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Available courses

Caste on Screen: Hindi Cinema and the Making of Contemporary India

Caste on Screen explores the complex role of caste in shaping contemporary societies in South-East Asia, particularly in India, where caste-based dynamics contribute to violence against Dalits (literally “the oppressed”, the social strata at the bottom of the caste system), gender subjugation, communal tensions, nationalism, authoritarianism, and minority persecution. The course will provide both introductory insights for new students and deeper understanding for those with advanced knowledge of the subjects.


Othering, Social Taboo, and Ethnicity: Representations of the Margin in Arab Contemporary Fiction

Adel Dashela and Safwan Yahya Al-Showaiter will come together to analyse othering, social taboos, and ethnicity in contemporary Arab fiction, focusing on how marginalised ethnic communities are represented in novels. They will employ an interdisciplinary approach from various perspectives, such as anthropology, sociology, history, psychology, and cultural studies.


Myanmar in the World

Tr. Rose and Tr. April offer an introduction to geopolitics and apply these with the course participants to the case of Myanmar. Myanmar occupies the tri-junction where China and India meet and is thus crucial for China’s “Go  West” and “Two Ocean Strategy” and India’s “Look East Policy”. The course will equip participants with the ability to analyse Myanmar’s geostrategic location and its importance for world powers and discusse whether successive Myanmar governments have been able to exploit the location/resources of their country or not. 

The seminar will have presentations in English and discussion groups in English and Burmese.


History and Memory in Contemporary Russia

Alexandra Kolesnik and Aleksandr Rusanov will explore memory and historical culture in contemporary Russia through an examination of both state memory policies and grassroots initiatives working with the past. Through a combination of academic readings, media analysis and case studies, participants will critically engage with the complexities, contradictions and conflicts of memory culture in Russia. Particular attention will be paid to the tensions between official memory policies and independent memory initiatives.


Navigating the Path to Transitional Justice in Myanmar

[Ended on February, 2025]


Ways of Remembering

[Ended on February, 2025]