Ausgehend vom Berufsbild des Architekten und der Architektin, das sich seit der Renaissance als eigenständige Fachdisziplin aus dem Handwerk der Baumeister entwickelt hat, hinterfragt das Essential-Modul die Definitionen und die Bedeutungen der Architektur und des Bauens in den unterschiedlichen Epochen und Kulturen, wobei ein Schwerpunkt auf den europäischen Kontext gelegt wird.
Disziplinarische und interdisziplinarische Aspekte und Fragen werden im Unterricht vor allem chronologisch aber auch thematisch als baukulturelle Ereignisse im Kontext einer Region, einer Gesellschaft und einem Zeit-geist erforscht und vermittelt. Dafür werden kanonische Architekturbeispiele aus unterschiedlichen Perspekti-ven gelesen und analysieren.
Architektur kann nicht ausserhalb eines historischen und kulturellen Systems gedacht werden. Die Rolle der Architektur innerhalb dieses Systems soll analysiert und vermittelt werden. Es geht um Einblicke in die Entwick-lung der Ideen, Motivationen und Perspektiven von Gesellschaften und Akteuren, die die Raumproduktion be-einflusst haben und noch immer prägen. Die unterschiedlichen Themen und Beispiele werden somit als mögliche "historisch kontextualisierte" und gleichzeitig "durchgehend gültige" Werkzeuge in den Händen entwerfen-der Architektinnen und Architekten verstanden.
Am Ende des Moduls sollen die Studierenden als kritische Zeitgenossen fähig sein, das eigene und das Schaffen Anderer in einem historischen Kontext zu reflektieren sowie den kulturellen und politischen Wert der Ge-schichte im digitalen Zeitalter zu erkennen. Es gilt zudem, dieses Wissen und die Zusammenhänge diskursiv zu vermitteln und zu formulieren. Das Modul dient der anwendungsorientierten Horizonterweiterung durch Ver-mittlung und Aneignung von Wissen. Dem Instrument der Vorlesungen (und Exkursionen) können Übungen im Selbststudium gegenüberstehen.

Mögliche Methoden:
angeleitetes Praktikum, Experiment, Modell, Plan, Projek-tarbeit, Recherche, Reflexion, Skizze, Übung, Visualisie-rung, Diskurs, Exzerpieren, Foto, Zeichnung

Modulnote = Lehrveranstaltungsnote, die ermittelt wird aus:
Projektentwürfe, Präsentation mit Kritik, Mitarbeit im Unterricht; 70% Anwesenheitspflicht, prüfungsimmanent

Being able to think critically and reason well is a crucial skill in private and professional lives.
Universities, public policy makers, scientific theorists, business decision makers, or medical staff claim their findings are based on critical reasoning.
Therefore, students need to be able to critically assess arguments they encounter on the internet and across other media, as well as arguments put forward by people around them. Thus, it is expected of students to also present their own views to be rational and able to stand up to critical scrutiny.

This lecture provides a practical introduction to principles of good reasoning:
o Examples of both reasoning about facts and the reasoning required in making practical decisions are being defined, discussed and exercised.
o Risky inferences with probable conclusions from risk-free inferences with certain conclusions are being distinguished.
o Ways and means of spotting and avoiding common mistakes in reasoning and various misuses of language are being exemplified.
o No previous knowledge of critical reasoning and logic is needed.
o This course will be enjoyed by those who relish the challenge of thinking rationally and learning new skills.
o The skills and concepts taught will also be useful when studying other areas of interest to students.

o Content of this course will presented in an interactive way, using best practice examples, exercises and games.
o Students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in class discussions and group work.
o To consolidate their understanding of the subject, students will be assigned further exercises.
o Inquiry, exploration, discussion, and debate

Students will know about and be able to discuss and answer the following topics and questions:
o What is reasoning?
o What is critical thinking?
o What is a logical argument?
o How do I recognize an argument and what is the nature of an argument?
o What different types of arguments are there (certainty vs. probability)?
o How do I identify and analyze arguments and how do I set arguments out to make them easier to evaluate?
o How do I evaluate arguments?
o How do I tell whether an argument is good or bad (inductive, deductive, time-deductive reasoning)?
o How do I distinguish arguments from conditionals, explanations and rhetoric?
o When do arguments rely on hidden premises?
o What are you entitled to use as a premise in your reasoning?
o When is it appropriate to believe what others tell you?

Will be provided via Moodle

Attendance: 80%
Assessment is based on:
o homework assignments completed during the course
o one longer assignment at the end of the course, consisting of a set of exercises.
o Small group tasks tied to reading
o Activities connected to questions, problems, and reading material
o In-class writing that's exploratory and/or writing-to-learn
o Formal writing assignments supported by explicit instruction, drafts, and revision

Grading

Performance Record A: Classroom Activity
Performance Record B: Portfolio

Attendance: min. 80%

Everybody is talking about the media. The word is that traditional mass media are dying out while new digital media are about to revolutionize modern society. But what are "the media"? Instead of reviewing what media scholars wrote on this question, we will try to give answers by inquiring into our everyday life: What do you personally regard as a media experience? Who or what plays a role in this course of action? How are these human and non-human actors connected with each other? To which demand is the media experience responding? And what might an alternative response be? By closely describing and mapping events in their daily lives, the students will not only get to know main concepts of actor-network theory, but also develop creative skills along the lines of critical cartography.

• Close reading
• Teamwork
• Presentations
• Individual projects

• Exploration of mapping and cartography
• Introduction into the sociology of actor-network theory
• Encouragement of critical thinking
• Experiments with graphical representations

• Exploration of mapping and cartography
• Introduction into the sociology of actor-network theory
• Encouragement of critical thinking
• Experiments with graphical representations

Grading

Assessment tasks:
Attendance and participation (20%)
Reading and debating in groups (20%)
Presentations of individual projects (20%)
Final project in the form of a blog (40%)

Compulsory attendance (min. 80%)

Grading

• Course based on continuous assessment, details see under "assessment".
• Meeting attendance obligations is an essential pre-requisite for successfully completing a course based on continuous assessment.
• Attendance must be proven for at least 80% of the stipulated contact time. Responsibility for checking and providing written proof of this obligatory attendance lies with the course lecturer who is required to store this information at least until the end of the semester.
• In the case of absenteeism that exceeds the specified limits of absence, a medical certificate is required. Responsibility lies with the head of the Coordination Office for Cross-Faculty Elective Subjects to approve the reason for the student's failure to attend.
• Participation in other activities of the university are not recognized as an excused absence.

Cross-faculty elective subject:
Notice the special Multi-stage allocation process.

Human rights play a central role in world affairs. As moral, legal, and political norms and standards, human rights are meant to protect individuals' and groups' fundamental rights and freedoms. Yet, human rights are constantly contested not only as a concept, but also as guidelines to address practical issues. Hence, this lecture, "Philosophy of Human Rights", is divided into two main parts:
In the first part, we'll be looking into the following philosophical questions about human rights:
- What are human rights? What are their foundations? How do human rights relate to the individual, society, and world order?
In the second part, we'll be investigating four topics in which the exercise of human rights faces complex challenges:
- Human rights and culture: are human rights "universal"? Can/should human rights comply with specific cultural demands?
- Human rights and freedom of movement: how to understand the right to freedom of movement in the context of immigration debates and the recent Covid-crisis?
- Human rights and business: Should multinational enterprises comply with human rights?
- Human rights and security: in contexts like terrorism, many states chose security at the expenses of freedom and privacy. How to justify such decisions, especially in light of the right to security?
Although this course will focus on the philosophical aspects of human rights, it will also try to shed light on the interconnections between philosophy, law and politics.

Presentations, reading assignments, discussions and a written examination

Participants will be able to:

• Describe and familiarize with important theoretical (philosophical) and practical (legal and political) aspects of human rights.
• Understand the differences and the complementarity between the perspectives on human rights
• Relate the theoretical and practical conceptions of human rights to relevant contemporary debates
• Formulate their personal opinions about human rights.
• Develop critical thinking.

• Acquire knowledge on philosophy in general and on core philosophical issues in particular;
• Familiarize with theories of some major past and contemporary philosophers, mainly in the areas of ethics, aesthetics, and epistemology.
• Understand how philosophical-theoretical insights can be used to address practical and concrete life situations;
• Acquire skills necessary to read and write philosophical works
• Develop critical thinking

Written examination: Essay

Essay exam (2500 - 3000 words, specific criteria will follow)

Please sign in for the exam at the latest on 04.12.2020. Sign in for the lecture series and the examination separately.

The topics for the Essay will be announced on the 07.12.2020.
Deadline to hand-in your Essay is 11.01.2021 at 23:55.
There will be one repeat testing date - if requested - in Summer Semester 2021

Grading

• Written examination: Essay

Essay exam (2500 - 3000 words, specific criteria will follow)

Please sign in for the exam at the latest on 04.12.2020. Sign in for the lecture series and the examination separately.

The topics for the Essay will be announced on the 07.12.2020.
Deadline to hand-in your Essay is 11.01.2021 at 23:55.
There will be one repeat testing date - if requested - in Summer Semester 2021

Cross-faculty elective subject:
Notice the special Multi-stage allocation process.

Was ist Macht? Wer hat sie? Wo wirkt sie in unserer Gesellschaft? Wann ist Macht gut oder schlecht? Wie können wir mit ihr umgehen? - In diesem experimentell-praktischen Workshop erarbeiten wir mit ausgewählten philosophischen Texten (Michel Foucault, Hannah Arendt, Martin Saar, Daniel Häni) sowie Film- und Romanausschnitten ein kleines Panoptikum der Macht: von der Macht der Normen und Regeln, der Macht von Räumen, Organisationen und Führungsstrukturen bis zur Macht in Politik und privatem Alltag. Ein besonderer Akzent liegt dabei auf der praktischen Auseinandersetzung mit Theater: Das politische Stück FARRAGUT NORTH des us-amerikanischen Autors Beau Willimon dient als Material für kleine szenische Studien, in denen wir uns mit den emotionalen, körperlichen und räumlichen Dimensionen von Macht auseinandersetzen.

Das Seminar kooperiert mit Jan Sellke vom TAK Liechtenstein: Ein Besuch der Aufführung von FARRAGUT NORTH sowie Gespräche mit dem Produktionsteam sind fester Bestandteil des Seminars.

Es handelt sich um einen Workshop mit Methoden-Mix: Erarbeitung und Diskussion von Texten, kleinere Schreibaufträge, praktische Theaterübungen.
Der gemeinsame Theaterbesuch am TAK ist fester Bestandteil des Seminars.

Das Seminar gibt den Studierenden einen praktischen Überblick in die Theorie der Macht.
Es bietet eine Einführung in philosophisches Denken und das Theater als Ort praktischer Reflexion.

Die Studierenden …
- lernen philosophische Texte kritisch zu lesen und gemeinsam zu diskutieren
- erproben die Diskussion und Interpretation von Theaterinszenierungen beispielhaft für mediale gesellschaftliche Kritik und Reflexion

Ein Reader mit den ausgewählten philosophischen Texten wird zur Verfügung gestellt.

Benotung

Prüfungsmodus:
Teilleistung A: Diskussion
Teilleistung B: Gruppenarbeit
Anwesenheitspflicht: 80%, aber verpflichtend

Der Besuch der Generalprobe oder ggf. alternativ (in Absprache mit den Studierenden) der Premiere der Aufführung von "Farragut North" ist obligatorisch. Für den Besuch der Aufführung ist ein Eigenbeitrag von CHF 10 zu leisten.

Benotung

Prüfungsmodus:
Teilleistung A: Diskussion
Teilleistung B: Gruppenarbeit
Anwesenheitspflicht: 80%, aber verpflichtend

Der Besuch der Generalprobe oder ggf. alternativ (in Absprache mit den Studierenden) der Premiere der Aufführung von "Farragut North" ist obligatorisch. Für den Besuch der Aufführung ist ein Eigenbeitrag von CHF 10 zu leisten.

Cross-faculty elective subject:
Notice the special Multi-stage allocation process.

In diesem Seminar werden wir lesen, darüber diskutieren, uns mit Romanen, Romanverfilmungen und Erzählungen auseinandersetzen, und uns dabei von den Grundgedanken des shared reading leiten lassen, indem wir die Wirkung von Literatur erleben, die hilft, uns selbst und andere klarer zu sehen. Lesen - und hier ist ausdrücklich das Lesen von Literatur gemeint - fördert Empathie, unsere soziale Kompetenz, ein Fakt der durch die Leseforschung belegt ist.
Die Universität ist seit je ein Ort der Bildung, nicht bloss der Ausbildung, und dazu gehört die individuelle Verantwortung für sich und andere Menschen, Menschen, die von der Wohlfahrt vergessen werden. Die Krise zeigt es, Werte rücken in den Vordergrund, die vorher nebensächlich erschienen. Empathie ist das Schlagwort der Gegenwart, die Fähigkeit, den emotionalen Zustand oder Kontext einer anderen Person zu verstehen, dazu gehört auch aus dieser Erkenntnis Konsequenzen für das eigene Handeln abzuleiten.

Vorwiegend interaktiv, Lesungen, Filme, Diskussionen, Erstellung von Visualisierungen

Die Studierenden
- wissen, was Empathie ist und was sie leistet
- nähern sich dem Phänomen interdisziplinär (Literatur, Psychologie, Pädagogik)
- stellen Verbindungen zwischen individueller und kollektiver Ebene her
- setzen sich mit ihrer eigenen Empathiefähigkeit auseinander und
- trainieren diese durch lesen, diskutieren und reflektieren
- werden für die Thematik sensibilisiert und schaffen Bezüge zum eigenen Fachbereich

Werden im Verlauf des Moduls bereitgestellt.

• Die geforderten Leistungsnachweise werden entsprechend der unter "Beurteilung" aufgeführten Modalitäten ausgestellt.
• Bei prüfungsimmanenten Lehrveranstaltungen besteht grundsätzlich Anwesenheitspflicht.
• Die Erfüllung der Anwesenheitspflicht ist eine notwendige Voraussetzung für den positiven Abschluss einer prüfungsimmanenten Lehrveranstaltung.
• Die Anwesenheit muss für mind. 80% der Kontaktzeiten nachgewiesen werden.
• Die Überprüfung und schriftliche Dokumentation der Anwesenheitspflicht obliegt dem/der jeweiligen Dozierenden, der/die diese zumindest bis zum Abschluss des Semesters aufbewahrt.
• Für Fehlzeiten, die über die definierten Abwesenheiten hinausgehen, gilt Attestpflicht.

Es obliegt der Leitung der Koordinationsstelle für fakultätsübergreifende Wahlfächer den Versäumnisgrund zu genehmigen.
Der Besuch einer anderen Veranstaltung der Universität gilt nicht als entschuldigte Abwesenheit.

Benotung

Teilleistung A: aktive Mitarbeit, Visualisierungen 50 %
Teilleistung B: Essay 50 %
……
Anwesenheitspflicht: 80%, aber verpflichtend

Effective communication requires generosity. By contrast, a "competitive" atmosphere - where ideas are shut down, and where each person attempts to block the other or seeks to raise their profile at the cost of the others - is enemy number one for successful communication. Trust can be created when people are free to assume that their ideas and opinions will be given a ready ear, will be taken seriously, and that others may pick up the ideas so that innovation may occur. The "yes, and" principle is, therefore, one key to successful communication, teamwork and innovation.
Of paramount importance for every communication and presentation is also the personality of the speaker, which can create an atmosphere of trust and real interest. Body language plays a very important part and, very often, is used only unconsciously. Usually, "Status" is connected with a certain position or power, which someone enjoys in an organization or in society. However, in everyday life, we constantly play with our personal Status, which is somewhat independent from our professional Status. Everyone prefers a certain Status. By raising your own Status, you gain more authority and assertiveness. By lowering your own Status, thereby increasing the Status of someone else, you convey empathy and sympathy. Both raising and lowering your own Status are important and useful in different situations. Students will learn their preferred status and how to change it, when appropriate.
In this course, students will improve their communication and presentation skills, working with the methods of improvisational theater to also enhance their spontaneity, creativity and ability to deal with unknown situations.

• Presentations with feedback
• Group work
• Video recording
• Exercises from improvisational theater
• Role Playing

The participants

• professionalize their appearance and learn how to present their ideas using authentic voice, language and body language
• learn how to speak with presence and charisma
• get to know the basic principles of presentation techniques
• learn how to create inspiring stories using incidents from their lives - bringing personality and life into public speaking
• improve their ability to plan a public speech tailored to their audience
• develop strategies on dealing with difficult participants
• get to know the "yes and" principle as the key to successful communication, teamwork and innovation
• enhance their spontaneity, creativity and ability to deal with unknown situation

The participants

• will become familiar with the "yes and" principle as the key to successful communication, teamwork and innovation.
• professionalize their appearance and learn how to present their ideas using authentic voice, language and body language.
• sharpen their perception of non-verbal communication.
• learn more about their own status when communicating with other people, and learn to alter it as necessary
• develop strategies on dealing with difficult participants during communication and presentations.
• enhance their spontaneity, creativity and ability to deal with unknown situations.

will be announced in class

Grading

• Part A: Active participation during the course (50%)
• Part B: Reflection/analysis of the learnings in written and in oral form (50%)
• Part C: Compulsory attendance (min. 80%)

Grading

• Course based on continuous assessment.
• Meeting attendance obligations and active participation are an essential pre-requisite for successfully completing a course based on continuous assessment.
• Attendance must be proven for at least 80% of the stipulated contact time.
• In the case of absenteeism that exceeds the specified limits of absence, a medical certificate is required.
• Participation in other activities of the university are not recognized as an excused absence.

Cross-faculty elective subject:
Notice the special Multi-stage allocation process.

• Language concerns us all. It is important for our interpersonal exchange and for passing on information. However, language can be and is much more than that. By consciously using your language, you promote your entrepreneurial success and an appreciative corporate culture. Hence, the language of a company is always the language of its economic success.
• In this course, you will learn how to use language for your personal and entrepreneurial success using examples of everyday situations in professional as well as private life. Because as the saying goes "your ‚I can' is more important than your IQ".
• This focus on the benefits of a situation, expressed by a language of possibilities, as well as a certain set of attitudes and habits is the common denominator of highly successful and internationally acclaimed leaders in all fields, be it business, politics, sports, culture, etc.
• In times of widespread complexity, revolutionary transformation, and high uncertainty it takes working on yourself, on your inner core. The smartest leaders in the world focus inward in order to harness possibilities, discover new ways to - personal as well as professional - success, and find meaning and purpose in their lives.
• In this course, you will learn and train the most important tools of self-empowerment and self-mastery that distinguish highly successful people from people of mediocrity.

Methodological mix of input, reflection, group work, role play, …

Participants are able to …

• … experience the power of language, and understand and feel the specific, research-based effects of words, phrases, and sentence patterns
• … move from idioms that are exhausting and negative to language-patterns which are uplifting and beneficial
• … increase their personal presence and power of persuasion, advancing their positions and ideas
• … lead richer and more meaningful conversations through hearing what they're really saying and feeling what they actually mean
• … leave pressure and agitation behind, by strengthening their own strength and self
• … create a peaceful and constructive climate, professionally and privately
• … apply ways to make their thinking, confidence, and performance irresistible
• … immediately implement the most important, life-changing tools of self-empowerment
• … change their mindset to winning

• Course based on continuous assessment, details see under "assessment".
• Meeting attendance obligations is an essential pre-requisite for successfully completing a course based on continuous assessment.
• Attendance must be proven for at least 80% of the stipulated contact time. Responsibility for checking and providing written proof of this obligatory attendance lies with the course lecturer who is required to store this information at least until the end of the semester.
• In the case of absenteeism that exceeds the specified limits of absence, a medical certificate is required. Responsibility lies with the head of the Coordination Office for Cross-Faculty Elective Subjects to approve the reason for the student's failure to attend.
• Participation in other activities of the university are not recognized as an excused absence.

Grading

Assessment tasks:
Part A: (40%) - Attendance and active participation
Part B: (60%) - Presentation during last module
Compulsory attendance (min. 80%)

Management Information Systems focuses on large-scale application software packages that support end-to-end processes, information and document flow, reporting, and data analytics in organizational settings. The course covers eight primary topics:

• Enterprise applications
• E-business
• Managing knowledge
• Enhancing decision-making
• Building management information systems (MIS)
• Managing projects and global systems
• MIS-related integration, transformation, innovation, and change
• Case studies on current MIS topics

• The course involves interactive lectures with exercises to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical design and analysis skills.The e-learning platform Moodle is used throughout the course to disseminate course material and for information and discussion.Case studies are used to discuss the course contents and to train students in using the methods covered.

After successful completion of the course, students will:

• understand the fundamental concepts and definitions in the area of enterprise systems and know application systems like ERP, CRM, and SCM systems
• understand the role of management information systems in achieving sustainable competitive advantage and integrating processes along the value chain
• be able to assess the applicability of software solutions in various business scenarios using comprehensive evaluation schemes
• be able to identify the business problems that typically emerge in enterprise systems design and use

In the Innovation Lab seminar, students work in small groups to solve practical IT problems in cooperation with multiple regional companies. Representatives of these companies regularly provide students with feedback at the university and take part in networking events. The seminar thus also supports dialogue between regional industry and the university, helping students to interact with world-renowned companies right from the start of their studies. Students learn to work independently, to work in a team, to take responsibility, and to present project results effectively. In addition to creative thinking, the use of skills related to problem-solving, organizing and planning, communication, and project management is encouraged. Course topics change from semester to semester.

• The course involves interactive seminars with workshops and regular presentations.
• The faculty and a jury of representatives from regional companies evaluate the students' solutions in terms of their innovativeness and usefulness and provide them with feedback and advice.
• The e-learning platform Moodle is used throughout the course to disseminate course material and for information and discussion.

After successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• work in a team to solve contemporary IT problems
• plan and organize IT projects under time pressure in a competitive environment
• use creativity techniques and problem-solving tools to work on the IT projects
• think creatively to create innovative business and IT solutions
• look at IT problems from multiple perspectives and develop alternative solutions
• deliver professional presentations to a demanding audience

Students must attend at least 80% of all dates (i.e., class meetings, presentations, workshops) to pass the course.