crime, and the role of local governments. The course aims to make students familiar with economic tools and concepts useful for the analysis of urban issues. More generally, students learn to apply economic theory to real-world problems. A special focus is placed on evidence and examples from Berlin. With its long and vibrant history, Berlin provides an excellent environment to study and explore various features of the economics of cities. Field trips allow participants to learn more about the past and the future of cities, their functions, their internal spatial structure, and their dynamics.

This course introduces key concepts and frameworks in public policy, focusing on how policies are formulated, implemented, and evaluated. It provides insights on how issues make it onto the political agenda; when and how public policies are made; how their effects can be assessed; what makes them successful; and how public policies can be compared. The course explores different types of policies, the policy instruments governments use to influence societal outcomes, and the factors that drive policy change or stability to familiarize students with analytical tools used in policy research. In doing so, the course also examines the challenges of addressing complex, "wicked" problems that confront governments with particular challenges. In addition to general theories and approaches in public policy research, the course introduces selected policy areas, such as health, education, environmental, and social policy. The course equips students with the tools to analyze policy processes, assess government effectiveness, and critically engage with real-world policy challenges.