University of Bologna

The course is part of the LM degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by consent of the instructor. Combining the fields of migration studies and labor studies, the course introduces students to social issues connected with the Chinese presence in Africa and the African presence in China. The relationship between China and African countries is at the center of heated debates with Chinese investments, infrastructure construction, job creation, and raw material appropriation in Africa often portrayed in binary terms: China is either pitched as a predator and the new imperialist power in Africa, or else celebrated as a friend offering to the African counterpart a win-win cooperation. This takes place against a global background in which scholars and pundits alike are increasingly forced to take a stand as non-partisan analysis is in vertical decline and views on China have rapidly polarized. Using images and videos, the course offers a nuanced discussion of the many facets of the Chinese presence in Africa. At the same time, it delves into the action of African states, and agency enacted by African elites and the populace in relation to the Chinese presence and activism on the continent. The Chinese presence in Africa is not analyzed in isolation but is discussed in the framework of the “global China” phenomenon, visible in China's increasing outward flows of investment, loans, migrants, infrastructure, media, and international engagement. Additionally, the course also offers an introduction to visual sociology as a tool that enables students to elaborate sociological interpretations of the visual materials presented. Specific topics include: racialization and intersectionality in Africa-China Encounters; China in Africa; Chinese Soft Power; Chinese and African Labor in Africa; the gold rush in Ghana; China as a model for Africa; the African Perspective; development, aid, and the reproduction of dependency; and Africa in China.

Please note course extends into January, available for year students only. The course focuses on the relationship between plants and environment and the implications for society. Different aspects of the modern or alternative use of plants is analyzed. Special attention is placed on associating structural and functional characteristics of plants with their influence on environmental and economic sustainability as well as human health. The laboratory associated with the course focuses on how science (in particular plant biotechnology) is the basis for technology and knowledge regarding the use of plants in modern society. Students are encouraged to pursue personal interests connected to the course. The course discusses topics including cell cultures of plant tissues and organs, transgenic plants, plants and food, alimurgic plants, dyeing plants, phytoremediation, the plants as bio-indicators of pollution; urban plants as bio-indicators of climate change, positive and negative interactions of plants with human artifacts (monuments and architectural works), palynology, plants as a source of energy., biorefineries, and bioplastics. To be able to attend the laboratory, students must possess laboratory safety certification (completion of Modules 1 and 2 of the laboratory safety certification) at Unibo.

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director or Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. The internship may be taken during one or more terms but the units cannot exceed a total of 12.0 for the year.

At the end of the course students understand and apply the main financial principles and concepts: they understand why and how financial intermediation exists, how the basics of mathematical finance should be applied in the evaluation of financing contracts and financial instruments; how to invest in a portfolio, taking into account both expected returns and risks; and how the monetary policy is related to what they learn in this course, and how to interpret the current issues on financial markets. The course addresses the following topics: principles of finance, financial equivalence, banking services, mortgage evaluations and amortization, principles of valuation, basic financial instruments and their pricings, uncertainty and risk measures, risk and return relation in financial markets, capital asset pricing model, and investment portfolios and performances.

This course is part of the LM degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. This course explores the genetic, epigenetic, and genomic mechanisms governing microbial physiology in a changing environment which includes selective pressure by antibiotics, vaccines, pollution, and climate. The molecular basis of the virus-host interaction is also discussed. The laboratory activity familiarizes students with molecular approaches to generate recombinant organisms, and assesses the impact of viral activity on the host’s metabolism.

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. The course focuses on: the consequences of international trade and the effects of trade policies; the main approaches to international factor movements, organization of firms, and debates regarding globalization; exchange rates and international capital markets; complex issues raised by the economic interdependence of nations The course covers the following: why do countries trade; what are the consequences of introducing a tariff on imports; why did the EU adopt a single currency; how to make sense of Brexit and Trump's protectionism. This course aims at addressing these issues and many other relevant topics in both international trade and open economy macroeconomics. At the end of the course, students have a sound foundation in international economics and they are able to critically evaluate both micro and macro trade patterns, as well as policy issues. The first module introduces the most important theories of international trade and their predictions for consumers, firms, and governments. In particular, it addresses issues such as determinants of trade flows, gains from trade, and motivation and consequences of protectionist policies. It also covers real-world areas of international trade, such as the EU, the Americas, and Asia. The second module is organized in topics, including, among others, open macroeconomics, optimum currency areas, the European Union and the Euro experience, and the historical and recent migration waves.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Admission is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on the basic aspects of contemporary constitutionalism in Western democracies, countries in transition to democracy and beyond. Emphasis is placed on comparative constitutional law because it allows for a deeper understanding of legal systems and legal cultures. Special attention is placed on an analysis of the foundations of individual legal systems and the strengths and limits of constitutional law in regulating social and political processes. Course contents: what is a constitution; why comparative constitutional law; constitutional models; judicial enforcement of the constitution and models of constitutional adjudication; horizontal separation of powers: Presidentialism and Parliamentarism; federalism vertical separation of powers; protecting fundamental rights: equality, minority and group rights; freedom of expression; freedom of religion and belief.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. This course introduces the critical study of the main tenets, the sources, and some specific fields of contemporary international law. The three fundamental legal functions on which the legal dynamics of the international community is founded – lawmaking, law determination, and law enforcement – are analyzed within the contemporary social context. International law is presented in its different dimensions: as a tool in the hand of international actors able to handle change in the international society and safeguard stability and predictability of international legal relations; as common language useful in reaching consensus or, at least, peaceful disagreement; and as key to understanding the reality of contemporary international relations. Bringing together different perspectives, the course demonstrates how international rules, while made by governments and mostly addressed to them, can be of great relevance to private actors and to their interests.

The course analyzes how the labor market works, how agents in this special market behave, and how governments regulate and set up institutions to govern the labor market. Whether and how much to work, how much to invest in human capital (skills), unionization, and whether and where to migrate are all examples of decisions on the supply side of the labor market. The combination of labor (or different types of labor) and other factors in production, and job creation and job destruction are examples of decisions on the demand side of the labor market. Minimum wages, unemployment insurance, employment protection legislation, and collective bargaining, are examples of institutions governing the labor market. The course covers the following topics: labor supply and demand; labor market equilibrium; human capital, education, and training; compensating wage differentials; immigration; and automation and the future of work.