International Studies

This course examines the influence of colonizer religions on countries in Africa and how these religions are used in political relationships between African countries, specifically Senegal, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria. It primarily focuses on Islam and Christianity but also includes indigenous religions found in various regions. Topics include missions and colonization, African Pentecostalism, political Islam and radical movements, and Islamo-Christian relations.

This course analyzes the major societal transformations triggered by globalization through transportation and telecommunications revolutions. It examines the effects that changing scales of economic and political activity and organization have had on the experiences and opportunities of both corporate and individual actors. The course provides an overview of the social transformations captured by the globalization concepts of networks and re-scaling, their impact on the citizens' experiences, patterns of consumption and identity, and, consequently, on the reception that these changes have among the population. 

The seminar provides insight in the political situation of various states such as Myanmar, Syria, and Ukraine, and analyzes reasons for flight and implications for the receiving states. It outlines opportunities and challenges for the integration of refugees and explores human rights, especially refugee rights in the world. Students define a research question and investigate reasons for refugee movements and the paths of forced migration (especially in the Mediterranean Sea). The course provides an international perspective on displacements in other parts of the world (especially Southeast Asia, the European Union, and West Africa). It discusses these questions with experts and active NGO members in an open atmosphere to analyze and consider the situation of refugees today.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on the role of big data in modern life, as well as its uses as a tool for good or evil. The course highlights how big data can help us understand and explain social phenomena in a way that was unthinkable in previous generations. The course applies the R statistical computing environment to large-scale data sets, explores packages designed for use with big data (such as data.table and ff), and explores how parallelization can be used to analyze lots of data quickly. The course includes traditional lectures, a series of seminars, as well as visual material.

This course offers a blended approach to contemporary diplomacy focused on theory and practice. It is built around a series of lectures that discuss the logic of modern diplomacy, intertwined with workshop sessions which provide an opportunity to engage in role-plays, dispute resolution exercises, and simulations. The lectures review the key challenges that globalization has imposed on the traditional diplomatic practices as well as the art of negotiation as a function of diplomacy. It also reviews iconic case studies; discusses the relevance of traditional and modern diplomatic practices; assesses the triangle between media, politics, and society; and distinguishes the strategies to succeed. Finally, the course offers an emphasis on intercultural diplomatic skills to broaden the perspectives of the course.