Free University of Berlin

This course offers an introduction to the issues legal counsel encounter in connection with resolving international business disputes under U.S. law. The course uses lectures and interactive class discussions based on primary sources, including statutory and case law materials that the instructor provides, as well as hypothetical scenarios involving a German manufacturer confronting a variety of legal issues in connection with the distribution of its products into the U.S. market. 

On the basis of historical sources and overviews, this seminar presents the most important German protest movements. While the first part focuses on the great protest movements of the second half of the twentieth century, the second part is devoted to contemporary protest movements. Our special interest is the media support of the protest and the critical questioning of keywords like "Wutbürger".

In the spring of 2021 the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) began paying 122 people 1200€ a month, tax free, no strings attached, for three years. The study, which will compare their fortunes to those of a much larger group who also put their hand up to receive the money but were not among the lucky few, aims to contribute empirical evidence to the debate over the merits of a basic income. We will compare the idea of a basic income to other types of government benefits in cash and in kind, and engage with arguments for and against these different benefit types. We will analyze in detail the claim that a basic income would eliminate relative poverty and reduce income inequality by studying income inequality in Germany today. We will look at any data published by the German experiment, and compare its design to that of a two-year trial carried out in Finland in 2017–18. In this way the course will serve as an introduction to research methods in social policy. By the end of the semester you will have gained an overview of tax–transfer systems and of their role in reducing income inequality, and you will be in a position to engage in an informed way in debate over the promise of a basic income.

Scholarly inquiry into entertainment media is a bit of an outlier within media and communication studies in general and even media economics. Media’s supposed to provide information for citizens to make informed decisions, thus making substantial contributions to the functioning of democratic societies – a task too delicate to focus on distraction and amusement. (Almost) in contrast, demand for entertaining content is traditionally higher than for mere information. This applies to audiences and their willingness-to-pay, as well as consumer good suppliers and the advertising industry. Promoting various products and services is more effective in entertainment environments. Thus, scholarly inquiry into production, distribution and consumption of entertainment media is necessary. In the first part of the course, theoretic foundations are laid, discussing economic theories and the media business model, critical approaches to (entertainment) media and strategic media management. Information and entertainment as (in)congruent concepts are defined. The second part of the course sees us focusing on particular entertainment media markets from streaming video to music and social media.

This seminar provides students with an overview of international relations research with an emphasis on contending theoretical perspectives and some of the key empirical findings in the major issue areas of international politics. The readings include classics as well as more recent publications that illustrate ongoing areas of inquiry. The seminar’s primary purpose is to introduce and evaluate the main theories, arguments, and claims made and empirical findings produced by leading international relations scholars. Students also learn to identify interesting and important questions in the field, to think about ways in which research can be designed to get at these questions, and to ground their own research interests within the context of the broader theoretical and methodological issues in the field.

The course's main objective is to allow the student to acquire a panoramic view of different legal systems, enriching the notion of law and demonstrating that the ways of conceiving and solving legal problems vary throughout the different legal systems, which allows visualizing the contingent nature of law and its understanding as a social and changing phenomenon. The study of Comparative Law, together with the habits of research and reading of various materials, prepares the student for a better understanding of the legal culture and legal systems of other countries. Consequently, it facilitates study abroad and international legal practice.

This course provides a basic background into the current research on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and its treatment, including cognitive, exposure-based, narrative, and psychodynamic treatment approaches. Students present about the current literature behind a specific treatment method as well as engage in in-class exercises and discussions on the nuances and limitations of different approaches.

This course introduces a basic understanding of what leadership actually is and how that understanding depends on time and context. Students take a closer look at what enables individuals to lead in an entrepreneurial way and why an entrepreneurial mindset is more than ever important among today’s leaders. The European Commission developed a reference framework (“EntreComp”) to establish an understanding of entrepreneurship as a competence that results in social, cultural, or financial value for others. The basic idea of this framework is that the necessary skills and attitudes can be learned and applied by anyone. However, the outcome in practice regarding entrepreneurial diversity looks different. Women and ethnic minorities, for instance, remain significantly underrepresented in startup ecosystems worldwide. The course touches upon the causes and discusses possible solutions. It also emphasizes learning about the diversity of the Berlin startup ecosystem; to this end, guests from local startups and impact communities visit or are visited. Through participation in the course, students gain a basic understanding of entrepreneurial leadership in its diversity with a focus on Berlin and Europe. Integrated work with historical and modern role models help students adopt a critical perspective on good leadership. Moreover, students have the opportunity to reflect on and develop their own (entrepreneurial) leadership skills. For this purpose, the course is designed to be highly interactive and relies on innovative teaching methods.

A special session is a full day leadership coaching with horses (physical contact is voluntary!). Such an approach is relatively new to university education but is gaining popularity in Human Resources (HR) and leadership development. The beauty of equine interaction is that horses are not biased. They do not judge a person by status, gender, or skin color, but respond only to personal radiance when deciding whether or not to follow a human being. This way, students experience the value of diversity in leadership and ultimately learn about the importance of trustworthiness and communication. By receiving very honest individual feedback, students have the opportunity to further develop their personal leadership identity and skills.

The course aims to acquire skills in the management of the fundamental contents of Public International Law in Spanish. It develops the main topics of this matter, such as concept, international treaties and other sources, subjects of international law -especially the State in the international legal order and international organizations (United Nations Organization)-, law of the sea, human rights, the the international responsibility of the State and the individual, the use of force in international law and humanitarian law, among others.
 

Prejudices and stereotypes against different groups are widespread and can lead to discrimination and exclusion. In order to break down prejudices against different groups, it is often suggested that contact and exchange be established between the groups concerned. In this seminar we will deal with the question of whether contact between two groups can actually lead to a reduction in prejudices, which framework conditions are useful for reducing prejudices through contact and what further consequences contact can have for both groups. The topics are developed on the basis of empirical studies and presented, discussed and applied to practical examples in the context of lectures and interactive group work.