This seminar introduces students to different explanations for the convergence of education systems. It gives an overview over competing theoretical frameworks describing the diffusion and change of core properties of education systems. Those frameworks will include ‘World System Approach’, ‘World Culture Theory’, and, furthermore, ‘Varieties of Capitalism’, ‘Critical, Cultural Political Economy’. Together with this theoretical foundation, the seminar will put emphasis on empirical works using these approaches, especially in the context of education policy.

This course is intended to give students an insight in educational inequality from different perspectives. Theories on education and educational inequality will be discussed as well as recent empirical studies, especially the Programme for International Student Assessments (PISA). How is education inequality operationalized and measured in PISA? What results are most commonly published? What implications do sampling, weights and statistical methods have for the measurement of educational inequality?

A course designed to introduce social policies, public opinion and how these are related. The course will involve readings from the scientific literature and in-class and online discussion of the readings. The texts we will read involve theory - why and how we should expect opinion to cause policy changes and policy to cause opinion changes; and the course will involve modeling - what methods are available to investigate the feedback relationship between opinion and policy. Students are not required to use advanced statistical modeling in their own work, but should be prepared to read and discuss papers that use advanced statistical modelling in a few cases. Students will present readings, participate in online discussion forums and write an essay for their final grade. The course will take place virtually using the platform BigBlueButton (students can learn more after enrollment).

We will read texts that describe and theorize the incidence and emergence of social inequality. We will discuss the role that is ascribed to labour market actors, institutions and structures. Hence, we will discuss labour law, collective bargaining, labour marekt and educational policy and their effects on inequality. Our focus will not be limited to Europe, but include countries around the World. (Berg, 2015)
Reading: Berg J. (2015) Labour markets, institutions and inequality: Building just societies in the 21st century http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_314464/lang--en/index.htm

We will read texts that describe and theorize the incidence and emergence of social inequality. We will discuss the role that is ascribed to labour market actors, institutions and structures. Hence, we will discuss labour law, collective bargaining, labour marekt and educational policy and their effects on inequality. Our focus will not be limited to Europe, but include countries around the World. (Berg, 2015)
Reading: Berg J. (2015) Labour markets, institutions and inequality: Building just societies in the 21st century http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_314464/lang--en/index.htm

The course provides an overview of the regulation of labour markets and employment relations in an international comparative perspective. It will address the historical and theoretical foundations of industrial relations, focusing especially on the role of trade unions and employer associations. Furthermore, the transformation of employment relations against the backdrop of tertiarisation, globalised markets and the European integration process will be explored. Additionally, the influence of labour institutions and policies at national and international level will be discussed.
The course is organised along three topical areas: The first section will provide a review of the main understandings and concepts of employment relations. The second part will focus on different national employment systems and its specific contexts. In the third section the role and impact of international organisations (in particular the European Union and the ILO) as well as transnational regulations will be discussed and assessed how these structure labour relations at different levels.
• The course is held in English.
• Oral and written contributions must be in English.

In most countries of the Global North functioning health systems and access to medicines is taken for granted. But in large parts of the Global South health systems depend on donor funding and access to medicines is still an unsolved problem with grave social consequences. The causes for this problem are manyfold and include poverty, limited governance capabilities, lack of infrastructure, and global trade rules that create additional obstacles to the availability of affordable medication. The course has two objectives.
1) It will provide a broad perspective on Global Health. It will introduce important institutions, actors and areas of conflict and will look at the structure of health systems in the Global North and the Global South in comparison.
2) In the second half of the course students will do independent research on health systems in Africa.

We will read texts that describe and theorize the incidence and emergence of social inequality. We will discuss the role that is ascribed to labour market actors, institutions and structures. Hence, we will discuss labour law, collective bargaining, labour marekt and educational policy and their effects on inequality. Our focus will not be limited to Europe, but include countries around the World. (Berg, 2015)
Reading: Berg J. (2015) Labour markets, institutions and inequality: Building just societies in the 21st century http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_314464/lang--en/index.htm

The course provides an overview of the regulation of labour markets and employment relations in an international comparative perspective. It will address the historical and theoretical foundations of industrial relations, focusing especially on the role of trade unions and employer associations. Furthermore, the transformation of employment relations against the backdrop of tertiarisation, globalised markets and the European integration process will be explored. Additionally, the influence of labour institutions and policies at national and international level will be discussed.
The course is organised along three topical areas: The first section will provide a review of the main understandings and concepts of employment relations. The second part will focus on different national employment systems and its specific contexts. In the third section the role and impact of international organisations (in particular the European Union and the ILO) as well as transnational regulations will be discussed and assessed how these structure labour relations at different levels.
• The course is held in English.
• Oral and written contributions must be in English.

In most countries of the Global North functioning health systems and access to medicines is taken for granted. But in large parts of the Global South health systems depend on donor funding and access to medicines is still an unsolved problem with grave social consequences. The causes for this problem are manyfold and include poverty, limited governance capabilities, lack of infrastructure, and global trade rules that create additional obstacles to the availability of affordable medication. The course has two objectives.
1) It will provide a broad perspective on Global Health. It will introduce important institutions, actors and areas of conflict and will look at the structure of health systems in the Global North and the Global South in comparison.
2) In the second half of the course students will do independent research on health systems in Africa.

This seminar introduces students to different explanations for the convergence of education systems. It gives an overview over competing theoretical frameworks describing the diffusion and change of core properties of education systems. Those frameworks will include ‘World System Approach’, ‘World Culture Theory’, and, furthermore, ‘Varieties of Capitalism’, ‘Critical, Cultural Political Economy’. Together with this theoretical foundation, the seminar will put emphasis on empirical works using these approaches, especially in the context of education policy.

This course is intended to give students an insight in educational inequality from different perspectives. Theories on education and educational inequality will be discussed as well as recent empirical studies, especially the Programme for International Student Assessments (PISA). How is education inequality operationalized and measured in PISA? What results are most commonly published? What implications do sampling, weights and statistical methods have for the measurement of educational inequality?

A course designed to introduce social policies, public opinion and how these are related. The course will involve readings from the scientific literature and in-class and online discussion of the readings. The texts we will read involve theory - why and how we should expect opinion to cause policy changes and policy to cause opinion changes; and the course will involve modeling - what methods are available to investigate the feedback relationship between opinion and policy. Students are not required to use advanced statistical modeling in their own work, but should be prepared to read and discuss papers that use advanced statistical modelling in a few cases. Students will present readings, participate in online discussion forums and write an essay for their final grade. The course will take place virtually using the platform BigBlueButton (students can learn more after enrollment).

We will read texts that describe and theorize the incidence and emergence of social inequality. We will discuss the role that is ascribed to labour market actors, institutions and structures. Hence, we will discuss labour law, collective bargaining, labour marekt and educational policy and their effects on inequality. Our focus will not be limited to Europe, but include countries around the World. (Berg, 2015)
Reading: Berg J. (2015) Labour markets, institutions and inequality: Building just societies in the 21st century http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_314464/lang--en/index.htm

We will read texts that describe and theorize the incidence and emergence of social inequality. We will discuss the role that is ascribed to labour market actors, institutions and structures. Hence, we will discuss labour law, collective bargaining, labour marekt and educational policy and their effects on inequality. Our focus will not be limited to Europe, but include countries around the World. (Berg, 2015)
Reading: Berg J. (2015) Labour markets, institutions and inequality: Building just societies in the 21st century http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_314464/lang--en/index.htm

The course provides an overview of the regulation of labour markets and employment relations in an international comparative perspective. It will address the historical and theoretical foundations of industrial relations, focusing especially on the role of trade unions and employer associations. Furthermore, the transformation of employment relations against the backdrop of tertiarisation, globalised markets and the European integration process will be explored. Additionally, the influence of labour institutions and policies at national and international level will be discussed.
The course is organised along three topical areas: The first section will provide a review of the main understandings and concepts of employment relations. The second part will focus on different national employment systems and its specific contexts. In the third section the role and impact of international organisations (in particular the European Union and the ILO) as well as transnational regulations will be discussed and assessed how these structure labour relations at different levels.
• The course is held in English.
• Oral and written contributions must be in English.

We will read texts that describe and theorize the incidence and emergence of social inequality. We will discuss the role that is ascribed to labour market actors, institutions and structures. Hence, we will discuss labour law, collective bargaining, labour marekt and educational policy and their effects on inequality. Our focus will not be limited to Europe, but include countries around the World. (Berg, 2015)
Reading: Berg J. (2015) Labour markets, institutions and inequality: Building just societies in the 21st century http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_314464/lang--en/index.htm

The course provides an overview of the regulation of labour markets and employment relations in an international comparative perspective. It will address the historical and theoretical foundations of industrial relations, focusing especially on the role of trade unions and employer associations. Furthermore, the transformation of employment relations against the backdrop of tertiarisation, globalised markets and the European integration process will be explored. Additionally, the influence of labour institutions and policies at national and international level will be discussed.
The course is organised along three topical areas: The first section will provide a review of the main understandings and concepts of employment relations. The second part will focus on different national employment systems and its specific contexts. In the third section the role and impact of international organisations (in particular the European Union and the ILO) as well as transnational regulations will be discussed and assessed how these structure labour relations at different levels.
• The course is held in English.
• Oral and written contributions must be in English.

In most countries of the Global North functioning health systems and access to medicines is taken for granted. But in large parts of the Global South health systems depend on donor funding and access to medicines is still an unsolved problem with grave social consequences. The causes for this problem are manyfold and include poverty, limited governance capabilities, lack of infrastructure, and global trade rules that create additional obstacles to the availability of affordable medication. The course has two objectives.
1) It will provide a broad perspective on Global Health. It will introduce important institutions, actors and areas of conflict and will look at the structure of health systems in the Global North and the Global South in comparison.
2) In the second half of the course students will do independent research on health systems in Africa.