National Taiwan University

The so-called period of “Enlightenment” in European history provided a wide range of debates that continues to provoke critical engagements in the following centuries. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to one of the most profound questions in Enlightenment debates, a question that is still seen by many as highly relevant to today's social and political theory, as well as moral and legal philosophy; that is, what constitutes a just society? The course covers texts constituting the “canon” in Enlightenment social and political thought, and will end with a brief reflection on how such debates might still preoccupy some of our own understandings of the nature of politics and sociability.

This course introduces industrial organization (IO), including the study of market structure, theory of the firm, and some other important topics in IO. The focus is on some basic theoretical models and related empirical studies. Topics include perfect competition, monopoly, pricing mechanisms. Texts: Dennis W. Carlton and Jeffrey M. Perloff, MODERN INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION; Jean Tirole, THE THEORY OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION. Assessment: term paper and presentation (30%), class participation (10%), in-class presentation (30%), summary report (30%).

Although Southeast Asia locates between two origins of ancient Asian culture, China and India, Indian-influenced culture had played a more important role in various phases than Chinese influenced culture. In this course, characteristics of such Indian influenced culture and arts are discussed, especially in focus material evidence, such as Buddhism towers (stupa), Hinduism architecture, sculptures, Islamic architecture, cloth culture and performing arts. Assessment: term paper.

The rapid decline of coral reefs around the world motivates research to better understand how this complex ecosystem will respond to future environmental changes. This course reviews current knowledge on reef organisms and coral reef ecosystems, and studies the factors responsible for reef degradation. The course also introduces basic elements to assess resilience of this ecosystem. Students are provided with an up-to-date understanding of the coral reef crisis and the immediate actions to take for the long-term conservation of these fragile ecosystems. Many examples are based on reefs in Taiwan, and speakers may be invited to illustrate specific topics.

The course introduces students to marketing concepts and strategies. Through the discussion of case studies, the course aims to sharpen critical analytical thinking skills and effective communication. The applications of game theory in marketing strategies might be freely introduced in the course. 

The course covers professional communication skills, including email etiquette, ordinary differential equations, informal English conversation, and oral presentations. It also provides a study of the general form and nature, effective graphic design, and ethics for a technical publication.

This course is suitable for those who have completed a beginning swimming course or those who have the ability to swim 100 meters without interruption in freestyle and breaststroke. This course is suitable for correcting swimming posture and training long-distance swimming ability. The first half of the course focuses on freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke posture analysis, posture practice and long stroke, while the second half teaches the butterfly stroke, turning around, diving, and other skills. 

The purpose of this course is to learn how to express oneself in Japanese correctly. Taking "role-playing that simulates life in Japan" as the main axis, and supplemented by watching Japanese DVDs and playing games, it enhances Japanese conversation skills and deepens understanding of Japanese culture. The course particularly encourages a learning attitude of active participation and active speaking.

This course on leadership and followership addresses the challenge of having and following a sense of direction that is anchored in why an organization exists in the first place and for whom and what its products serve. It draws on the three perspectives of authentic, pioneering and legacy leadership to explore opportunities for leadership to have a constructive impact both on oneself and one’s own, and those beyond the boundaries of one’s own sphere. The course encourages a deeper understanding of leadership and leading/following dynamics by stimulating students' own reflections. The teaching format is interactive, and students are expected to actively participate in all elements of the course, including interactive lectures, classroom or small-group discussions, case work and workshops. Students are expected to be familiar with the material in standard leadership textbooks, such as: DuBrin, Andrew J. PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP; Northouse, Peter G. LEADERSHIP – THEORY AND PRACTICE; Yukl, Gary LEADERSHIP IN ORGANIZATIONS; Bass, Bernard M. & Ruth Bass, THE BASS HANDBOOK OF LEADERSHIP; THEORY, RESEARCH & MANAGERIAL APPLICATIONS.

This course discusses modern democratic countries through introducing the Taiwan constitution. Students should have concepts of the law, familiar with basic rights, and maintaining political system and social order. This course invite presenters from different professional field to discuss different social topics.