Common Core Courses
CCHU9069
Economic Logic of Civilizations: How Human Societies have Innovated to Deal with Risk
Semester 2, 2026-27
Course Description
Humans have become increasingly more civilized. But, why has violence declined substantially in the last two millennia? Are we really better species than before, or something else has happened? How have human societies innovated and developed increasingly better ways to deal with the challenges of risk events such as natural disasters, climate shocks, epidemic virus, and wars? And how can financial knowledge help us understand the relationship between socio-economic history and the history of civilizations? This course addresses these global questions with an interdisciplinary historical approach, developing a risk-mitigation perspective on the evolution of human civilizations so that we can better understand how civilizations have evolved and how we, as potential investors and professionals, can better foresee future growth areas in frontier, emerging, and developed markets. The course explores a number of human innovations, including mythology or magic and supernatural beliefs, technologies, social structures, cultural norms, religions, financial markets, and the welfare state. This broad scope of knowledge on the historical evolution of risk-sharing arrangements allows us to appreciate that cultures and institutions have each evolved historically as a way to maximize the probability of human survival, which in turn allows us to see where they will go as better risk-mitigating tools become available due to technological and financial progress.
Course Description
The aim of this course is to engage you in a reflection on spirituality and religion, and on their relevance to contemporary social change. It will aim to do so in a manner which is personally meaningful, appropriate for critical analysis, and relevant to social action. Society is undergoing a resurgence of religious or spiritual beliefs and practices. Many of us are personally committed to spiritual or religious beliefs, are engaged in what could be called a “spiritual search”, or at the very least have many questions of a spiritual nature. As faith in secular ideologies declines, there is a growing tendency to turn to religious traditions as conceptual and social resources for personal growth and social engagement. But is this appropriate or even right? In the past few decades the world has witnessed a dramatic resurgence of spiritual seeking and religious engagement in society, in ways that may be either constructive or destructive. Given the historical record, is it realistic to expect religion to provide answers to personal and social problems?
Open to believers, agnostics, skeptics, atheists and seekers, this course will give you exposure to, and an opportunity to engage with, the spiritual heritage of humanity. You will explore topics such as human operating systems, objects of consciousness, the mindscape, spiritual practices, existentialism, materialism, the meaning of life and death, ritual and mythology, human nature, the evolution of religion, religion and society, and the crisis of religion. You will discuss teachings of some of the world’s major religious traditions, as well as spiritual themes contained in popular feature films. You will critically consider the contemporary social implications of religious teachings and spiritual principles. You will reflect on whether these approaches to human spiritual life are part of the cause or part of the solution for global social problems.
Open to believers, agnostics, skeptics, atheists and seekers, this course will give you exposure to, and an opportunity to engage with, the spiritual heritage of humanity. You will explore topics such as human operating systems, objects of consciousness, the mindscape, spiritual practices, existentialism, materialism, the meaning of life and death, ritual and mythology, human nature, the evolution of religion, religion and society, and the crisis of religion. You will discuss teachings of some of the world’s major religious traditions, as well as spiritual themes contained in popular feature films. You will critically consider the contemporary social implications of religious teachings and spiritual principles. You will reflect on whether these approaches to human spiritual life are part of the cause or part of the solution for global social problems.
CCGL9069
Course Description
What are the drivers of globalization? When you read this question, you will most likely think of major nation-states such as China or the United States, international organizations such as the United Nations, and technological innovations, such as the internet or the airplane. However, there is another important driver that fuels globalization: multinational companies. These are companies that do business in multiple countries and move, manufacture and market capital, commodities and services across borders, often owning assets and employing people throughout the world. Multinational companies are major pillars of the global economy, but at the same time shape our daily lives locally. In this course, you will explore how these multinational companies operate across the world and influence globalization. We will discuss the positive and negative effects the ever-growing presence of multinationals have on our lives, not only economically, but also in terms of the larger impact multinationals have on local cultures.
CCHU9096
From Malthus to Modernity: A Global History of Economic Growth
Semester 2, 2026-27
Course Description
This course examines some of the central questions of global economic history: why some nations became rich while others remained poor, and how modern patterns of economic growth and inequality emerged. It traces the long-run evolution of the world economy from the era of Malthusian constraints to the onset of sustained modern growth, focusing on the historical interactions among population dynamics, agriculture, technology, institutions, and culture. Particular attention is given to the processes that culminated in the Industrial Revolution and to the debate over the “Great Divergence” between Europe and Asia.
Adopting a comparative historical perspective, the course explores how demographic behaviour, economic incentives, and institutional structures shaped long-term development. Students engage with both qualitative historical evidence and quantitative data used in economic history. Through the analysis of major historical transformations, including changes in agriculture, population regimes, technological innovation, and global trade, the course encourages students to develop a deeper understanding of how historical processes continue to influence contemporary economic challenges. By placing global developments alongside Chinese historical experiences, the course also highlights the diverse paths through which societies have approached modern economic growth.
CCAI9035
Course Description
History is full of “what ifs”. What if it were not the Qin state that unified China? What if Rome had never fallen? What if the Black Death had been less devastating? For centuries, historians and philosophers have debated whether history is shaped by individual choices, structural forces, or pure chance. Today, with the rise of artificial intelligence, agent-based modeling, and big data, these questions take on new urgency.
This course explores whether human civilization can be simulated—and what such simulations reveal about our past, present, and future. Students will critically engage with AI-driven approaches, ranging from large language models that reimagine historical voices to agent-based modeling of ancient societies. At the same time, the course emphasizes the limits of simulation, asking whether human culture, institutions, and historical contingency can ever be reduced to data.
Through readings, discussions, presentations, hands-on experiments, and group projects, students will grapple with the intersection of artificial intelligence, computation, and history, gaining both a critical understanding of digital tools and a deeper appreciation for the complexity of human society.