A Brief Archaeology of (some) Western Myths (Code:59091)

The course critically examines and discusses key concepts and values that have conformed the so-called Western world and are still operating in full force in our everyday life as individuals and members of a community: political, social and otherwise. Focusing on the study of  long-lived terms invested with honour and prestige through the centuries, such as republic (res publica), citizen (ciuis, polites), freedom (libertas), passion (pathos), love (eros), reason (logos), violence (hybris), order (cosmos), empire (imperium), beauty (forma), excellence (aristeia) etc., the course explores the circumstances of their birth in the Greco-Roman world, their original meaning and function, and what they have become as we perceive them today, when they are essential to our lives and to our ideals; that is, the way we think things should be. The topics are arranged around five traits that would easily be agreed upon to define what we call the Western values by a vast majority of people, but in itself this very arrangement will set the ground for reflection and discussion, from a synchronic and a diachronic perspective, encouraging critical analysis of both old and new.

Keywords: Western identity, Greco-Roman Literature, Ancient History, Ancient Thought, Cultural History

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Barcelona on Stage: Documentary Workshop (code: 59044)

The goal of this course is to provide students with an introduction to documentary film making. Special attention will be given to the renewal of the Spanish and the Catalan film scene in the last 15 years. 

The course consists of both theoretical and practical sessions. During lecture classes the professor will present the history of Spanish and Catalan Documentary and will set the theoretical basis for the production of a Documentary. 

During practical sessions students will develop a project of a documentary where they can express their particular way of seeing the Spanish reality. Students will work in small teams to produce a 15 minute film, from the conception of the idea to the final editing, including the writing of the script and the shooting.

Keywords: Barcelona, film making, documentary, contemporary documentaries, global cities, applied thinking

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Brexit, EU and Global World: Current Challenges in European Politics and Society (code: 59039)

The Covid-19 crisis has laid bare the fragilities of our national economies and societies and it will probably bring about irreversible structural changes for our communities. The explosion of the COVID-19 in March 2020 - and its abrupt diffusion all across the globe - have powerfully demonstrated the urgent need for improving global governance mechanisms and coordination among governments. The opportunity is now upon policy-makers and stakeholders to make the aftermath of the pandemic a reformation and transformative moment for a new kind of public policies and politics. 

The course aims at providing a critical overview on the current challenges that national democracies will have to face in the next years. Social inequalities, global pandemic, gender equality, migrations, climate change and sustainability, the rise of nationalism(s) and populism(s) are some of these tremendous challenges. How can national governments (and cities) provide adequate answers and effective policies to citizens? How will Covid-19 crisis impact on already existing strategies and global Agenda (Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, Habitat III and the New Urban Agenda)? How does globalization affect public policies and what can governments do? 

By applying a plural and interdisciplinary approach, the course combines analytical tools and categories stemming from political science, international relations, economics, European Integration studies, public policies and development economics. The course focusses on the analysis and the understanding of how political and societal actors do play a role in the definition and implementation of effective and legitimated public policies. By providing critical tools for understanding complex phenomena (such as the European integration process, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the challenges of global governance, etc…) the course aims at preparing students as informed citizens and lifelong learners who care and act for the future of the planet and humanity. 

Keywords: Global governance, globalization, 2030 Agenda, Europe, Spain, society, governments, institutions, Covid-19

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Culture and Business: Spain’s Top Brands (code 59092)

The course analyses the historical, political, business, social and anthropological elements at work in the “import” and “export” of the Spain brand and its assets, as well as in the review of Spain’s main industries and businesses, leveraging the legacy and the opportunities that are at stake in recent and immediate contemporary contexts. The goal of the course is a descriptive and critical reflection on the notion of Spanish brands and their equity exploits across the globe; their distinctive traits, the diversity of mixed cultures, identities and realities the country portrays and how the communications world has shaped and can still shape the competitiveness of the potential and capabilities at hand. The course questions Spain’s unique attributes; moreover it aims at debating around the symbols and the strategic brand discourses of Spanish businesses and institutions. The course is best suitable for advertising, public relations and communications students, as well as for humanities, business and economics and political sciences majors.

Keywords: Spain, Spanish identity, "Spanish-ness", identities, historical and cultural processes, beyond disciplines

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Current Ethical and Legal Challenges in Sport (code: 59097)

Sport has acquired in the last decades of the last century and the early years of XXI an extraordinary importance. It can be said that sport has suffer a deep transformation from a merely marginal activity that it only interested fans and sports institutions, to a more than relevant presence in all media. Certainly sports news today occupy more than half the space of radio and television news programs around the world and its presence in written newspapers has increased significantly.

There are, however, several aspects of sport that lead us to exciting challenges and that urgently need to be examined and solved since they are not only of interest to the sports world itself, but also to society as a whole. In this sense, the course aims to address in a practical way such debated issues as doping, violence, racial discrimination, the impact of technology, the incardination of transgender athletes, the limitation of certain fundamental rights, sports nationalism, e-sports, match-fixing and legal and illegal bets or the transformation of sport due to big data.

Keywords: Ethics, Sport, Law, Philosophy, covid-19, Sociology, Beyond Disciplines

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Derechos humanos en el siglo XXI (code: 59080)

El curso está dirigido a personas interesadas en el derecho internacional y en los Derechos Humanos.

El objetivo del curso es aproximar el régimen internacional de los Derechos Humanos a los alumnos, utilizando medios no académicos, tales como la literatura (novelas y cómics), audiovisuales (películas, documentales, y podcast) y métodos de debate interactivo (moot court) para ilustrar el origen, contenido y retos futuros del sistema internacional de protección de los derechos humanos, así como del derecho penal internacional.

La asignatura tiene un enfoque muy práctico, tratando de visualizar y llevar a la práctica nuevos métodos de enseñanza del derecho, aplicados a la enseñanza e investigación de los Derechos Humanos.   

Keywords: derecho internacional de los derechos humanos, derecho de la Unión Europea, derecho penal internacional, derecho de la navegación aérea, derecho constitucional de las Naciones Unidas, beyond disciplines

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Ecosistema Google y marketing digital (code: 59057)

La asignatura está centrada en el buscador Google y en su plataforma de publicidad online Google Ads. La asignatura tiene como objetivo entender el ecosistema digital de Google a través del estudio del funcionamiento de los buscadores (indexación de páginas y ordenación de resultados) y de la composición de las páginas de resultados del buscador. A partir de la distinción entre resultados orgánicos (SEO) y patrocinados (SEM) el curso incidirá en ambas especialidades.

Durante la primera setmana se tratará la optimización de resultados orgánicos (SEO) y se realizarán análisis de sitios web mediante las herramientas de auditoría de calidad web y de posicionamiento en buscadores. Esta sección se ejemplificará a través de la creación de un blog de curso donde se aplicarán las herramientas de analítica web. De forma individual los alumnos llevará a cabo el mapeado de un nicho de búsqueda identificando los sitios web más relevantes de una temática y/o sector. La segunda setmana se centrará en el funcionamiento de las herramientas de analítica de Google (Google Analytics y Search Console) y de la plataforma de anuncios patrocinados Adwords. El curso se cerrará una con visión general de las tendencias presentes y futuras del marketing digital en base a los informes Hype Cycle de Gartner.

Keywords: Google, SEO, SEM, marketing digital, web mapping, analítica web, applied thinking

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Formas de ensayo audiovisual (code: 59066)

A partir de la figura central del padre de la iconología, Aby Warburg, y de la inscripción del estudio de la imagen en un marco más amplio, la “ciencia de la cultura”, el curso plantea un acercamiento dinámico a las metodologías del pensamiento en imágenes y el ensayo visual. El curso pretende hacer del pensamiento en imágenes una forma transdisciplinar de abordar otros campos expresivos y formas de reflexión.

Por una parte, se trata de acercarse a la creación de imágenes desde el gesto y en función de las lógicas del corte, el montaje y la yuxtaposición. Por otra, y de acuerdo con una metodología de proyecto, se trata de activar la idea de una imagen capaz de provocar choques sobre las otras imágenes para estimular una lógica creativa fundamentada en el control de las supervivencias de la imagen, en su dimensión gestual  y en las fórmulas afectivas de pathos.

Cada sesión del curso, conforme a un doble eje teórico y práctico, intenta proporcionar herramientas para explorar las posibilidades de escritura que ofrece el ensayo visual –ritmo, tensión, continuidad, yuxtaposición, utilización de la voz y del texto-, al mismo tiempo que invita a abordar otras formas visuales contemporáneas –cine, ficción televisiva, instalaciones artísticas, cómic, videoclip, apps-, de manera arqueológica: a través del pensar háptico que ofrece el montaje, el ensayo visual se convierte en un modo de explorar supervivencias pictóricas, escultóricas, literarias y coreográficas.

El gesto, la danza, los ritmos del cuerpo, la temporalidad, el marco, la secuencia o las formas epistolares son algunos de los caminos a través de los que se trata de preguntarse ¿En qué piensan las imágenes contemporáneas?¿Cómo nos piensan las imágenes que vemos? ¿Qué sucede en el observador?¿Cómo nos podemos acercar a la vida en movimiento de las imágenes para tratar de desvelar otras maneras de pensar?

Keywords: Cine comparado, estudio del cómic y la narrativa secuencial, narrativas transmedia, intertextualidad, applied thinking, beyond disciplines

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Gender, Power and Violence (Code: 59038)

How the representation of gender-based violence (GBV) on the screen is linked to the public and private sphere? What level of responsibility have audiovisual creators on maintaining or rather breaking these connections? Is it possible to rethink gender inequality by opening an audiovisual space where new gender relationships can exist far away from the notions of power and violence?.The Mee Too era has opened windows to the representation of the GBV on the screen. Nowadays, we can find audiovisual proposals, in film and television, which explore the complexity of GBV from an intersectional point of view and reflect on the wide range of violences existing around the notion of power. At the same time, these proposals focus on the victims experience trying to avoid stereotypes and their re-victimization, and making their voices being heard and hopefully understood.This course examines GBV representations in film an TV series from unconscious and homogeneous proposals linked to patriarchal gazes until conscious and complex proposals linked to feminist gazes. At the same time, this course proposes a space of creativity in which students are meant to reflect about the possibilities of the audiovisual language to rethink and reimagine gender relationships.

Keywords: Gender-based violence, inequality, power, patriarchy, intersectionality

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Health Inequalities: Understanding our Worse Epidemic (code: 59067)

Why do low-income countries, regions and neighborhoods have a much lower life expectancy than high-income areas? Why less favored social groups have worse health than better-off groups? Why some populations enjoy better health than others? How and why has been the impact of the covid-19 pandemic? What can be done to improve this situation? According to the hegemonic biomedical approach, the main reasons for the production of health are biology and genetics, unhealthy life-styles, and deficiencies in the access and use of health services. Available knowledge however shows that other factors play a significant role. First, because political and social determinants (e.g., power relations, social policies, poverty, work, housing, etc.) have a larger effect on health, and quality of life. And second, because these determinants are strongly related to axes of inequality such as social class, gender, ethnic origin, migration status and territory. Using a transdisciplinary integrated approach, this course introduces the student to the characteristics, causes, and potential solutions of health inequalities, which is a key indicator of justice and quality of life. 

Keywords: Public Health, health inequalities, covid-19, beyond disciplines

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Justicia global y desarrollo sostenible (code: 59047)

La crisis global actual originada por el nuevo coronavirus se une a una crisis ecológica que en los últimos meses ha llevado a declaraciones de emergencia climática desde diferentes gobiernos e instituciones. Las dos crisis tienen causas comunas y eso ha llevado a plantear ya análisis y reflexiones para superar el Covid-19 y sus consecuencias sin volver a una normalidad que es parte del problema. El objetivo de la sostenibilidad puede ser la respuesta a las dos crisis. En 2015 se aprobó la Agenda 2030 de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Sostenible y los 17 Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) son los que guían su implementación. Las temáticas que abordan estos objetivos son muchas y diversas: la pobreza, el hambre, la paz, la salud, la educación, las desigualdades, la igualdad de género, la prosperidad económica, la protección del planeta, la lucha contra el cambio climático, las ciudades y los territorios, la energía, el consumo y la producción sostenibles... La universidad, desde la docencia, la investigación y la divulgación es un espacio decisivo para poder alcanzarlos y pensarlos críticamente activando las diferentes áreas de conocimiento implicadas. La crisis ecológica y social que vivimos, y la pandemia, son grandes desafíos que demandan respuestas justas y sostenibles. El curso se fundamenta en el conocimiento transversal que es necesario para enfrentar estos retos y la interdisciplinariedad para poder hacer posible el trabajo conjunto.

Keywords: ética, moral, justicia global, sostenibilidad, política, democracia, derecho, economía, medicina, comunicación, mercado laboral, global cities, covid-19, beyond disciplines

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La creación de narrativas audiovisuales para transmitir ideas y emociones (code: 59101)

Este curso tiene un carácter muy práctico y enseña formas de crear y montar historias narrativas y reflexivas con imágenes y sonidos. Hoy en día vivimos rodeados de imágenes. No solo las vemos en el cine o las plataformas digitales, sino que internet es un archivo inagotable, y también las grabamos con el móvil, creamos nuestros álbumes personales, o las enviamos o compartimos en las redes. En formato de taller y a través de prácticas que no requieren un conocimiento especializado previo, veremos y descubriremos cómo se idean y construyen en el ámbito audiovisual las ideas expresivas y las emociones. Durante las sesiones los participantes editarán secuencias y piezas propias a partir de material proporcionado –películas de ficción, documentales y ensayos-. Mediante estas prácticas, se desarrollará el pensamiento visual para crear historias y para reflexionar sobre la propia visión del mundo y (auto)representación a través de las imágenes. De este modo, se aprenderá y practicará el proceso de escritura y montaje de imágenes, palabras, sonidos y músicas: expresión del punto de vista y de las subjetividades, creación de personajes, ritmos y asociaciones musicales y poéticos, etc. El objetivo es adquirir herramientas expresivas para crear imágenes –de cine, series, redes o plataformas digitales-, capaces de comunicar ideas y generar resonancias y vivencias emocionales en los espectadores.

Keywords: applied thinking, beyond disciplines

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Law and Economics-Why should we obey? (Code: 59068)

The course objective is to analyze the incentives created by laws and legal institutions, as well as their implications for economic activity in a globalized world. Microeconomic models will be used to conduct positive and normative analysis of certain legal rules and complement the analysis with real case studies. The course offers to help them use the knowledge they have in their professional and private lives.

Keywords: Law and Economics, Incentives, Shareholder Primacy, The Role of Corporations,
economic analysis of law

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Modern Statistical Computing in R (codes: 59041/59089/23630/23637)

Please note: Students at the UPF School of Economics and Business must register in this course as part of their regular degree plans with code 23630 for ECO/ADE/EMP students and 23637 for IBE students (5 ECTS). The rest of the UPF students must register in this course with the code 59089 (5 ECTS). Non UPF students must register with BISS code 59041(6 ECTS).

Over the recent years, R has become the leading software tool for statistical computing and graphics. The software is greatly enhanced by numerous contributed packages submitted by users. The majority of computing in the leading applied statistical journals is done in R, and R is used almost exclusively in some of the leading-edge applications, such as in genetics and data mining. The purpose of this course is to set a foundation for full exploitation and creative use of the statistical language for computing and graphics R. The course introduces students to the syntax and inner workings of R, to become proficient in everyday computational tasks with datasets of all kinds, skilled in applications of elementary statistical methods, with emphasis on (initial) data exploration and simple graphics. Focus is also placed on opportunities to enhance the learning experience in other statistical courses by illustrating and applying basic statistical concepts in R.

Keywords: R, statistics, methodology, statistical computing, statistical methods, methods in action

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Oral Communication for Students (Code: 59095)

The most recent curricular parameters reflect the importance of oral communication skills amongst students, who must become competent public speakers. A substantial portion of the time students spend working is devoted to public presentations, in which they must present and explain their academic projects. Mastery of oral communication skills is thus essential to these professionals for effectively delivering these public presentations.

Keywords: Public presentation, Rhetorical devices, Non-verbal Communication, Visual suport

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Pantallas españolas: antología de relatos audiovisuales contemporáneos (code:59100)

El curso ofrece un estado de la cuestión del audiovisual español contemporáneo a través de una mirada pluridisciplinar a través de distintos media: cine, ficción televisiva, tele-realidad o videoclip, entre otros. Por un lado, se abordan aquellas propuestas audiovisuales que destacan por su valor artístico y por su capacidad de actualizar imágenes que forman parte del imaginario y la tradición españoles.

Por otro lado, se abordan aquellas propuestas que tienen la capacidad para reflejar los rasgos más destacables de la realidad y la cultura española contemporáneas. Las diferentes sesiones del curso exponen distintos estudios de caso donde el material audiovisual sirve de reflexión y análisis acerca de un tema determinado como: el cine de Pedro Almodóvar y las nuevas identidades de género, el cine de Álex de la Iglesia y las nuevas formas del esperpento español, Penélope Cruz y el diálogo entre lo nacional y transnacional, La casa de papel y los relatos de la crisis española, el documental de creación y los nuevos realismos o los videoclips de Rosalía y la nueva estética urbana.

Keywords: cine, cine español, cultura española, imaginario cultural, España, beyond disciplines, applied thinking

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Population Health and Well-Being consequences of Demographic Changes (Code: 59096)

Health and well-being consequences of demographic change are key challenges for research and innovation as they concern citizens’ health and have enormous economic implications and innovation opportunities (with equitable access to prevention, treatment and care throughout the life cycle).

Recent political and economic developments within Europe and global pressures related to population trends magnify the relevance of health and well-being and its impact on socioeconomic dynamics, as well as to the pressure that demographic changes such as population aging exert place on health systems and social safety nets.

This course examines population health and well-being consequences of demographic changes from an interdisciplinary approach, including sociological, demographic, economic and political science, particularly in developed countries. Professors will pay attention to the links between these demographic changes and social and public policies. 

This course provides a forum for students to explore contemporary issues in how demographic changes affect population health and well-being from both a theoretical and practical standpoint and using national and cross-national comparisons. Plus, the student will be involved in a novel discussion of ongoing controversies about the causes and effects of such demographic changes. The course will pay special attention to how health intersects with several sociodemographic (age, gender, …), economic (education, social class, …), and contextual (country, …) factors. Finally, the main demographic indicators will be deeply explained and discussed. 

Keywords: Health, Demography, Quality of Life, Social Determinants of Health, Aging, Cross-country perspective 

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Power and Passions: Barcelona through the Lens of History (code: 59071)

How did citizens work? What was the place of masters and apprentices within guilds? Who was in charge to supply wheat, meat or fish to town? Who was authorized to sell bread, vegetables and fruits? Were families organized in a strict or flexible way? What was happening if a wife was unloyal to her husband and vice versa? Which were the most popular parties and celebrations? Were Jews and Muslims religious ceremonies public and welcome? Who was allowed to prepare medicines? Drugs, tobacco, coffee, chocolate, were easily available or forbidden? Was it easy to play cards and other games? Even though Barcelona citizens were submitted to many legal, social and religious rules, did they manage to enjoy life?

In order to better understand history, we may make a double comparison: on one side, we may compare what happened 400 or 500 years ago with present times; on another side, we may compare Barcelona with other European towns.

The course will be based on some readings, a lot of in-class discussion and a visit at the permanent exhibition of the Born Cultural and Memory Center, close to the UPF.

Keywords: Modern Era, History of Political Institutions, Social History, Global Cities, beyond disciplines

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Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (code: 59031)

The world is faced with serious and complex social and environmental problems that require a deep understanding of the systems where they occur in order to find innovative solutions.  This course introduces students to the concepts, strategies and processes of social innovation and social change. We will examine the state of the world from a social economic perspective and learn how social innovation can help solve existing and future problems.  We will explore social entrepreneurship as the vehicle for social innovation and learn about its challenges and opportunities. We will learn that innovation and entrepreneurship require a mentality that is not deterministic, in order to deal with the uncertainty and complexity. 

Keywords: innovation, systems thinking, complexity science, entrepreneurship, social development, covid-19, applied thinking, beyond disciplines

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The Artistic Brain: Biology and Computation behind Music (code: 59099)

Science and art are rooted in our perception of the world. The course is aimed at exploring the biology of perception and its implications on how we experience works of art. It is a discussion on beauty and the brain, a discussion on the history of breakthroughs in painting and on the nature of the irresistible attraction of music for humans. The course starts with a general overview of how our senses build up a representation of the world, with particular reference to the visual and auditory systems. We shall discuss the biology underlying great painters’ achievement of the conquest of space and movement on a canvas. Then we do a parallel exercise with music, looking at the biological and evolutionary roots

Keywords: neurosciences, computation, art, music, painting, creativity, aesthetics, applied thinking, beyond disciplines

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Time: Human Views on the Progress of Existence (code: 59027)

The concept of time is deeply ingrained within the human mind. We experience the passage of time innately, and feel a natural difference between the past, the present, and the future. Yet, some of the descriptions of the universe that science offers us provide no reasons for which the past and the future should be different, and in some others the need for the concept of time itself is not at all evident. This course aims to present an overview of how time is understood by different sciences, in particular physics and biology, and how it relates to the way in which we humans experience the progress of existence. We will discuss concepts such as the arrow of time, the multiverse, embryonic development, and aging. The discussions will also refer to the view of time from the perspective of the arts, including literature, painting, and music. Finally, we will explore how we humans measure time, both with artificial devices that we have built over the last centuries, and with our own genes.

Keywords: Our changing views on time, the arrow of time, relativity, quantum mechanics, clocks and timekeeping, aging and development, magical realism

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Using Citizen Science to Fight Mosquitos (Code: 59087)

Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria place enormous burdens on individuals, families, and communities worldwide. To control these diseases, we need to know more about the mosquitos that transmit them, but traditional methods of mosquito surveillance are costly and often unable to keep up with rapidly spreading invasive species. What if we could learn about mosquitos from all of the people who they bite? This is where citizen science comes in. This course will introduce you to a growing field that is revolutionizing mosquito research and many other areas of science by bringing ordinary people into the scientific process. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on work that can be done from home, this course will use the problem of disease-vector mosquitoes to teach you how citizen science, disease ecology and statistics can be powerful tools for public health.

Keywords:Citizen Science, Disease-Vector Mosquitoes, Public Health, Ecology, Statistics

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Venus on the Screen (code: 59061)

Venus on the screen aims to delve into the processes of influence of advertising discourse and the effects that these messages have on society.
Starting from the key concepts of advertising language, the course will review different audiences and the impact of advertising strategies on them. For this, the assessment of elements such as memory, persuasion and attitudes towards advertising and advertising campaigns in audiovisual format will be applied. The theoretical sessions will be combined with practical exercises for analyzing and developing advertising campaigns based on critical thinking around the topics covered in class.

Keywords: Advertisment, psycho-social effects, specific audiences, consumers, beyond disciplines

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Workshop: Transmedia Narrative Design (code: 59022)

This workshop course introduces participants in the world of transmedia narratives.After a general introduction of the distinctive features of this kind of stories, the workshop presents a series of examples of transmedia storytelling experiences (fiction and non-fiction) to understand the logic behind this narrative strategy. During the workshop the participants will develop a transmedia narrative project working in groups of no more than three students. The project may be oriented to fiction or non-fiction narratives. The story to be expanded may be of own creation or it may be worked from an existing story (novel, videogame, film, comic, etc.). Each project should also include a strategy for encouraging and managing user-generated contents. The final objective of the workshop is to make participants "think in transmedia" and apply the basic principles of this narrative strategy.

Keywords: transmedia narrative, semiotics, narrative design, applied thinking, interdisciplinar, narrative theories.

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