University College London

There are more than 750 million people living on islands, from the densely populated urban centers of the Philippines and Hawaii’s to the atolls and archipelagos of the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific, and Indian Ocean. Climate change is a global challenge that requires locally designed interventions and action. Islands are at the front line of the effects of climate change. Key challenges: rising temperature and sea levels, lack of fresh water supply, plastic pollution, sewage blockages, high number of tourists in season time, and dependence on fossil fuels imports and high prices. This course provides an understanding of the relationships between human needs and resource use under different climatic scenarios with focus on islands. Students draw on practical case studies, analyze possible solutions, and explore ways to inform decision-makers and the general public.

This course considers the role that law plays in society, with a particular focus on the ways in which lawyers can achieve social change. The course rooted broadly in law and social sciences and is richly interdisciplinary in its approach. It introduces students to conceptions of social justice and to the lawyer-client relationship. Thereafter, students consider the role of charities and NGOs in advocating and campaigning on social welfare and human rights. They critically reflect on practical scenarios and real life campaigns and are challenged to think about the law, and its limitations, in responding to social need. 

This course introduces the superhero as an aspect of academic film study. Each lecture focuses on specific sub-topic of the genre, introducing key concepts, central themes and ideas in context of the primary readings and screenings. These include, but are not limited to, race, gender, and sexual orientation, the mythological and the historical superhero, the anti-hero and the wannabe, the rogue and the villain, and cultural, political, and historical connections.