University of Bologna

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. At the end of the course unit students have acquired awareness of the concept of universal history centered around Europe and Western Civilization as well as with the ways through which this narrative has been deconstructed by means of alternative and peripheral critical stances. Students are able to understand the relevance of different traditions of critical thought such as cultural Marxism, anti-imperialist and Afro-American thought, cultural and postcolonial studies. At the end of the course students demonstrate a sound theoretical framework within which specific research interests can be developed. The course is divided into two main parts. The first part is devoted to the critical analysis of narratives of the world history from ancient times: Narratives of Universal History: classic, medieval, and early modern patterns; From the Enlightenment philosophy of history to the nineteenth century imperial history; The crisis of the western image of world history. The second part focuses on socialist and communist internationalism as actors and networks of nineteenth and twentieth century world history and particularly focuses on the first phase, the years of Comintern (1919-1943). The second part focuses on the following topics: The First and the Second Internationals: revolutionary strategies, universalism and the colonial question; First World War, Soviet Revolution and the birth of the Comintern in 1919; Perspectives of internationalism after the First World War: Wilson vs Lenin; Revolutionary perspectives in the peripheries; Space, time, culture rethinking the socialist transition; Race, language, translation and socialist transition; The Second World War and beyond: communism as an actor of twentieth century globalization.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course is intended for students who have basic knowledge of African history and a strong background in political theory. The course focuses on the main policies and institutions of the European Union partnership in the fields of security and development cooperation, within the framework of the international debate on these topics. In particular, the course offers an analysis of contemporary literature on the political and military relations between the European Union and Africa. Special attention is placed on the main global and regional transformation processes governing the relations between the EU and Africa. A section of the course is devoted to the historical evolution of EU-Africa security and increased cooperation in the area of development. The course is divided in 4 main parts. Part 1 focuses on the historical framework of African-European relations since the late nineteenth century. Emphasis is placed on patterns of colonial domination and the decolonization process. Relations between African and European countries during the Cold War are also examined, and specific attention is devoted to the evolution of Africa-France relations and the role of the Western countries in the decolonization of Southern Africa and the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Part 2 focuses on the aims, instruments, and outcomes of development cooperation between African governments and the European Union since the early 1960's. Part 3 focuses on relations between Africa and Europe in the post-Cold War era. In particular, European policies aimed at promoting democracy and human rights, the prevention and resolution of violent conflicts and the promotion of economic development and poverty reduction. Part 4 focuses the "new scramble" for Africa's natural resources and its complex political and economic effects. Required readings: FOREIGN INTERVENTION IN AFRICA. FROM THE COLD WAR TO THE WAR ON TERROR by E. Schmidt, THE EU AND AFRICA. FROM EUROAFRIQUE TO AFRO-EUROPA by A. Adebajo, K. Whiteman, TERRORISM AND COUNTER-TERRORISM IN AFRICA by H. Solomon. Assessment is based on an oral examination on lecture materials and the required readings.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. This course analyzes different aspects of spatial imaginaries in the context of colonial and post-colonial history. The main focus of this course concerns visions of international order after empire in the twentieth century. The course is divided into five parts. The first part of the course concerns an introduction to the category of ‘space’ in historical studies in order to provide an analytical framework to imperialism and colonialism. The second part of the course focuses on the spatial dimensions of the colonial and imperial rule. In the third part, students discuss nationalist and federalist visions for post-colonial order, analyzing the relations between nationalist movements and supra-national political spaces. The topic of the fourth part is about the idea of pan-regionalisms, looking at three specific case studies. The last week is dedicated to the connections within and between the imperial and colonial spaces and visions of international and global order. At the end of the course students reach an understanding of the social and cultural history of areas of the world that have been subject to modern colonial rule and that, in most cases, experienced a subsequent phase of political decolonization. Students will be able to critically engage in the study of different kinds of sources, using a comparative perspective. They will acquire the analytical tools needed to properly investigate the complex social, cultural, and political realities of colonial and postcolonial spaces. At the end of the course, students will also be able to deploy their analytical skills in professional activities linked with the popularization and public use of historical knowledge.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale in innovation and organization of culture and the arts. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on the elements of marketing within the service sector that are applicable specifically to cultural organizations. This course introduces, discusses, and analyzes several key topics in the area of service. The course explores topics including challenges inherent in marketing and managing services; developing and delivering quality service; strategies and tools for addressing the challenges of services management and marketing, the “services marketing mix,” and the complexities of service design, delivery, and communication aimed at building sustainable service brands. Students discuss producing and delivering services, the servuction model and its implication for theory and practice; customer behavior before and during the service experience; the role of employees in service delivery; the Servicescape; service quality and customer satisfaction; measuring customer satisfaction; and pricing. The course includes traditional lectures, presentations, and interactive teaching regarding concepts and theories as well as in class discussions of case studies. Assessment is based on a written exam based on essay questions.

The course focuses on the relationship between literature and film and the connections between the two languages through the in-depth study of a selection of historically relevant and exemplary works. A section of the course is devoted to the question of the historical adaptation of literary texts to the screen–from early works to the present. The course focuses in particular on the construction of the fictional movie character through a comparative approach between literary studies and film studies that places emphasis on the peculiarly cinematic element: the human factor linked to the role of the actor. The course focuses on the construction of a particular cinematic character, the history of Hollywood production (divas and audience) and the cultural role played by Hollywood in its historical context through its role in the production of film adaptations of literary works. Required film screenings: QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933), CITY LIGHTS (1931), GONE WITH THE WIND, (1939), CITIZEN KANE (1941), NOW VOYAGER (1942), WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939), A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951), REAR WINDOW (1954), WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956), THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL (1957). Assessment is based on a written exam that covers the required readings, the critical analysis presented in class and the required film screenings.

The course offers an introduction to Italian culture and history and focuses on both the city of Bologna and Italy as a nation. The course emphasizes basic knowledge of crucial aspects of the Italian cultural heritage across different disciplines and an awareness of the complexities of Italian history and society. The course is interdisciplinary in nature with weekly guest lectures on a variety of topics. The course is graded pass/no pass only.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale Program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. Strategic Studies is an established field within the International Relations discipline. Specifically, the course covers both theory and practice of war and warfare, with emphasis on the contemporary era. It is subdivided into two sections. The first part, “Strategic Theory,” examines some principal theories of war. The first part provides students with the relevant analytics tools to attend the second part, “the Tools of Warfare,” which is devoted to the application of those theories to modern warfare as well as an examination of the principal military doctrines, the weapons of mass destructions, and irregular warfare (insurgencies, guerrilla, and terrorism).

This course is part of the LM degree program and is intrended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by concsnt of the instructor. The course provides an overview of the different approaches and institutions available to identify the rules governing banking, financial, and insurance relationships, given the existence of relevant differences in national legal systems. In this regard, it provides an overview of the following topics: the regulation of financial conglomerates; the multi-level and multi-source model of the regulatory framework; the fundamentals of corporate governance and corporate compliance in financial institutions; special characteristics of the banking and insurance sectors in the light of systemic risk; the new regulation of the insurance market according to the Solvency II directive; the effects and characteristics of the 2007-08 global financial crisis; banking and insurance contracts; basic notions of Risk Management and Compliance; the single European market and third countries; supervision at national level and supervision of cross-border activities; insurance intermediaries; policyholder protection; and international insurance programs. Some insights on data protection and privacy in commercial disputes is provided, as well as on Fintech, Insurtech, smart contracts, and blockchain.

The course has 2 parts A and B. Students must take both parts. No partial credit is possible. Students who complete a paper on a pre-approved topic are awarded 1 extra quarter unit per part. Maxim units for this course are 12. (6 units per part.) The course focuses on 20th century Italian literature with special attention to sociological, anthropological, and philosophical questions. The course highlights general notions in critical theory and textual analysis including formal, structural, and compositional elements as well as the question of reception. Special attention is placed on a selection of modern and contemporary literary texts related to Italian and European traditions. The course examines topics including like animated magic, music in 20th century Italian literature, and the presence of music: structural, thematic, and stylistic elements. Course Part A focuses on poetry, including works such as THE FLAME by Gabriele d'Annunzio, LYRICAL FRAGMENTS by Clemente Rebora and Frammenti lirici, WAR VARIATIONS by Amelia Rosselli and Variazioni belliche, and THE WALL OF THE EARTH, THE FREE HUNTER, and THE COUNT OF KEVENHÜLLER by Giorgio Caproni. Course Part B focuses on prose, including works such as A PRIVATE MATTER by Beppe Fenoglio, and A POSTMODERN WEEKEND CHRONICLES FROM THE EIGHTIES by Pier Vittorio Tondelli.

This course is part of the LM degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by consent of the instructor. The course provides a historical overview of the major figures of Italian Renaissance architecture from 1400 to 1600—including Brunelleschi, Alberti, Bramante, Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo, Peruzzi, Giulio Romano, Sanmicheli, Sansovino, and Palladio, as well as an outlook on a selection of European Renaissance architects. The architects are analyzed within the cities or countries they operated and are compared with the cultural, social, and political local context. The second part of the course is an overview on a selection of European courts and on the role of humanistic architecture at the dawn of colonialism. Issues such as local antiquities, revival and survival, rules and license, theory of architecture, drawings, and graphic conventions are addressed throughout the course.