United Kingdom - England

Authoritarian populist parties hold power in Hungary and Poland and have gained significant support in countries as diverse as France, Italy, and Germany. But what is populism? Is it part of a historical trend or is it markedly new? Does populism speak for "the people" or is it a danger to democracy? Is the rise of populism irresistible or can liberal democracies react to this challenge? The course takes a look at competing ideas of populism before evaluating the causes of the recent growth of populism in Europe and the United States. The course analyzes explanations which highlight economic causes, cultural backlash, and elite manipulation. The course concludes by looking at strategies which liberal democracies might use to respond to populism.

This course introduces students to the practical elements of mechanical design and manufacture to prepare them for the project work. It explores the full extent of the design process from customer brief through to conceptual and detail design. The instruction extends to teaching practical manufacturing skills to enable students to make these designs themselves in the departmental workshops.

This course gives an introduction to different forms of storytelling, exploring the origins and evolution of fairy tales with a focus on contemporary retellings. A variety of fairy tales are examined, ranging from ancient myths and medieval storytelling tradition to Disney’s adaptations and TV series such as ONCE UPON A TIME and GRIMM. The course introduces students to different literary genres, such as children’s literature (by looking into how children’s novels such as ALICE IN WONDERLAND and THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO have been retold) and graphic novel studies. Students learn different approaches of literary analysis, such as comparative criticism and psychoanalysis. The course includes excursions to relevant exhibitions and interactive workshops on storytelling.

This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of contemporary cultural policy – what it is, what motivates it, how it is made, what consequences it produces, and most importantly why it matters for students as future artists, creatives, and citizens. While helping students learn about state policies in the broader cultural sector, the course actively uses international and comparative materials to help them to develop global problem-solving skills. The focus of the course is on key aims and values of cultural policy, such as national identity, nurturing creation, public value, public accessibility, and cultural diversity.

This course covers the process of engineering design, manufacturing methods, and the relationship between them. The course trains students in the methodology of all stages of engineering design: from the analysis of the client statement to the manufacturing of the design. It develops the practical, theoretical, and computational engineering skills relevant to the design process. It also develops an appreciation of sustainability in engineering design, and an understanding of how design decisions can affect the environmental and economic costs of the design and product.