Experiential courses are offered as simulations rather than lectures in the classroom. Students learn through active participation, by doing, and from experience, and they explore knowing as a practical and continuous activity.

Independent study courses are offered in the form of an end-of-term assignment or project, supervised by the professor in charge.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Introduction to Modern Greek and Balkan History, 1804-1950

(Dimitrios Livanios, Asst. Prof.)

The Balkan region has been traditionally perceived as an area of “ancient hatreds” and indiscriminate violence. This class will offer a broad introduction to the history of Greece and the Balkans in the 19th and 20th centuries and will attempt to deconstruct some misleading views and stereotypes of the area that resist to die a natural death. Within this framework, the class will examine the Ottoman rule in the Balkans, the emergence of the nation-states of Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania, the role of the Great Powers in the region (mainly Russia and Britain) and the role of nationalism as an agent of violence and dislocation. The class will be based on discussion and debate and will seek to use the Balkans as a case study for the analysis of wider issues, such as the centrality of nationalism in modern history, the role of Christianity and Islam in the construction of collective identities, and the “ideological use of history” for the promotion of political and nationalistic projects.

Travel Journalism and Communication

(Dr. Fani Galatsopoulou, Instructor)

The course ‘Travel Journalism and Communication’ is an experiential and project-based English-speaking course engaging its participants to learn the art of travel journalism and communication by immersing themselves in GREECE. The course is offered to Greek students as well as international and Erasmus students.

The course is an introduction to the basic principles of Travel Journalism and Communication. It offers knowledge and techniques, inspiration and training to those who would like to become travel journalists or travel communicators. It is also ideal for students who would like to explore Greece as a travel destination and enjoy sharing their travel experiences.

Going beyond the standard travel and journalistic writing class, the course combines a robust curriculum with hands-on training, in-class and outdoor activities, creative labs, field visits and group work. During the course, participants will be given the opportunity to explore and research Greece’s and Thessaloniki’s society and culture, history, natural environment, and everyday life. By being on a constant journey in time and discovering their beautiful contradictions from past to present and back again, students are asked to become ‘time travelers’ and communicate their pragmatic knowledge, empirical involvement, and engagement by writing short travel accounts, producing audiovisual articulations, recording real experiences, crafting messages and creating effective communication strategies in Travel and present their own true stories and testimonials from the city/country.

The course ‘Travel Journalism and Communication’ approaches the scientific Fields of Public Communication, Travel and Mobile Journalism, Studies in Tourism and Hospitality, Communication and Media studies, and Social Sciences.

 Its main characteristics are:

• Real-scenario projects with classroom reflection
• Hands- on Training and Collaborative Active Learning
• Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as well as of social software for teaching and learning

The language of Propaganda in the Media

(Dr. Despoina Kazana, Instructor)

This course analyses the specific language used for purposes of propaganda throughout the twentieth century, focusing on the use of modern mass communication and technology. The class will be structured around a number of theoretical issues related to propaganda, which help shed light on its emergence. Particular attention will be given to understanding the language of propaganda relying on linguistic discourse analysis; this will involve the detailed study of syntax, focusing on specific grammatical structures, the lexicon and its hidden meanings and the tonal style adopted. Finally, the language of propaganda will be analysed in relation to argumentation and persuasion. Key themes covered throughout the course include:

• The main concept of propaganda and its theoretical background. 
• Discourse analysis of propaganda focusing on the linguistic perspective, identifying the characteristic language used in propaganda.
• Propaganda and its relation to argumentation and persuasion.
• Discussion and analysis of specific case studies.

During lectures, students will be exposed to relevant primary source material.