Global Liberal Arts（Invisible Connections）
Source: https://catalog.he.u-tokyo.ac.jp/detail?code=7V0101010A&year=2025 Parent: https://catalog.he.u-tokyo.ac.jp/result?type=ug&faculty_id=27&q=&interface_language=en
Undergraduate (3rd and 4th years)
Global Liberal Arts（Invisible Connections）
The URLs, account and classroom informations have been removed to prevent the leakage of internal information for online classes.\ Last updated at Oct 17, 2025.\ \ Class plans and classrooms are subject to change, so be sure to check UTAS for the latest information.\ If you do not have access to the UTAS, please contact your instructor or academic affairs office.\
Global Liberal Arts（Invisible Connections）
Invisible Connections
When we talk about issues from the global perspective, we often use abstract terms and metaphors that obscure the concrete reality and lived experience of billions of beings on our planet. It's a cliché to say that everything's connected; it's much harder to understand the complex systems with their unique networks of dependencies and hierarchies. In this course, we will draw from fields as diverse as biology, economics, data science, sociology, psychology, and literature to gain insights into the ways that humans and other life forms depend on each other. We will also interrogate how abstract thinking can lead to inequality and exploitation by hiding connections and contributions, which results in rewarding the few. The course is exploratory in its approach and doesn't require any previous knowledge. Students will be expected to reflect on the readings, present ideas in class, and choose a topic for their final project (an academic essay or a creative piece) related to one of the themes covered in class.
MIMA Search
Code
Course title
Lecturer
Semester
Period
7V0101010A
FGL-GL3110S3
Global Liberal Arts（Invisible Connections）
Sylwia Ejmont
A1
A2
Tue 3rd
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Language
English
Credit
2
Lecturers with practical experience
NO
Other Faculty
YES
Course Offered by
Center for Global Education
Schedule
Weekly topics may include: Media and representation Language and conceptual metaphors Economic models and critique of growth Interdependence in biology Categories and their consequences: humans and other animals Complexity of food chains Psychology, cognition, perception Memory vs. Experience Natural and artificial intelligence. What’s next?
Teaching Methods
The aim of this course is to read with an open mind, drawing connections and trying out new perspectives. Coursework will consist of lecture, discussion, and group work. Attendance is mandatory to ensure active and collaborative learning.
Method of Evaluation
【Please check the grading scale that applies to this course. If the Course Code ends without “-P/F”, this is a course with a letter grade (A+, A, B, C, F). If the Course Code ends with “-P/F”, this is a Pass/Fail Course.】
Required Textbook
None.
Reference Books
None.
Notes on Taking the Course
【If the number of students enrolling in this course exceeds 20, there may be a selection process. Instructions for the selection process will be given in the first class, so if you are interested in taking this course, please be sure to attend the first class.】 This class will be taught in English and all discussions, presentations, and final papers should be in English. Up to 20 students will be, in principle, allowed to register for this class. If more than 20 students attend the first class, the instructor will make a selection based on the criteria announced on the first day.