Spring 2017 Electives

This course offers an introduction to the Japanese cinema. From the early movies to animation, we will cover some independent productions and documentaries. The goal of this course is to learn how to read formal aspects of films and to understand contemporary social and cultural issues in Japan. A feature film will be screened with short lectures, followed with a discussion and short writings activities.

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This course is designed to give you an intriguing opportunity to observe certain delicate social incidents taking place in contemporary Japanese society. In the course we will explore and question what ‘Japaneseness’ is all about from sociological viewpoints. By using Japan as a mirror to study the self, Japanese students will be able to reconfirm their national and ethnic identity, while international students should perceive how their ‘foreignness’ is portrayed in this homogeneous society, leading you to reflect more of the positive values taken for granted in your own country.

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This course will offer an introduction to some of the key social institutions (families, schools, workplaces, etc.) in contemporary Japan, in light of recent and ongoing demographic and structural changes in Japanese society and political economy. Furthermore, we will also analyze mass media reports vis-à-vis rigorous scholarship to consider how empirical reality can be “spun” by the mass media to further a particular argument or contribute to the production and dissemination of particular discourses or stereotypes.

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This course surveys selected works of the pre-modern periods of Japan from the seventh through the eighteenth centuries. We will analyze the major works of painting, sculpture, and architecture that epitomize each historical period. Discussions focus on the subjects of works, including examination of how concepts were translated into visual forms as well as the socio-cultural functions of the works. Students are expected to gain basic skills in iconographical observation of art works of Japan and to acquire proper terminology for discussing Japanese art. Students should gain a better understanding of Japanese art and basic information that will prepare them for further study in the field of art history.

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In 2010 the Japanese government formally implemented a strategy called ‘Cool Japan’, which aims at increasing Japan’s influence in the world through a process known as soft power. This course will investigate how this strategy developed and was eventually adopted by the government. We will look into the various forms of Cool Japan including anime, manga, gaming, and fashion, as well as some of the less well-known areas from a historical perspective. In addition, we will look at the contemporary status of popular culture both in Japan and globally, critically examine the success of the Cool Japan program, and discuss what the future may hold. Overall, this course will raise students’ critical awareness of a variety of cultural and social issues related to modern Japan in the 21st century.

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Effective organisational management is essential in order to establish, operate and lead business activities. But what is ‘management’, and how can we ‘manage’ organisations? This course is designed as an introduction to the principles and processes of management, including definitions and functions of management, management theories, planning, organising, leading and controlling organisations. People and team management, and strategic management are also major components of this course. In this course, students are expected to acquire useful business skills, and actively participate in the class discussions.

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Human choices and actions fundamentally transform, and are transformed by, environmental conditions and processes. The ways in which we interact with the Nature have tremendous implications for the equitable distribution of resources, the livelihoods of human being, and long-term ecological and economic sustainability. In this introductory environmental studies course, students will gain a foundation in understanding the human domination of ecosystems, the tragedy of the commons, and the concepts of nature or place.

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This course consists of two parts. The first part is tracing and understanding the international history of modern and contemporary era. Second part is studying basic theories and perspectives of international relations. This introductory course is designed for the fresh undergraduate students who are beginners for studying international affairs and history.

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People often think that marketing is just advertising — a highly visible activity by which organizations try to persuade customers to buy products and services. However, marketing is much more than advertising. Even the most skillful marketer cannot make customers buy things they do not want. Rather, marketing involves:  (1) identifying customer needs, (2) satisfying these needs with the right offering, (3) assuring availability to customers through the best distribution channels, (4) using promotional activities to build awareness and motivate purchase, and (5) choosing a suitable price to boost the firm’s profitability while also maintaining customer satisfaction.

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This course provides the basics of microeconomics and macroeconomics. The first half of the lecture is devoted to an introduction to microeconomics. The latter half is devoted to an introduction to macroeconomics. The contents covered in the course are: supply and demand analysis, theory of the firm, theory of individual behavior, competition and monopoly, welfare economics (Microeconomics), determinants of the overall levels of economic activity, fiscal and monetary policy, price controls, distributional effects of macroeconomic policies, inflation and unemployment (Macroeconomics).

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This is an introductory course in Political Science. This course will introduce you to three topics: (1) the major themes of Political Science (e.g., the origins of modern state, democratization, authoritarianism, political culture, civil society, and political participation); (2) the major concepts used in Political Science (e.g., government, governance, power, authority, state, democracy, authoritarianism, nation, and nationalism); and (3) the methodologies political scientists use to evaluate rival theories (e.g., qualitative and quantitative approaches). By comparing how political systems develop and function in different countries, we will theorize about the historical development and future trajectories of domestic politics in the various parts of the world.

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Making a good business plan, as well as presenting it to audiences that could include supervisors in your organisation or investors, are the keys to successful implementation of a new project in a company, or to starting up your new business. In this module, students will: 1) learn the basics of business planning; 2) look at several examples of business planning; 3) learn and practice ways of making a business plan; and 4) practice presenting those business plans to audiences. The classes will mainly consist of lectures, but students will have various opportunities to think, write and discuss their own business plans in the second half of the classes.

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This is an introductory course on presentation skills in a business context. Public speaking skills will be taught, including effective use of visual materials (i.e., PowerPoint). Students will also learn how to give constructive feedback to others. Students must be prepared to create presentation materials, to present in front of a class, and to give and receive feedback. After completion of this course, students should be confident in their abilities as an effective communicator.

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Entrepreneurship and innovation are the principal source of jobs and wealth in market economies. This course is concern with entrepreneurship, with a special emphasis on technology transfer and wealth creation. Technology transfer is the process of taking innovations out of laboratories and finding commercial applications for those technologies.  Although we will look at all kinds of entrepreneurship, the focus of the group project is on technology transfer and new venture development. The course is also concern with explaining “how” entrepreneurship takes place as well as “why” it takes place. The “how” of new venture development is related to the entrepreneurial process.

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People are one of the most important resources in an organisation, and in business activities. But people are not just a “resource” for the success of your business. We all have our own character, personality, career goals, and life-style. How can we “manage” people effectively while respecting and supporting individual employees’ career development processes? The course will provide theoretical underpinning for HRM as well as practical business cases. Through this course, students will acquire basic knowledge on HRM, which will be useful for their future careers, not only in business but in any form of organisation. Students are also encouraged to think about and analyse cases and issues concerning “people” in business, and to actively participate in discussion in the class.

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This is an introductory course in Comparative Politics.  This course will introduce students who are new to the field of Comparative Politics to the leading theories and debates of this field while simultaneously introducing students to the history of political, economic, and cultural relations of various regions.  By comparing how political systems develop and function in different countries, we will theorize about the historical development and future trajectories of domestic politics in the various parts of the world.

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Brexit in 2016 was a great shock to the world as well as Europeans. International integration beyond national ego is one of the best approaches to achieve regional and global peace, let alone common economic goals. In this course, we try to make comparative analysis of integration phenomena between world regions, including Asia, Europe and America. Responding to the interests of students, Africa, Pacific and MENA regions are added. The theory and reality of European Union is emphasized as the typical integrational success. Newspapers and academic articles are introduced to explain the trends of worldwide regionalism.

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This course aims to  provide an overview of both the theory and functioning of international
organizations in promoting international cooperation. Why do and did states create international organizations? What is the role of international organizations? How have states “institutionalized” decentralized international society? These are major questions to be explored in this course. In order to find out relevant answers, the course will start with an introduction to the international organizations such as the history of institutionalizing international society and its processes. It will then focus on the United Nations System which involve the following: structure of internal organs like Security Council, humanitarian issues, collective security.

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The course serves an introduction to European Union; it examines the doctrines and institutions that structure the European Union, the political context that made this project possible, and the challenges it faces. It covers how the European Union developed and European efforts to protect civil rights, regulate the workplace and fight terrorism. As this is an introductory course no prior knowledge is assumed. It covers the core EU institutions; European Human Rights Law; EU security institutions; and the EU’s foreign policy.

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The purpose of the course is to discuss the ways and means in which states and international organizations have sought to counter political violence following 9/11. The course, focusing mainly on Islamic-inspired political violence, is divided into three main parts: it opens with an analysis of the conceptual challenges that come with the phenomenon of political violence. The second section explores how international and regional organisations have sought to address political violence. The third section reviews how states – Britain, United States and Pakistan have adapted their policies and outlooks following 9/11

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This class will introduce students to qualitative methods of research in the social sciences. Our emphasis in the first half of this class will be on the gathering of data. We will experiment with structured interviews, unstructured or informal interviews, oral histories, narratives, group interviews, biographies, observations, participant-observations, documentary records, and organizational and community studies. The second half of the semester emphasizes methods of analyzing, theorizing from and writing results from such data. Towards the middle of the semester, after experimenting with various methods of data collection, students select a project (and a partner) of their choosing and proceed to collect and (later) analyze these data, leading to the production of a draft report.

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