United Kingdom - Scotland

This course analyses how institutions shape economics policies in modern democracies. The course covers the tools and looks at some of the frontier research in the field. Topics include collective choice and voting, political accountability, redistribution, media, immigration, and populism.

The period from the accession of David I in 1124 to the death of David II in 1371 forged the modern nation of Scotland. This course considers the extent to which David I's feudal and economic innovations shaped Scotland. Students examine the influence of the Church on society and how religion was utilized to political advantage. The territorial expansion of Scotland is assessed. Students also examine Anglo-Scottish relations during the period and consider the lives of William Wallace and Robert Bruce.

This course introduces students to key theoretical debates that have emerged in the study of Scotland’s relationship with the film and television industries. Important questions include: Who is responsible for constructing Scotland’s identity onscreen? How are Scotland and Scottishness depicted? Why do certain representations dominate over others? The course begins by exploring "Hollywood Scotland," concentrating on the commercial cinematic representation of Scotland and Scottishness found in Mel Gibson’s BRAVEHEART (1995). This is then contrasted with a more local construction of Scotland found in the long running television show TAGGART (ITV, 1983-2011). The class concludes by considering filmmaking in contemporary Scotland, first through contemplation of the importance of short films in the Scottish context, focusing in particular on the shorts and careers of Lynne Ramsay, Peter Mullan, and Morag McKinnon, and second through examination of the Scottish/Danish co-produced Advance Party initiative.

Early Greece was the age of beautiful poetry and cutting-edge philosophy. The course explores the diversity of early Greek thought at the crossroads of poetry and philosophy, from the 8th to the 5th century BCE starting with Hesiod's struggle to re-order the world of gods and humans: Hesiod's work stands side by side with Homer's poems as foundational works of ancient Greek epic. We then consider the exciting literary and intellectual experiments of lyric poets and philosopher poets, who saw poetry as a way of writing philosophy, exploring love and attacking enemies. Authors to be studied include Sappho, Theognis, Solon, Xenophanes, and Empedocles. All texts are studied in translation.

The course introduces students to three or more works of pre-20th-century literature and culture to be read in Russian, while improving reading and comprehension skills. It includes a combination of canonical and non-canonical texts by women and men, and explores the cultural and institutional contexts in which texts were produced, published, read, or viewed. Students share impressions through class and online discussions, and informal presentations. Students must have passed 1st year Russian, or equivalent for visiting students.

This course engages students in global scale geological and environmental processes and challenges from deep geological time, to the present, and into the future. This is achieved using a variety of spatial, numerical, geochemical, computational, and field data collection methods and analysis.

The contemporary era shows a proliferation of film production from all over the African continent, and in this course, students become familiar with some of the most significant developments in narrative styles, genres, themes, and aesthetics in contemporary African cinemas. The course also includes discussions of suitable theoretical and critical frameworks in which to analyze and interpret these new films and film movements.

This course covers well-being, a key issue in practical philosophy. Topics that might be covered include theories of well-being (hedonism, desire theories, objective theories, hybrid theories); the relation between momentary and lifetime well-being; particular prudential goods (achievement, friendship etc.); disability and well-being; the nature and badness of pain; prudential reasons; the well-being of children and nonhuman animals.

This course covers the principles and practice of modern computer communications through studying network abstractions, protocols, architectures, and technologies at all levels of the five-layer reference model.

In this course, students develop appreciation for the diverse ways that natures are known, protected, and changed. It provides students with the skills to: (1) critically engage with histories and contemporary uses, languages, and concepts of nature and sustainable development; (2) critically reflect on our relationship to nature, as a basis for formulating strategies for action; (3) understand the fundamental, long-term functioning of coupled human and environmental systems, and the implications for sustainability; and (4) practice interdisciplinarity, synthesizing different forms of knowledge for sustainability or exploring their apparent contradictions. The course brings together both the natural and social sciences. It explores the roles of people, politics, and policies, and the nature of change that is required to meet contemporary challenges.