Lund University

The course is intended covers issues from a number of different perspectives, specifically considering cultural, political, legal, but also economical aspects, including those relevant outside a Western context. It provides an overview of the legal situation in a national, European, and international setting. Participants gain an understanding of the various forms of intellectual property (copyright, patent, trademark, etc.) and expanding or antagonistic concepts including the creative commons, open access, open source, and piracy. 

The course provides an introduction to public health studies with an international focus. The main contents of the course are the development, definitions, models, theories of public health studies, health determinants and indicators, the global distribution of health, global health from a sustainability perspective, and the main challenges in the context, and current research within public health studies. 

This multi-disciplinary course treats the question of life in the Universe. Where can life have developed? Must it be on a planet similar to Earth? How does life on a planet develop and evolve? Under what extreme circumstances can life persist? We discuss these and similar questions from physical, biological, and social perspectives. This course also reviews the methods to find and explore planets around other stars (exoplanets) and the search for intelligent life in the Universe as well as possible philosophical and other consequences of its possible discovery. Entry requirements: at least 60 credits of approved courses within the faculties of either science, technology and/or medicine. Earlier studies in astronomy or biology are not presumed.

The course provides basic knowledge of Chinese political system and political developments after 1978. It analyses several key issues and challenges that characterize contemporary Chinese society such as environmental issues, socio-economic development, and issues related to regional differences and gaps in society. The course also focuses on developments in civil society and the human rights situation. Freedom of expression, the role of the media and digital developments, as well as the emergence of a surveillance society, are also studied. Domestic issues are viewed from a global perspective. The course discusses and analyses China's global ambitions and foreign and security policy.

The Roman Empire, although largely a product of warfare, lasted for half a millennium. In many ways it still survives, embedded in present institutions, explicitly addressed in contemporary architecture and constantly reemerging in literature, cinema and most recently, in computer games. This course primarily focuses on how this big empire came into being and why it lasted for so long. The course reviews the City, the Italian core land, and the provinces in an attempt to answer the following questions about the nature of this empire: How far was life in the provinces aligned with the model of the City? What purpose did monumentalization fulfill? What did it mean to be Roman? What do we know about the economic and social basis of this empire? How much did this empire differ from other contemporary constructs, such as China and Parthia?

The course gives a broad theoretical ground to wider work with digital geographic data. Understanding of representation and analysis of spatial elements are emphasized. The course also highlights general geographic problems within the environment and society through practical GIS applications. These treat both Swedish and international issues and vary in scale from the local to the regional. The parts within GIS that are treated include basic cartography, including projections, reference system, geographic data in digital form (maps, images, and tables) and positioning with GPS, basic analysis of geographic data in raster and vector format, and cartographic and graphical presentation of digital map material. In the course, training in oral and written communication is also included. Special emphasis is placed on the cartographic presentation of digital geographic data.