Technology has given us super powers. Are we in search for superhuman beings? Human enhancement is happening all the time through improvements on existing technologies. In the golden era of innovation what is going to happen to humanity? Is our ability or desire to upgrade dangerous? What are the methods of human enhancement? In this course we will explore, think, discuss, evaluate and criticize this concept from ethical, physical and philosophical perspectives.

In this course, we will focus on the central theme of dishonesty with specific reference to three focal areas: lying to others, lying to ourselves, and lying through technology. Through this exploration of what it means to be dishonest, we will be reading texts about various subjects such as the types of lies people tell, conspiracy theories people want to believe in, and social media’s impact on authenticity. By the end of this course, students will have a better understanding about what it takes to be honest in this modern world.

This course is designed to improve your academic and language skills, with emphasis placed on thesis-driven writing. To achieve this you will critically interact with, discuss and write about a wide range of texts (e.g. theological, scientific, psychological, literary, etc.) thematically linked to evil. Furthermore, throughout the course you will learn to question both personal and societal assumptions about evil, it causes and effects. For example, what is evil? Why do we suffer from evil? How do we explain evil? Who is evil? Conclusions to such questions will develop depending on class-based discussions of ideas/concepts generated through shared interpretations of course texts.

We will discuss whether or not the government should limit or ban profanity, racial insults, religious speech, political speech, and music.  Come prepared to argue and debate!

Past 101 courses include: Lovers in a Dangerous Time: A Study in the Possibilities of Love under Global Capitalism; The Bad in Each Other: Masculinity, Masks and Mascara; Occupied Spaces, or, Is that a Penguin on Your TV or are You Just Unhappy to See Me?; Tertium Non Datur: Monsters and the Monitor; “The Centre Cannot Hold”: Narratives, Nationalism and Nomadism; “Enchanted Things: Magical Matter and the Capitalist Fetishism of Objects”; “The Media in the Mass Age: Media, Mania and the Masses”; What the F Is Feminism?; What is a State?: Sovereign, Anarchic and Libertarian Perspectives Considered; “Where Justice Is Denied...”: The Wrongs of Rights

In this course we will focus on the central theme ‘Sources of Conflict’ with respect to different dimensions such as political and social. Through analyzing a number of reading texts taken from different sources, we will explore the topic from different perspectives including political, legal, and economic.  Among some questions we will be pondering during the course are:

Is obedience a vice or a virtue?

Can civil disobedience be justified?

Does anarchism lead to social chaos or harmony?

Is society the root cause of deviant behavior?

Is globalization a new form of imperialism?

[For students]

Do you always tell yourself the truth? Can we always trust science to tell us the truth? In this course, we will explore deception, self-deception, science and pseudo-science. Though appearing to be different topics, they are united under the banner of, “Can human beings ever really know the truth, including the truth about themselves, and if so, how?” 

Academic inquiry is structured around responding to the statements of others: “They Say / I Say.” They say, “______ ,” to which I say, “_____ .” I can agree, disagree, partly disagree and partly agree, etc. It is like normal conversation except that it is more rigorous in its claims and more structured in its communication, and it conforms to academic conventions of style and citation.

[For students]

This course will assist you, as current engineering students and as future engineers, in effectively presenting various types of information in both written and oral modes. You will be expected to become competent in writing and organizing technical reports and in effectively presenting academic and technical papers. The tasks performed in the course will mirror the tasks you will do in your faculty classes and in your prospective professional lives.

In this course, we will read and discuss various texts discussing historical revisionism, that is, rewriting or repackaging history. We will discuss to what extent we should revise history given the pros and cons of biased interpretations of it, and answer various questions such as: Should history be re-written?; If so, whose/which history should we revise?; What are some of the downsides to revising history?; Is the entertainment industry (cinema, television, fantasy literature, etc.) an accurate source of historical fact?; and many other questions related to the topics we will read about.

This course will help you to relate the texts, films/series covered in the course to your own experiences as well as those of others around you, and thus achieve a sense of critical self-reflection through collaborative exploration. This course will also give you a chance to participate in stimulating discussions, watch and analyze films/series related to the subjects covered in the course, thus fostering and strengthening critical thinking skills. Ultimately, this course will help you develop and improve the academic writing skills that you will need throughout your university studies.

The idea of 'diversity' or 'multiculturalism` entered into our lives very recently. After World War II, the people have been brought together under multiethnic societies not as groups but as individuals. In this course, students will have a chance to analyze how different political systems, countries and cultures deal with 'diversity' and their 'multicultural' populations and also whether diversity discourse and multicultural policies are a success or a failure will be discussed through readings and materials.

This course is designed to provide support and guidance in improving students’ ability to use academic English in written and oral modes through the critical analysis of the concept of modernity.

We are living in the modern era in which we question, reject or hold on to our traditions.  In many aspects of modern life, traditions are revisited and adapted; so are we living in a modern life with traditional souls?

This course will provide a comparison between the traditional and modern way of living and explore how they overlap specifically in terms of education, family life, and eating habits.

 In this course, students will be discussing the future of work in modern society. The course will start with analyzing and evaluating millennials’ choice of career as a social influencer in other words YouTubers, bloggers. Next, Gig Economy which is a new world of self-employment through the human cloud will be analyzed to answer the question how the outcome of this new system will affect the future of the employers and employers. Finally, students will try to answer the question that if robots replace workers in the future and what will be the possible effects of automation technology on the future of work. 

This course is designed to improve written and verbal academic and language skills, with emphasis placed on thesis-driven writing and semi-formal presentations and discussions. Students will interact critically through discussion and written tasks with diverse texts in varying genres (articles, reports, websites and newspaper/magazine items) linked to the theme of Human Impacts On Our Natural World - namely, how humans, intentionally or accidentally, are changing the nature (in both senses) of the world in which we live. Throughout the course, students will explore the influence of scientific progress and real/envisaged pre/post facto human error on the natural world. Students will attempt to answer questions such as: In what ways do or should we wield change on our environment – on the air we breathe, the weather we experience, the terrain in which we grow or food and gather useful and useable resources essential to life, and to the composition and extent of the very earth upon which we tread? What aspects or elements could or should be altered and by what means and to what justifiable ends? Answers to such questions will be explored and developed, based on class discussions of ideas/concepts generated through shared interpretations of the course materials related to the module themes of Weather Wizardry, Creative Cartography and Altering Agriculture. This course is aimed at the lay rather than expert participant – students with an intellectual and/or emotional interest in climate change and our environment now and for future generations.

This course is designed to improve your academic and language skills, with emphasis placed on thesis-driven writing. To achieve this you will critically interact with, discuss and write about a wide range of texts (e.g. theological, scientific, psychological, literary, etc.) thematically linked to evil. Furthermore, throughout the course you will learn to question both personal and societal assumptions about evil, it causes and effects. For example, what is evil? Why do we suffer from evil? How do we explain evil? Who is evil? Conclusions to such questions will develop depending on class-based discussions of ideas/concepts generated through shared interpretations of course texts.

What is wealth?  What is a nation?  Why do we have schools?  In this course, we will explore the complexity of these questions by examining our sociological and individual realities.  Furthermore, we will explore the construction and deconstruction of social borders by society and individuals.  Through the lenses of conflict theory and symbolic interactionist theory, we will examine a variety of social constructs: wealth, nations, race, gender, education, and deviance. This course is designed to improve your academic and language skills, with emphasis placed on thesis-driven writing. To achieve these goals, we will critically interact with, discuss and write about a wide range of texts thematically linked to socially constructed borders.  

This course will involve reading, exploring, and discussing some of the basic ideas, concepts, and philosophies of humanity. Why and how are we like we are? Is what we know really our own knowledge or are we just pieces of a larger puzzle or mosaic of humanity?
Some of the readings may challenge your currently held beliefs but a university education should challenge you to recognize and respect a diversity of ideas and opinions. We might not find all the answers to our questions this term but we will most definitely go in search of them.
The class will be held in more of a seminar style than the traditional class style, we will all learn and explore the ideas together.

The content of this ENG 101 course is based on the theme of Living Your Best Life: Happiness, Failure, and Technology. By exploring topics such as happiness, failure, and technology, we will consider what it means to have a good life and what helps and hinders us in achieving it.  

The objective of this course is to assist engineering students in effectively presenting various types of information in both the written and oral modes. Students will be expected to become competent in writing and organizing technical reports and in effectively presenting academic and technical papers. The tasks performed as part of the course will mirror the tasks students will be expected to do in their prospective professional lives and in their faculty classes.

The topic of this course and the projects done is Sustainable Development which uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a guide.

This course is designed to improve academic and language skills, with emphasis placed on thesis-driven writing. Students will critically interact with, discuss and write about a wide range of texts (e.g. scientific, psychological, literary, etc.) thematically linked to the theme of influencers- namely, the influencers of our actions and decisions. Throughout the course, students will explore the influence of groups both at a local/individual and global level. Students will attempt to answer questions such as, how are we influenced in our decision-making/problem solving by the groups that we belong to in society? What is the influence of the phenomenon of Groupthink in our lives? How does favoritism and nepotism influence our behavior and our ethics? Should we allow altruism/feelings charity to influence our decisions and actions? In other words, is giving to charity a moral obligation or a personal choice? Answers to such questions will be explored and developed, based on class discussions of ideas/concepts generated through shared interpretations of course materials.

Beleaguered by unseen pitfalls and confusing opportunities, we sometimes struggle to make practical decisions in our lives. Determining certain values can help determine what is best for each of us. What philosophical underpinnings should we each accept to guide our decision making? How much should we let our sense of duty guide our actions, and how much pleasure? What rights do we have to enjoy, and what do we need to obtain?

Our fear of humanlike machines may reflect universal anxieties related to human nature, the artificial, and contamination. Cyborgs and androids in fiction often draw attention to our disturbing similarities to them, suggesting that we are or may become like them. This is particularly relevant today as we develop artificial intelligence and increasingly merge with technology, becoming cyborgs. 

This course centers on humanlike robots and robotlike humans to explore our anxieties about artificial intelligence and cyborg technologies. We discuss the line between conscious man and mindless machine, whether it can or should be crossed, and why it disturbs us. No previous knowledge of the topic is required. 

This course explores how digital media has led to both the creation and reimagining of human rights issues across the world. With human data being more available than ever before, the world has encountered new concerns and debates over what is ethical and what is legal when it comes to the internet. Throughout the semester, we will explore real cases of people who have had their lives and reputations disrupted by the power of the internet as well as governments and major private entities that have used technology for their own agendas. We'll explore questions like: should private citizens be able to use the internet to enact their own visions of social justice; can and should you be able to erase your digital footprint; how does the right to privacy work when governments are involved -- are they entitled to it, and should they have to respect it? Through the use of many articles, case studies, and documentaries, we'll dive into some of the darker sides of technology, as well as its undeniable power. 

In this course, you will encounter a range of psychological, biological, and socio-cultural perspectives on psychopathy. This course will encourage you to think critically about the origins of psychopathy, how certain psychopathic traits may be considered useful for success in business and politics, and how  TV series such as 'Game of Thrones' and 'Dexter' have contributed to the popularity of fictional psychopaths.

This course focuses on several issues related to the topic of past and present education. Specifically, the following:

• What are the most serious problems in the traditional teacher-centred education system? (essay 1)
• How can technology (help to) overcome those problems? (essay 2)

The objective of this course is to assist engineering students in effectively presenting various types of information in both the written and oral modes. Students will be expected to become competent in writing and organizing technical reports and in effectively presenting academic and technical papers. The tasks performed as part of the course will mirror the tasks students will be expected to do in their prospective professional lives and in their faculty classes.

The goal of this course is to take an in-depth look at some of the ways language can affect a person and how they identify. Throughout the course you will explore how language interacts with both personal and national identity and how language can both be used to promote and possibly suppress one’s identity. You will investigate these themes and develop both critical thinking and language skills through presentations, group discussions, and written essays.

There are countless articles about the dangers of misinformation in the modern "post-truth" era. Politicians yell "fake news!" about things they don't like, journalists have sold out to the lure of clickbait, and conspiracy theories are rampant. Scientists are left as the only ones left representing Truth--or are they? In this course we will investigate the role that misinformation and disinformation plays in our understanding of truth. We will take a timely look at the issue through the lens of social media, conspiracy theories, citizen journalism, and organized disinformation campaigns. By the end of this course, you will have a better understanding of how to evaluate information for credibility and write in a way that builds trust with your reader.

This course aims to provide support and guidance for students to improve their
productive (writing and speaking) and receptive (listening and reading) skills in
order to empower them to use academic English in written and oral modes through the critical analysis of the concept of “ecological awareness” regarding animals, plants, and global warming. The questions to be considered throughout the course shall be:

• Are animal rights overrated?
• Can individualistic welfare-based ethics be applied to insects?
• Crop or livestock production? Which one is sustainable?
• Can a meat-based diet help the world overcome the challenges of food security?
• Do governments exacerbate environmental crises?

The objective of this course is to assist engineering students in effectively presenting various types of information in both the written and oral modes. Students will be expected to become competent in writing and organizing technical reports and in effectively presenting academic and technical papers. The tasks performed as part of the course will mirror the tasks students will be expected to do in their prospective professional lives and in their faculty classes.

This course will engage in three different debates. First, no matter the reason for protest, many argue whether violence is necessary for effective protest and lasting change. Secondly, people view hashtag activism as the new global method of protest with no consideration of its ramifications. Last, people contest whether protestors have the right to engage in activities that restrict other`s rights. 

A paradigm shift in education?

Education has been and still is a much discussed topic . Many nations are questioning their traditional education systems and are trying to reform them. This course aims to make students think about the current education paradigm in many countries and question whether it serves the individuals to reach their full potentials and prepare them for the roles they will play in the 21^st century.

The course focuses on the so-called present-day myths and explores the contentious topics of free will, equality, and human nature from different perspectives.

BEAUTY MYTH

This semester we will focus on a pleasant topic: Beauty! Is beauty inherent or is it a quality acquired later? In other words, is beauty nature or nurture? Is it a key that opens all doors? Are beautiful women more advantaged? Or is it a disadvantage to be beautiful? Are there any forces that determine whether or not someone is beautiful? Who/What are they? Who sets the standards of beauty? How do these standards affect us? Why do women diet? Why do they go shopping at every opportunity? Why do they go to beauty parlors at least once -if not more- a week? They try to look at their best in one way or another- why? Why do people especially women spend so much time, effort and money to look good? Is it their free choice or are they brainwashed to do so? If the questions listed above are of any interest to you, join the course lets try to find the answers together.