Courses for foreign students

WINTER SEMESTER

Politics of Ethnicity and Nationalism in the Contemporary World, Premysl Macha, 6 ECTS

The course objective is to critically analyse the process of the formation of ethnic, national and racial group categories, their discursive use and the historical changes of their meaning. The primary framework for this analysis will be theories of ethnicity, nationalism, and racial thought, sociology of knowledge and hermeneutics. We will study the process of reification of social reality, dynamics of group imagination, and causes and consequences of ethnic and nationalist conflicts. After taking this course, the student should be able to critically reflect upon social reality and the politics of language and knowledge as well as to analyse sources and dynamics of ethno-national and racial conflicts in various places in the world.

Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation, Tomas Hoch, 6 ECTS

The course focuses on the questions of the purpose and forms of aid provided by developed countries to the countries of the global South. Attention is drawn to the origins and consequences of inequalities in global development, the purpose of development cooperation, the most important world organisations active in the development, the purpose of humanitarian organisations, and the non-profit sector in the system of foreign development cooperation. This knowledge is subsequently applied to the current situation of development cooperation in the Czech Republic, introducing institutional provisions for development cooperation in the Czech Republic, bilateral aid, multilateral aid, the process of transformation of foreign development cooperation in the Czech Republic, important documents for strategies of development cooperation or project cycle management. Having passed the subject, the students should have basic knowledge of the situation in the area of humanitarian aid and development cooperation, both on the side of the donor and the recipient.

Local and Regional Development, Petr Rumpel, 6 ECTS

The course will introduce students to local and regional development, especially to contemporary theory. However, there will be a special focus on potential practical applicability to the policies of cities, towns, villages and (micro)regions. Besides gaining theoretical knowledge, students will be encouraged to work with English-language literature and critically assess the theoretical concepts studied. The discussed concepts will be presented in the context of the Ostrava region – historical development, current demographic structures, economic and institutional transformation etc. Special attention will be paid to cohesion policies, transformation of old industrial regions and the policies of the EU.

Ethnic Issues in the Czech Republic, Tadeusz Siwek, 6 ECTS

This course focuses on ethnic issues. The first part of the course presents ethnic theory and key concepts and terms, focusing on the differences between approaches to these questions in the Western and Eastern Europe. The second part presents the history of the development of ethnic structures in Czechia. The third part of the course addresses the contemporary ethnic situation in Czechia including the regional identities of Moravia and Silesia. The fourth part focuses on Czech legal regulations with an emphasis on differences between minorities and foreigners according to Czech law. The fifth part of the course describes the situation of immigrants in Czechia. The last part predicts the future development of the ethnic question in Czechia and draws comparisons with some other countries.

Non-Democratic Regimes, Vincenc Kopecek, 6 ECTS

The aim of the course is to familiarise the students with the variety of non-democratic political regimes in the contemporary world. First, we will focus on the classic theory of J. J. Linz, differentiating democracy, totalitarianism and authoritarianism, then on the third wave of "democratisation" and some of its outcomes – modern non-democratic regimes. Finally, we will focus on the distribution of democratic and non-democratic regimes in the contemporary world.

Geopolitical Macroregionalisation, Monika Sumberova, 6 ECTS

This course is an introduction to the description of different projections of the international system through the geographic method known as regionalisation. Regionalisation delimits world regions according to required criteria. Within this course, the criteria for regionalisation will be chosen from the political sphere and the level of analysis is set at a macro level. The course is divided into three thematic blocks. The first block examines the political regionalisation of the world in historical context - we will analyse different settings of the international system from the beginning of the 15th century up to the present. In addition, an overview of geopolitical regions and important factors influencing the transformation of international systems will be presented. The second block concentrates on regionalisation through the institutionalised processes of organised cooperation of states at a global level, while the third block defines world regions according to different institutionalised security structures.

Japan in Political Geography of East Asia, Lukas Las, 6 ECTS

The course aims to study the political geography of East Asia with a focus on Japan in Northeast Asian and Southeast Asian historical contexts. Empirical content of the course is based on the literature written by some of excellent scholars dealing with East Asian territorial and Japanese studies. The course introduces East Asia on regional and global scales. The focus on Japan presents this unique Asian country in chapters on politics, economy, society, international relations and cooperation, and geopolitics. A cross-sectional view on Japan in East Asia is included in 8 main topics presented during 10 consecutive sessions. Active participation of students consists in a series of short review feedbacks based on readings. The students are encouraged to share views, take part in open debates, and study maps.

GIS in Human Geography, 3 ECTS, Ludek Krticka

The goal of this course is to present the application of geographic information systems in human geography. Students will learn how to use statistical data in GIS, carry out calculations, classify, analyse, visualise and interpret data correctly. Selected methods of spatial statistics will be presented, through which students will analyse selected socio-economic phenomena.

Geographic Bachelor Project A for Erasmus Students, 5 ECTS

This course is designed for students of geographic disciplines (including teacher training degree programmes) who want to participate in grant-funded and other research activities at the Department of Human Geography and Regional Development. Students enroll after consultation with a selected teacher and carry out an assigned task, part of which may be data analysis, literature search, translation, graphical output or field data collection.

Geographic Master's Project A for Erasmus Students, 5 ECTS

This course is designed for students of geographic disciplines (including teacher training degree programmes) who want to participate in grant-funded and other research activities at the Department of Human Geography and Regional Development. Students enroll after consultation with a selected teacher and carry out an assigned task, part of which may be a data analysis, literature search, translation, graphical output, field data collection etc.

English for Erasmus students, 5 ECTS

This language course is designed for students of geographical disciplines with very advanced knowledge of English language. It focuses on maintaining, developing and expanding students' knowledge of practical and academic terminology and working with specialised texts. The minimum required level of English is intermediate or upper intermediate (B1-B2).

Czech for Foreigners 1, 4 ECTS, Autumn/Spring semester

The aim of the course is to acquaint foreign students with basic Czech grammar (gender, present and past tenses, nominative and accusative forms of nouns and adjectives, adverbs, numerals), common vocabulary and phrases useful for everyday communication. At the end of this course, students should be able to write a short text such as a letter or a CV and to fill in an application form. This course is offered only for foreign university students who do not have any previous experience of Czech language.

Czech for Foreigners 2, 4 ECTS, Autumn/Spring semester

The aim of the course is to offer foreign university students the opportunity to improve and develop their knowledge of Czech language. A good knowledge of basic Czech grammar (e.g. gender, present and past tenses, numerals, adverbs, nominative and accusative forms of nouns and adjectives) is considered the starting point of this course, and this level of knowledge will be essential in order for students to undertake the course. At the start of the semester, all students will take a test on basic grammar and vocabulary and those who will fail will be transferred to the group for beginners. This course is not intended for beginners!

SUMMER SEMESTER

Political Geography of the Middle East, 6 ECTS, Tomas Drobik

This course will introduce participants into the complicated realm of the Middle East. The aim is to discuss the position of the Middle East in the system of international relations and through vertical analysis to show the vast complexity of processes and tendencies in this area with a particular emphasis on the contemporary Islamic factor. The course aims to make clear the connection between the history and the present, together with global and local interplay, revealing their combined effects on everyday policies of Middle Eastern states, with special reference to the factor of Islamism. Moreover, critical approaches to inter-civilisation conflict will be introduced and applied.

Geographical Information Systems – project, 3 ECTS, Ludek Krticka

The main aim of the course is to carry out individual project work with the assistance of GIS tools and under the supervision of the tutor. Project topics focus on urban geography, demography, labour markets, etc. The topics correspond to the current research activities of the Department of Human Geography and Regional Development.

Geography and the Development of Rural Areas, 6 ECTS

In the 20th century, rural areas underwent a complicated evolutional process that fundamentally influenced the character of local communities, their economy and environment. In this context, the necessity of rural development/renewal is frequently discussed. Activities of rural municipalities, micro-regional authorities and other agents on various hierarchic levels are very heterogeneous in this process; however, they are limited by a lack of necessary resources (financial, material, human etc.). The course introduces the geography and development of rural regions - their definition, past, present and future. It specifies key problems and identifies possible tools for their solution.

New Approaches in Cultural Geography, Premysl Macha, 8 ECTS

In this course, students will become acquainted with contemporary approaches to cultural geography. We will focus on the principal theoretical schools, research topics and research methods as they appear in current literature in the field. Seminars are based on assigned readings and in-class discussions. Students will learn how to apply the theories in their own work as researchers. After taking this course, students will have a good idea about the scope and diversity of contemporary cultural geography, they will be able to define and use key geographical concepts (space, scale, place, landscape, culture), and they will be able to critically reflect upon the cultural-geographical aspects of everyday life.

Limits of the Development in China and India, Lukas Las, 6 ECTS

Asia has become the centre of world economic activity and geopolitical affairs. This course aims to provide an overview of current ideas, trends and limits of the development in India and China, from both national and global perspectives. The students will encounter a variety of approaches enabling them to comprehend and analyse contemporary India and China within the context of Indo-Pacific Asia; including historical, political, socio-economic, transnational-regional and security contexts. The topics include economic models, political systems, environmental problems, social issues (migration), and international relations. Active participation of students consists in a series of short review feedbacks based on readings. The students are encouraged to share views, take part in open debates, and study maps.

Political Geography of the Post-Soviet Area, 6 ECTS, Tomas Hoch & Vincenc Kopecek

This course will familiarise students with the problems of the post-Soviet area. After a brief introduction to post-Soviet studies, we will focus on the model region of the Caucasus. We will discuss the history of the region, with a special focus on the era of Russian dominance, Soviet rule and post-Soviet development. The course should make clear the connection between the region's history and present, which affects the process of democratization, and also the problems of de iure and de facto existing states. Small nations and their autonomies will also be at the centre of our interest, as well as everyday life in the region. In the seminars, students will be expected to prepare a power point presentation on a particular issue.

Geographic Bachelor Project B for Erasmus Students, 5 ECTS

Geographic Master's Project B for Erasmus Students, 5 ECTS

English for Erasmus Students, 5 ECTS

Czech for Foreigners 1, 4 ECTS, Autumn/Spring semester

Czech for Foreigners 2, 4 ECTS, Autumn/Spring semester

The aim of the course is to offer foreign university students an opportunity to improve and develop their knowledge of Czech language. A good knowledge of basic Czech grammar (e.g. gender, present and past tenses, numerals, adverbs, nominative and accusative forms of nouns and adjectives) is considered the starting point of this course, and this level of knowledge will be essential in order for the students to undertake the course. All students will take a test on basic grammar and vocabulary at the start of the semester, and those who will fail will be transferred to the group for beginners. This course is not intended for beginners!

Updated: 08. 11. 2017