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.

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

Welcome to college! This is a time period in life that is often represented in media, and many people say that this period of their life was the most important in exploring who they are and included the experiences that shaped the rest of their lives. In this course, we’ll explore why this is. We’ll consider the history and purpose of higher education and how that may or may not relate to the purpose of college today, including critiques of today’s status quo. We’ll also consider the experience of being a college student, including research about academics, mental health, and campus activism. We’ll also reflect on our expectations for and experiences of college while building critical thinking and academic writing & reading skills.

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 equality.

All human beings are born free and equal, and thus, have the right to be treated equally. According to universal human rights, all people are equal in dignity and entitled to the same fundamental rights. 

Under the concept of equality, this course will focus on positive action, equity and education, and MOOCs. 

This course introduces students to the idea of mutualism. Mutualism has two main uses. Evolutionary biologists use mutualism to describe how different organisms cooperate in ways that are reciprocally beneficial, that help one another. More central to this course, however, is its use by social thinkers, for whom mutualism refers to human cooperation and interdependence, without which, according to Peter Kropotkin and others, we cannot live at all—or, at least, certainly not live well. Drawing on readings old and new, and from a range of disciplines, we will critically examine mutualism, questioning its premises and promises to see what light it may (or may not) shed on how we live together. Looking closely at mutualism raises a number of fundamental questions. What is an individual? Are care, concern for others, and collectivity natural to humans? Does mutualism offer lessons for our troubled economies, polities, and ecologies?

 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 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.

In this course, we will examine the dimensions of power in society. Furthermore, we will explore the construction and deconstruction of social borders by society and individuals.  Through the theoretical lenses of functionalism and conflict theory, we will explore a variety of topics related to power: conforming, education policy, and social movements. This course aims 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 accessibility.

Crime is a feature of all eras and societies, and while most of us would not want to witness or suffer a real crime, stories of crimes committed by others have the ability to fascinate us. The news media reports on crime not only to keep us safe, but because people are interested in it. Indeed, the news cycle has a role in creating panic and fear about “crime waves” – mugging, drug abuse, cyber-fraud – which have recurred throughout history. Many films and TV series narrate stories about gangsters or heists, or focus on characters who break the law. While the internet has enabled new types of crime such as cyber-fraud, it has also furthered the spread of discourse and discussion about crimes past and present. This has led to a wave of “true crime” documentaries and podcasts focusing on real criminal cases. This trend illustrates our perpetual impulse to try and solve crimes and understand why people commit them. Students taking this course will explore questions such as: Where does our fascination with crime come from? What effects might these stories have on their audiences? What are the issues involved with adapting stories of crime in different media and adapting real cases into stories?

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. 

English & Composition I (ENG 101) - Course Topic: “INFLUENCERS” - This course is about the elements that influence our decisions. Through an exploration of philosophical, psychological and sociological concepts,  students will be asked to think about how they make decisions, what shapes their thoughts and whether they are truly independent of external influences when acting upon the world. The course consists of three cycles; Groupthink, Altruism and Favoritism. As each cycle progresses, students will draw upon their own experiences to build critical analyses of the given texts and respond to the questions that emerge through academically appropriate, intellectually robust and inquisitive written and spoken output.

When it comes to things like astrology or personality types, responses can be pretty polarizing. Some people find their whole sense of self-identity in the stars or their Enneagram type, while others think that it’s all a bunch of nonsense driven by a billiondollar industry to make money. Regardless of your stance on the matter, this course will be an opportunity to explore the origins of these phenomena, looking at the religious origins of the horoscope and the research and/or marketing behind several different personality tests. We will explore the potential benefits people may find in these modes of self-discovery while also asking questions like: is this cultural appropriation? Are they even accurate? What are the spiritual and socio-emotional benefits behind them? Do they discriminate against different groups of people? Is there even any science behind any of these things?

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 first investigate the role that trust plays in defining information... and therefore misinformation. Next, we will consider how these ideas affect the sources of many peoples knowledge--professional and amateur journalism. Finally, we will improve our own abilities to spot misinformation on the internet. 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 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.

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.

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. 

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.

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, its 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.

Remember when answering the central question – what is evil? – you will have your pre-existing knowledge/beliefs/experiences vigorously challenged by new viewpoints. So keep an open but critical mind, and be ready to read, listen, discuss, research and write about issues connected to human evil.

This course addresses myths as social constructs and ideals that individuals and societies cherish, but do not always have in practice. Three such ideals, free will, equality, and noble human nature are addressed from a variety of perspectives.

This course focuses on the study of what being a human actually means. The human condition refers to the experience of human beings including the key features, events and situations related to the existence of humans. This includes the scientific placement of human as a `higher rank` species, and its experience of life and death, and spiritual, emotional and intellectual growth. The course will center around the significance of nature and culture in this journey of being and becoming a human along with the discussion of social issues such as poverty and education within the framework of the concepts of morality, justice, altruism. The course takes an interdisciplinary standpoint and requires students to read and evaluate various renowned articles from a wide range of disciplines such as science, literature, and philosophy to celebrate a number of non-fiction and fiction genres including academic essays and poems.