Interested students, please add the courses through HKU Portal SIS.For enquiries, please contact us at smlc@hku.hk
GLAS2124: Global Atlantic revolutions, c. 1760-1830Instructor: Prof. James FICHTERTuesdays 1:30 pm to 3:20 pm at CPD 3.15 and Fridays 2:30 pm to 3:20 pm at CPD 2.45
This course considers the wave of revolutions which rocked France and the British, French and Spanish empires in the New World at the end of the 1700s and the beginning of the 1800s. These inter-connected revolutions transformed France and led to independence and revolutionary change in the United States, Haiti, and much of Spanish-speaking Latin America. This course considers these revolutions as discrete national phenomena, as interrelated Atlantic events, and as part of a global shift in imperial interest from the New World to Asia.
GLAS2125: The Making of the West Instructor: Prof. Stefan AUERMondays 12:30-2:20 pm in CPD 3.29
Is the West the best? This subject offers an advanced introduction into history of ideas, which have shaped contemporary Western civilization, with a particular focus on Europe. We will learn how the current project of European unification – the European Union – has emerged out of a specific historical constellation. We will trace it back to the age of the enlightenment, which brought about radical social and political transformations in Europe. We will see how the emphasis on the individual and his ability to think for himself, articulated by Rene Descartes, gave rise to a democratic ideal of self-government conceptualised by the likes of Jean Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant. We will study the emergence of ideologies, such as conservatism (Edmund Burke), communism (Karl Marx) and liberalism (John Stuart Mill, Alexis de Tocqueville) and see how the rise of totalitarian ideologies in the Twentieth Century shattered Europe’s self-confidence. Finally, we will examine how Europeans reclaimed the best aspects of their history after the defeat of Nazism in 1945 (Hannah Arendt) and the collapse of communism in 1989 (Jürgen Habermas).
GLAS2129: Romance Languages and LinguisticsInstructor: Dr. Nadia CAMPORESEWednesdays 10:30 am to 12:20 pm at CPD-LG.64
This course will provide students with an overview of the historical development and the structure of Romance languages including Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. In the first part of the course, we will discuss some of the major transformations from Latin to Romance languages. In the second part, we will discuss both similarities and differences among Romance languages using the methodology of comparative linguistics. The analysis will cover the lexical, phonetic, morphological, and syntactic aspects. Students should have a basic knowledge of at least one of the Romance languages, but fluency is not required. This course is taught in English.
GLAS2139: Global Latin AmericaInstructor: Dr. Mike INGHAMFridays 12:30 pm - 2:20 pm CPD-LG.07
This course will explore the intricate networks between Latin America and the rest of the world. There will be three main units to consider: ‘The Indies and Eurasia’, where there will be a study of relationships with European empires and trade in Asia, until the Wars of Independence; ‘Latin American Cooperation in the 20th Century’ with connections to the World Wars, the Spanish Civil War and the Cold War; ‘Latin America in the Global World’ where we will study connections with China, Japan, and the United States. The course will be interdisciplinary, with approaches from disciplines such as history, political science, economy, and literary studies. Materials to analyse will be mostly cultural related, including painting, photography, cinema, and literature. The course will also enjoy the presence of prestigious guest lecturers from diplomatic Latin American circles in Hong Kong to shed light on the relevance of these topics until today.
GLAS 3104: Genocide and ViolenceInstructor: Prof. Roland VOGTTuesdays 10:30 am to 12:20 pm at CPD 2.38
This course investigates key genocides and sheds light on the dynamics that enabled them. The course concentrates on the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide but also touches upon other instances of mass violence from around the world. It illustrates the complex interlinkage of socio-economic, demographic, military and technological developments on the one hand, and the gradual emergence of dangerous racial, religious, ethnic and nationalist cleavages and hatreds on the other. The course first analyses the political, cultural and ideological currents that served as enabling factors for genocides. It then tracks the institutionalised mobilisation of resources for mass genocide. It finalises by examining the important political, legal, social and attitudinal repercussions and traumatic legacies of genocides on societies where they occurred. Particular attention will be paid to the ‘politics of memory’ and its relevance. A highlight of the course is to study genocides through a methodology that focuses on primary sources and the testimony of eyewitnesses and survivors.
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