Wintersemester 2024/2025

On social media issues such as gender-inclusive language, LGBTIQ+ rights, and gender identity are highly contested. However, gender-related issues not only spark heated debates involving a variety of different actors but public spheres themselves are marked by gendered power dynamics. This course looks at gender as an important structural element within (digital) public spheres. Participants will explore theories and concepts of (digital) public spheres and critically analyze the representation of gender in (digital) public spheres, including the portrayal of women and LGBTQ+ individuals.  The course will take place in four blocks and one preparatory session plus one closing session. 

This course explores the concept of technocracy, examining the profound impact of technology on politics, power structures, and ideologies in contemporary society. We will delve into diverse topics such as technophilia (the love of artificial objects), the Californian Ideology, and the intricate intersection of technology with political power.

The course explores the contemporary challenges faced by individuals, teams and leaders in today's organisations through discussions of fundamental concepts and theories of organisational behaviour, knowledge and skills. During the course, students will be able to explain the principles and strategies of managing people and apply the skills to achieve a better working environment with increased collaboration and productivity. This course covers essential topics in managerial skills, including leadership, teamwork, decision-making, and the identification and mitigation of cognitive errors in managing organizations or teams.

What this course is about: Populism is everywhere: it is evident in the news, in public discourses, and in political communication research. The days are past when definitions of populism were no more tangible than “I know it when I see it.” This development is the result of the alignment of conceptual thinking about the phenomenon with empirical research, also considering that this requires the operationalization of populism for purposes of quantitative content analyses, survey research, and data-driven approaches such as topic modelling. These debates are not merely academic and to be dismissed as ivory-tower skirmishes. Across Europe and other continents, political parties labeled as populists have been increasing their success in elections. Over the past 30 years, the support for populist radical right-wing parties, in particular, rose to a level where it is greater than at any other point in time. The course explores populism's history and recent developments in the age of digital communication. We’ll cover definitions, theories, and methods for measuring populism and comparing it across countries and time, as well as populism’s connection to related phenomena such as radicalism, extremism, strategic victimhood, or election denialism.

Today´s legal privacy framework is not only extensive, but oftentimes also confusing. Additionally to the already high requirements of the GDPR come national peculiarities based on opening clauses, as well as sector specific privacy laws in areas such as tele media, human resources or health. Moreover, in our globalized society, with large multinational conglomerate´s dominating the market in almost every area, it is likely that one will also have to take privacy laws from other jurisdictions into account. Meeting all of these different requirements can become increasingly challenging and companies receive substantial pressure from the regulators, as well as the consumers to improve their handling of personal data. It is therefore crucial to create a structured and comprehensive privacy framework within any organization, in order to successfully address these challenges. The course provides an overview of the existing management struggles and practices, enabling participants to identify potential privacy risks and implement proactive strategies for their mitigation.

Emerging technologies, like social media, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Everything (IoE), have changed the way we communicate, interact, and live. These technologies, however, not only create novel opportunities. As is becoming increasingly apparent, they raise specific challenges for many legal fields. This seminar puts a spotlight on data protection issues generated by the rise of the IoE and the advent of AI. Throughout, we will not only analyze the GDPR and comment on recent jurisprudence by the CJEU, but also discuss novel policy strategies to square such technologies with data protection and human autonomy.

The number of places for IBA Master (WiWi) students as well as Erasmus/exchange students is limited. Students from those groups are requested to write an email to patecka@europa-uni.de explaining in two sentences why they would like to participate in the course. First-come-first-serve rule applies here. There is no limit for ENS (MoDe) students, yet they should also write an email to patecka@europa-uni.de to obtain course password.