Utrecht University – University College Utrecht

This course studies excerpts of literary texts from the late 19th century to the present day, that propose a variety of crucial different meaning-of-life insights and meaning-in-life potentialities, all of which resonate to some extent with ideas from meaning-providing wisdom traditions (e.g., Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Sufism) and philosophical movements (e.g., existentialism and perennialism). Each work is furthermore explored in conjunction with thought-provoking intertexts. For example, Etty Hillesum is read alongside Rainer Maria Rilke and Martin Buber. The course all engages with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in conjunction with interviews with Maya Angelou and speeches by James Baldwin. Previous coursework in LIterature and English writing are required.

This course offers a study of international human rights. The first part of the course focuses on the major features of international human rights law as part and parcel of general international law. Topics in the first part of the course include the philosophical and political bases for the international human rights movement; the ongoing debate over universality, culture, and human rights; relevant sources; different categories of rights; and the nature and scope of the application of rights. The second part of the course explores the content of various substantive human rights, such as civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. The third part of the course considers judicial, quasi-judicial, and non-judicial mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights at the international and regional levels. In this part of the course, students discuss the United Nations system, and the regional human rights systems of Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The final part of the course examines several relevant developments and challenges regarding international human rights law, such as terrorism and counterterrorism, poverty, and environmental degradation. Students read weekly readings, participate in class discussions, complete a paper and an exam, and participate in a mock court. The course requires that students have completed the UCU course on International Law or an equivalent as a prerequisite.

Public Economics is about how the public sectors that represent ‘the State’ promote the public interest. This course is situated in the context of democratic countries that rely mostly on free markets. It deals with practical or real-life aspects of public economics in confrontation with micro- and macro-economic theory. Over time, economic theories and models have become more specific and rigorous whereas social, political, and economic reality has become more multifaceted. The passing of time brings complexity to the world, both for the private market and that of the public sector. Part of this growing real-life complexity is due to the more ambitious role that governments tried to play since the last century, while part is due to choices made by governments themselves. Complexity has increased opportunities for abuses, rent-seeking, and for mistakes in policies. This complex reality with its ‘wicked problems’ makes it much more difficult for governments to (a) allocate resources, (b) redistribute income, (c) protect some incomes and influence, in various ways, the level of production, employment, prices, and economic activity appropriately to the economic theoretical standards. The goal of this course is to engage in this complex issue from the perspective of public economics, and from there to design a public finance solution to some wicked problem. Entry Requirements include courses in Micro or Macro Economics and Statistics.

Mathematics is at the same time a conceptual framework, a collection of proven theorems, and a toolbox. In this course, students encounter all three of these aspects by studying one of the central mathematical issues for applications in science and engineering. The general topic of the course is the solution of linear partial differential equations using the separation of variables, Fourier series, and Fourier transforms. The study involves both computational and rigorous mathematical aspects. While the actual computation of solutions is the main objective, students also learn the mathematical theorems establishing the validity and limitation of the different methods. Interested students are also offered the possibility to experiment with numerical approaches.  In addition to the contact hours, each student is expected to work nine hours a week on the course. This time should be devoted to reviewing the material of the preceding lecture; finishing the exercises started in the preceding problem session; preparing exercises to hand in; studying the corrections of the previously returned hand-in problems and making sure everything is clear. Entry Requirements: Calculus and Linear Algebra.

This course focuses on the transatlantic Cold War and thus on developments in and interactions between the US, the USSR and Europe from the angles of primarily diplomatic, as well as cultural and technological history.  After completing this course students are able to: summarize the main developments in international politics in the post-World War II world, as well as some of the main themes in international relations theory; plan their own research, i.e. find relevant literature, and work out a thesis on their particular topic; and present the results of their research, both orally and in writing.  Prerequisites include one of the following courses: Ancient Literature and History, Ancient History, Medieval History, Early Modern History, Modern History, or Introduction to Political Theory. Knowledge of modern history (especially post-World War II history) is required for this course. If students have not taken a prerequisite course, they must request permission from the instructor to enroll.

This course offers interpretations of current (and past) development processes and patterns, specifically in relation to Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Taking into account a range of overlapping dimensions (from social, economic, cultural, and political to institutional), the course explores the multifaceted and layered nature of development and its variegated impacts on the ground. Thus, the course adopts a geographical lens to unpack various economic and societal shifts taking place in developing and emerging countries. Questions addressed in the course include what are the main dimensions of development in the so-called global South? What are the primary drivers of change? What opportunities and barriers exist? What are the main strategies to induce development? What coping strategies are employed? Central to this course is the critical reflection on, and recognition of the multiple meanings of, development and its manifold local expressions within an interconnected world. Entry Requirements: Introduction to Human Geography.

This course provides a map of contemporary approaches to the so-called separation of church and state, or political secularism, and enables them to use the relevant concepts and insights in analyses of societal issues concerning religious diversity. This course provides the theoretical and empirical knowledge to make sense of these academic debates and contemporary issues regarding the relation between states and religions. The course explores the concept of political secularism through multidisciplinary readings, especially anthropology, sociology, law, and political philosophy. Theory and concepts concerning political secularism are always be discussed by in depth readings of case studies, for example about native-Americans and religious freedom, Muslim sartorial practices and gender equality in France and Iran, or political secularism in postcolonial nations such as India and South Africa.

This course focuses on Maxwell's Laws and provides a solid, modern introduction to classical electrodynamics. Emphasis is on understanding these foundations. There are applications, but they do not take center stage. Once students have understood the theory in its modern formulation, insights can be expanded both in the direction of fundamentals of quantum field theory and in the direction of practical applications to be derived from Maxwell’s laws in their conventional formulation. After completing this course students are able to: describe the principles of the theory of classical electromagnetism and understand its practical applications and start examining the fundamentals of quantum field theory. During the entire course, available class hours are devoted to teacher instruction, problem solving, and student presentations, in which students take turns to explain various aspects of the material. There are graded homework assignments (computational work) designed to reach an adequate level of quantitative ability. After midterms students choose a topic for an individual paper. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the ability to fully understand a fundamental issue in, or an application of, electrodynamics. Finally, there is a written exam, the purpose of which is to demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of the essentials of the theory of electrodynamics. As a prerequisite students must have taken Calculus and Intro to Wave Phenomena in Nature.