Summer Programme 2009
Courses on Offer
BUS214E, European Business Law
This course provides an introduction to and overview of the so-called 'first pillar' of the European Union on the basis of the European treaties as currently established, and with some reference to the Lisbon text in a forward perspective. Included are components on the institutions, competition law, agriculture, the 'four freedoms' that are at the core of the internal market (movement of goods, persons, capital and establishment rights), the customs union, social security and external relations. Teaching is done on the basis of the actual treaty provisions: students receive these in electronic format and learn how to interpret and use these articles.
Bruno de Vuyst, LL.M.
Syllabus
BUS326E, European Portfolio Management
This course covers the "building blocks" of international portfolios (equities, bonds, financial derivatives), the main markets for these investments (Europe, U.S.A., the largest Asian markets), the main types of international portfolios marketed, and the construction, the management and the valuation of these portfolios.
Prerequisite: BUS241E (Financial Accounting)
Jean Bellemans, MBA & Bruno de Vuyst, LL.M
Syllabus
BUS333E, Marketing Research in Europe
This intermediate level marketing course compares and contrasts market research methods from both academic and client-based perspectives.
The course examines approaches, methods and applications of market research in a primarily European and international context. We focus on the need for market research to be viewed on a systemic level, as an integrated creative process, composed of varying practical and theoretical approaches which can be tailored to each research project. Statistical analysis will be actively used in the course in the context of the decision making process.
Prerequisites: STA101E (Introduction to Statistics), BUS 231E (Marketing)
Alea Fairchild, PhD
Syllabus
POL302E, Developing Dynamics of Democracy
This course focuses on the developing dynamics of democracy ... as conceptualized and practiced in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. Taking the writings of classical thinkers, liberal theorists, and the insightful Alexis de Tocqueville as our points of departure, we will consider various enduring questions about democracy … what does the term mean, what societal pre-conditions make democracy possible, what sorts of political institutions best support democratic ideals, is democracy “exportable,” what is the future for supra-national democratic institutions? Comparing and contrasting historical developments and contemporary situations in Europe, America, and elsewhere, we will consider democratic developments in older versus newer societies; the influence of social, cultural, and economic factors; divergent historical development patterns; and various institutional arrangements and political practices.
Pre-requisite: at least one course in political science
L. Marvin Overby, Ph.D (University of Missouri)
Syllabus
POL335E, Difference, diversity and migration in the new Europe
Within the last two decades, debates surrounding the issue of migration have gained increased prominence. This is particularly true in the case of the European Union, where not only a visible increase in transnational population flows has occurred, but also an increased awareness that labor mobility is becoming key for the future of EU societies if the union to stay competitive on the global markets. Migration has been linked to political concerns related to the demographic balance in the region, but also to fears about the security and ethnic composition of the European nations. Migration challenges not only the more foundational issue of the future of European identity, but also a variety of social, political and security concerns arising as a result of increasingly salient questions of difference and diversity. This is a function of both the end of the Cold War and trends towards increased globalization witnessed in recent decades. The result is that migration has become a priority issue in Europe and more broadly.
This course will examine migration in Europe by looking at contemporary debates, the economic conditions that impact migration and the policies regarding immigration in the European Union. Topics of analysis will focus on the end of the Cold War and its impact on migratory flows, EU institutional responses to immigration (with specific case studies) and questions and problems regarding the reshaping of national and personal identities. The accommodation of cultural and ethnic differences in host EU countries, including the more encompassing theoretical questions of the relationship of migration to gender, class, religion and ethnicity will also be examined. These issues present both key challenges and opportunities for the future and longevity of European integration, which continues to be at the heart of the EU.
Pre-requisite: at least one course in political science
Maria Stoilkova and Sinan Ciddi (University of Florida)
Syllabus
POL342E, Nations and Ethnicity: Political Conflicts in Europe
This course explores the relationship between nationalism, ethnicity and politics. In the first part of the course, the students will be familiarized with the contemporary theoretical debates in the study of nationalism. They will acquire the necessary analytical perspectives, concepts and tools for the investigation of the phenomenon in particular cases. The second part of the course will apply these theories and concepts in the analysis of several nationalist movements and ethnonationalist conflicts.
Pre-requisite: at least one course in political science
Tommaso Chiamparino, PhD
Syllabus
CMM269E, Politics and Policies of the European Information Society
The course aims at familiarizing the students with the European approach to a policy domain which is of renown importance today at global level for political, economic and social reasons: the development of the Information and Knowledge Society. The course focuses on the EU approach to the development of the so-called European Information Society (EIS). During the course, the students will be able to understand the history and development of the EIS and to assess it in a global perspective, becoming familiar with the most important actions and policies for the development of the EIS at EU level, understand the politics and the issues at stake for the EU and for its Members States and develop a critical mind-set in relation to the politics and policies of the EIS.
Luciano Morganti, Ph.D
Syllabus
ART107E, Modernism and After: A Belgian and European Perspective
In this course, we study and discuss a selection of modern and postmodern works of art – with an emphasis on contributions by Belgian artists – placed in a international, comparative frame. As such, we identify main developments in modern and postmodern art for which the notions "abstraction,” “expression,” “conceptualization” and “narrative” will act as a foil. A series of field trips to museum collections and temporary exhibitions are part of the course.
Leon Lock, Ph.D
Updated syllabus available soon
STA101E, Introduction to Statistics
Statistics is concerned with: (1) describing and extracting information from a data set, organizing and summarizing sample data (descriptive statistics); (2) making predictions or decisions about a data set based on information contained in a sample (inferential statistics). This course provides an introduction to both branches of statistics. Topics covered include: describing sets of data using graphs and numbers; correlation and simple linear regression; probability; probability distributions; sampling distributions; estimation of mean and proportion; hypothesis testing.
Alain Isaac
INT381E, Internship
Working in a sponsoring firm or organisation, students undertake a 150-hour project on a theme or topic related to their major. Click here for the Summer 2009 internship opportunities.
