Utrecht University – University College Utrecht

In this course, the study of international economic relations is central. These relations involve the exchange of goods and services, factors of production, and financial flows across borders. International trade and financial flows are a strong force in international relations and politics. This course provides an introduction to trade flows, international specialization, and exchange. Neoclassical and modern trade theory are addressed before analyzing trade policy, international macroeconomics, and financial relations. Having established the link between financial and real economic variables, students turn to exchange rates, currency trading, and the global monetary system. The course pays special attention to the differences between developing and developed economies. Students build on their knowledge of macro- and microeconomics, narrowing in on the international aspects of both. Gains from trade and specialization are typically considered microeconomic topics, while international financial relations are macroeconomic in nature.

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary research field of Transitional Justice which may include both judicial and non-non-judicial mechanisms, with different levels of international involvement and individual prosecutions, reparations, truth-seeking, institutional reform, vetting, and dismissals. The course explores the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, the aftermath of colonialism in Africa and Indonesia, the aftermath of communism, truth and reconciliation in South Africa, and different types of retributive justice in dealing with the Rwandan genocide. This course looks at the effectiveness of the Transitional Justice mechanisms, its measure of effectiveness on a state level, and statistical outcomes.

After completing this course students are able to:
 

• judge different energy scenarios and their potential to contribute to a sustainable future.
• work with numbers, units, and diagrams to come to arguments for and against different energy systems.
• gain a basic understanding of the role of the natural sciences in society while focussing on the numerous applications in energy technology, climatology and sustainability.
• think critically about the positive and negative influences of chemistry and physics on society.

Content

After completing this course students are able to:
 

• judge different energy scenarios and their potential to contribute to a sustainable future.
• work with numbers, units, and diagrams to come to arguments for and against different energy systems.
• gain a basic understanding of the role of the natural sciences in society while focussing on the numerous applications in energy technology, climatology and sustainability.
• think critically about the positive and negative influences of chemistry and physics on society.

Content

This course introduces students to the world of Human Geography and human geography of the world. Starting from the proclaimed death of geography as a result of ongoing processes of globalization, this course investigates how geography is still relevant, at the global, national, regional, and local levels. Students familiarize themselves with the conceptual base of contemporary human geography, learn about different traditions within the field of human geography, and study a range of global and local issues from a human geographical point of view. The course content is divided into three thematic sections: globalization and the death of geography, from Fordism to post-Fordism, global production networks, and the impact of globalization on places; the hollowing out of the nation-state: nations, national identities, and rescaling; and the mixed blessing of tourism: economic, ecological, and socio-cultural impacts of tourism.

This is an introductory course in the field of IR. It provides an overview of the plurality of the discipline, from foreign policy and institutionalism to postmodern and feminist approaches. It focuses on four aspects: theory, topics, reflexive practice, and research. The theories and topics are the backbone of the course, discussing different theoretical approaches and related themes every week through readings and presentations. Reflexive practice comes in the form of a simulation game, in which direct experiences are connected to the theoretical and empirical content of the course. In the research part, students learn how to apply IR theory meaningfully to concrete case studies.

This course examines the Arabic language and the history and culture of the Arabic-speaking people. It covers the philosophy, music, religions, literature, poetry and art of the Arabic-speaking communities; cultural products and customs; values important to the Arabic people; and important features of the main dialects.

Global Health is the research and practice of improving health and wellbeing worldwide. Health has many determinants, and these exceed the ‘biomedical’ domain. This course uses the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, a global agenda for 2015 to 2030 that was agreed on by the United Nations General Assembly.  Students explore major global health challenges of our time - such as Covid-19 and environmental health - and address current and desired interventions to tackle these challenges in an equitable way. As an interdisciplinary approach is required to tackle the global challenges, interprofessional collaboration and skills are practiced throughout the course.

This course provides a background on the essentials of planet Earth's natural dynamics, and which processes are currently altered through human activity, by explaining how geological processes have shaped the Earth into its present state, and how current human activities are interfering with natural processes in Earth's ecosystems. Why the Earth's surface looks the way it does can largely be understood from Earth's internal structure dynamics. Aspects of the Geosphere that are discussed in class include the formation of planet Earth, the rock cycle, geological time, the inner Earth, plate tectonics, deformation, mountain building, and sedimentation and sedimentary basins. Emphasis is placed on the role of geological observations as evidence of processes that contributed to shaping the surface of the Earth. In addition, the course discusses the diversity of Earth's ecosystem and the importance of conserving biodiversity. The scientific aspects of global climate change are addressed, along with the way climate change is discussed and presented in the popular media.

Chemistry describes the composition of matter and its transformations. This introductory course presents an overview of chemistry and lays a foundation by considering its central concepts. The course begins with the quantum world in which the structure of atoms and elements and the role of electrons in chemical bonding are described. Then the energetics associated with chemical processes and chemical equilibria are studied, a discipline called thermodynamics. The course ends with the treatment of some basic organic (i.e., carbon-based) chemical reactions. When possible, attention is paid to the connection of the subject matter with materials science and/or the biochemical relevance.