Barcelona on Stage: Documentary Workshop (code: 59044) Group 1

This group is full

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.

IMPORTANT: An external hard device (at least 1Tb) is required for each student in order to preserve their recordings. Other necessary materials such as cameras, microphones, and cables will be provided. It should be noted that students are responsible for returning them in good condition and in due time at the end of the course. Any fault due to misuse and any missing unit will be charged proportionally to the members of the team which failed to comply with this requisite (More information at:https://guiesbibtic.upf.edu/prestec/audiovisual).

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

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Barcelona on Stage: Documentary Workshop (code: 59044) Group 2

This group is full

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.

IMPORTANT: An external hard device (at least 1Tb) is required for each student in order to preserve their recordings. Other necessary materials such as cameras, microphones, and cables will be provided. It should be noted that students are responsible for returning them in good condition and in due time at the end of the course. Any fault due to misuse and any missing unit will be charged proportionally to the members of the team which failed to comply with this requisite (More information at:https://guiesbibtic.upf.edu/prestec/audiovisual).

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) Group 1

These last years have definitely helped in modifying the order of priorities in global agendas. Green and digital transitions, rising populisms and increasing inequalities, the recovery from Covid-19 pandemic are among the most urgent issues. The explosion of the COVID-19 in March 2020 - and its abrupt diffusion all across the globe – for example, 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. 

This 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 have Covid-19 crisis impacted 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 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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Brexit, EU and Global World: Current Challenges in European Politics and Society (code: 59039) Group 2

These last years have definitely helped in modifying the order of priorities in global agendas. Green and digital transitions, rising populisms and increasing inequalities, the recovery from Covid-19 pandemic are among the most urgent issues. The explosion of the COVID-19 in March 2020 - and its abrupt diffusion all across the globe – for example, 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. 

This 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 have Covid-19 crisis impacted 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 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 59103)-Group 1

This group is full

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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Culture and Business: Spain’s Top Brands (code 59103)-Group 2

*Activities outside the classroom will be jointly organized within the first group schedule (12h to 14:15h). Please be aware that on the specific days designated for joint outdoor activities, Group 2 will not have a session on their regular schedule. Specific details and dates of these activities will be shared with all students on the first day of lessons.

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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Modern Statistical Computing (codes: 59094/59107/26465/26463)

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 26465 for ECO/ADE/students and 26463 for IBE students (both 5 ECTS). The rest of the UPF students must register in this course with the code 59107(5 ECTS). Non UPF students must register with BISS code 59094(6 ECTS).

Statistical computing is a highly sought-after analytical data analysis skill both in professional and research environments. This course presents modern graphical displays and data manipulation methods, interactive and reproducible reporting, emphasizing statistical methods and computation related to regression and classification methods such as linear, generalized linear and non-linear models. The concepts are introduced in R (https://www.rproject.org) one of the leading programming languages for statistical computing. Knowledge of R is highly-valued by companies in many sectors for positions related to data science, quantitative analysis or finance. R is also an indispensable tool in most research fields, including Economics, Finance, Marketing, Biomedicine, etc. R provides a rich set of off-theshelf data analysis tools, and the possibility to design our own data processing and analyses. R runs in all operating systems (Windows, Mac, Unix-like) and is a free open-source language that is enhanced by an extensive list of user-contributed packages. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to statistical computing, including flexible regression data analysis methods, and to advanced R skills. The idea is that students learn by doing. Therefore, there is a strong applied emphasis, all concepts are driven by examples discussed in class, where students are given the code to reproduce them. Students will become skilled in applications of elementary statistical methods, with an emphasis on data exploration, graphics and programming. Focus will also be placed on opportunities to enhance the learning experience in other statistical courses.

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

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Pantallas españolas: antología de relatos audiovisuales contemporáneos (code:59076)

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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