Does the written word have a future? Some contemporary trends seem to suggest otherwise: the replacement of the novel first by movies and then video games as leading cultural form; the shift from text to audio and video in messenger apps and on social media platforms; a (related?) loss of concentration and focus; and sinking rates of functional literacy in many developed countries. And just a year after large language models such as ChatGPT arrived on the scene, artificial intelligence is already doing a lot of writing and reading for us. In this seminar we will take these trends not necessarily at face value, but as a starting point to explore the relationship between reading/writing, media and society from interdisciplinary and comparative perspectives. I invited colleagues in literature and psychology, book history and the history of computing to co-teach this seminar together with me. Together we will look at long-term trends related to various textual media, the evolution of technologies from the printing press to social media platforms, and the social contexts of reading and literacy in order to think about past, present, and future trajectories of textuality. <<Learning Goals>> After successfully completing this seminar, participants will be able to - identify and compare different conceptions of text, reading, writing and literacy - understand textuality as a complex social and cultural practice - analyze how textual practices are influenced by social and technological contexts - consider a range of interdisciplinary perspectives from social media studies, anthropology, history and science and technology studies on textuality - apply critical approaches on the relationship between text, media, and society to their own research as well as to reflections on future scenarios

How do our bodies produce speech sounds? How are the sounds of language represented in our minds? How can we visualize, analyze and quantify people's voices? This course introduces basic concepts in phonetics, the scientific study of speech sounds. Phonetics is at the crossroads of linguistics, psychology and physics. Its content will be relevant to students specializing in many fields, from music to engineering. For this introductory course, no previous knowledge is required. Learning phonetics can also promote the appreciation of the world's languages and of their diversity. This appreciation is a necessary step towards the protection the world's cultural heritage, the respect of linguistic rights and the social inclusion of linguistic minorities.

How do our bodies produce speech sounds? How are the sounds of language represented in our minds? How can we visualize, analyze and quantify people's voices? This course introduces basic concepts in phonetics, the scientific study of speech sounds. Phonetics is at the crossroads of linguistics, psychology and physics. Its content will be relevant to students specializing in many fields, from music to engineering. For this introductory course, no previous knowledge is required. Learning phonetics can also promote the appreciation of the world's languages and of their diversity. This appreciation is a necessary step towards the protection the world's cultural heritage, the respect of linguistic rights and the social inclusion of linguistic minorities.

This course explores the persistent challenge of gender-based data disparities and their far-reaching consequences for society. Across various domains, from health and education to economic participation and political representation, the lack of gender-disaggregated data hinders our ability to understand and address the unique needs and experiences of women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals. Throughout the course, students will engage in discussions, readings, and a hands-on project that involves analyzing publicly available gender-segregated data. This will allow them to develop a deep understanding of the gender data gap and its implications, as well as practical skills in data analysis, visualization, and policy advocacy. This class will be taught in English and students will be expected to speak in English and complete assignments in English.

This course explores the persistent challenge of gender-based data disparities and their far-reaching consequences for society. Across various domains, from health and education to economic participation and political representation, the lack of gender-disaggregated data hinders our ability to understand and address the unique needs and experiences of women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals. Throughout the course, students will engage in discussions, readings, and a hands-on project that involves analyzing publicly available gender-segregated data. This will allow them to develop a deep understanding of the gender data gap and its implications, as well as practical skills in data analysis, visualization, and policy advocacy. This class will be taught in English and students will be expected to speak in English and complete assignments in English.

"The Art of Attention" explores attention as a social, cultural, and personal phenomenon, with a special focus on the concept of Radical Human Attention. Drawing on philosophical, psychological, and sociocultural perspectives, the course examines various attentional practices and their applications in everyday life, art, and social change. 「注意の技法」は、注意を社会的、文化的、個人的な現象として探求し、特にラディカル・ヒューマン・アテンションの概念に焦点を当てます。哲学的、心理学的、社会文化的な観点を取り入れ、日常生活、芸術、社会変革におけるさまざまな注意の実践とその応用を検討します。

"The Art of Attention" explores attention as a social, cultural, and personal phenomenon, with a special focus on the concept of Radical Human Attention. Drawing on philosophical, psychological, and sociocultural perspectives, the course examines various attentional practices and their applications in everyday life, art, and social change. 「注意の技法」は、注意を社会的、文化的、個人的な現象として探求し、特にラディカル・ヒューマン・アテンションの概念に焦点を当てます。哲学的、心理学的、社会文化的な観点を取り入れ、日常生活、芸術、社会変革におけるさまざまな注意の実践とその応用を検討します。

This course is a collaboration between Uppsala University, SINReM and the University of Tokyo. It will focus on how global industrial companies manage issues related to economic, environmental and social sustainability. Based on a flipped classroom philosophy with Problem-Based Learning (PBL) elements, it includes case assignments, individual assignments and active participation in the seminars. The involved teachers and students have different backgrounds and competences. The Uppsala based teachers are mainly interested in issues related to sustainability, technology and ethics, while the Tokyo based teachers have unique competences in chemistry, law, and pedagogy. The UU students are from the Master Programme in Industrial Management and Innovation with a special interest in issues related to business and technology. The UTokyo students are latter year undergraduate students in Environmental Sciences. The SINReM students are from the Master Program in Sustainable and Innovative Natural Resource Management. We hope that these diverse backgrounds and competences can enhance students' experience of and learning from the cases which forms the basis for this course. Upon completing the course, students are expected to be able to * describe how sustainability (economic, social, environmental) is manifested and portrayed in global industrial companies, * describe how sustainability work is managed in global industrial companies, 
 * describe in detail the management of sustainability work in companies in one particular technology-intensive industry over the past ten years, 
 * discuss and reflect upon sustainability issues, and how they are managed, in a range of technology-intensive industries, 
 * plan and execute a project aimed at collecting, systematizing and analyzing information about how sustainability work is managed in global industrial companies, by means of annual reports, sustainability reports, and other sources, and
apply relevant theories from industrial engineering and management, as well as sustainability and environmental sciences to analyze the companies as above.

This course is a collaboration between Uppsala University, SINReM and the University of Tokyo. It will focus on how global industrial companies manage issues related to economic, environmental and social sustainability. Based on a flipped classroom philosophy with Problem-Based Learning (PBL) elements, it includes case assignments, individual assignments and active participation in the seminars. The involved teachers and students have different backgrounds and competences. The Uppsala based teachers are mainly interested in issues related to sustainability, technology and ethics, while the Tokyo based teachers have unique competences in chemistry, law, and pedagogy. The UU students are from the Master Programme in Industrial Management and Innovation with a special interest in issues related to business and technology. The UTokyo students are latter year undergraduate students in Environmental Sciences. The SINReM students are from the Master Program in Sustainable and Innovative Natural Resource Management. We hope that these diverse backgrounds and competences can enhance students' experience of and learning from the cases which forms the basis for this course. Upon completing the course, students are expected to be able to * describe how sustainability (economic, social, environmental) is manifested and portrayed in global industrial companies, * describe how sustainability work is managed in global industrial companies, 
 * describe in detail the management of sustainability work in companies in one particular technology-intensive industry over the past ten years, 
 * discuss and reflect upon sustainability issues, and how they are managed, in a range of technology-intensive industries, 
 * plan and execute a project aimed at collecting, systematizing and analyzing information about how sustainability work is managed in global industrial companies, by means of annual reports, sustainability reports, and other sources, and
apply relevant theories from industrial engineering and management, as well as sustainability and environmental sciences to analyze the companies as above.

This graduate-level seminar provides a comprehensive exploration of contemporary media and communication studies, emphasizing the intricate relationship between theory and practice in our rapidly evolving digital landscape. The course navigates key paradigms in media and cultural studies, from classic frameworks to cutting-edge concepts, equipping students with a robust theoretical foundation while encouraging critical engagement with real-world media phenomena. Through in-depth readings, lively discussions, and applied analysis, students will develop the critical thinking skills necessary to interrogate complex media texts, platforms, and practices using a range of theoretical approaches. By bridging the gap between abstract ideas and concrete media practices, the course prepares students to understand the historical development and current state of media and communication studies, apply theoretical frameworks to emerging technologies, and develop original research questions that contribute to the field. This seminar serves as a foundation for fostering the ability to engage in informed discussions about the role of media in shaping society, culture, and individual experiences. Students will emerge from the course well-equipped to analyze and interpret the complex media ecosystems that characterize our contemporary world, laying the groundwork for advanced research and analysis in the field.