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C21C Spring 2025_galimova (2)

The syllabus outlines the course 'Challenges of the 21st Century' taught by Dr. Ekaterina Galimova, focusing on contemporary global issues across various disciplines. Students will enhance their critical thinking and analytical skills through theoretical and practical components, including essays, presentations, and projects. Attendance and participation are mandatory, with strict guidelines on assignments and plagiarism, culminating in a comprehensive assessment based on various activities.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
11 views8 pages

C21C Spring 2025_galimova (2)

The syllabus outlines the course 'Challenges of the 21st Century' taught by Dr. Ekaterina Galimova, focusing on contemporary global issues across various disciplines. Students will enhance their critical thinking and analytical skills through theoretical and practical components, including essays, presentations, and projects. Attendance and participation are mandatory, with strict guidelines on assignments and plagiarism, culminating in a comprehensive assessment based on various activities.

Uploaded by

ruslangulobov88
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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American University of Central Asia

Challenges of the 21st Century


SYS/HUM/SS-253 (4814)
Spring 2025
Syllabus

Instructor: Ekaterina Galimova, Ph.D.


Meeting Time: Mon., Wed. 10:50 a.m. - 12:05 a.m. (Bishkek time)
Office Hours: Mon, Wed. 12:15-13:15 (please, confirm the meeting with the professor
beforehand via email)
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/9865321967 Passcode: 123KGB
E-course: https://ecourse.auca.kg/course/view.php?id=6200
E-course key: c21ckg
E-mail: [email protected]

1. Description of the course


Challenges of the 21st Century is a seminar-based multidisciplinary, Liberal Arts
course that introduces students to contemporary issues in such fields as politics,
economics, environment, religion, culture, mass media, education, psychology, etc. This
course is designed to help students improve their critical and creative thinking,
analytical and problem-solving skills as well as encourage reflection and debate on the
challenges of the global society in the 21 century. The course, Challenges of the 21st
st

Century, is comprised of theoretical and practical components: the former is based on


the selected authentic material taken from scientific journals, textbooks, non-fiction
books, and documentaries, whereas the latter consists of individual/team student
project or research paper that would allow students to apply their knowledge in practice
and improve their reading comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking and
writing skills. The texts and assignments offered in the course expose students to issues
that are relevant to their everyday life and experience of the world.
2. Course prerequisites
This course is open to second, third, and fourth-year students.
3. Course objectives
Upon the completion of the course, students will
 master reading and listening comprehension skills, as well as research,
analytical and critical writing, and data analysis skills that are necessary to
complete their undergraduate courses in their specialty via in-class writing
responses to videos, class discussions, home essays, and mini research papers,
video scripts;
 learn the basics of project launching on a target topic through their
individual or team projects (writing business letters and emails, talking on the
phone, leading interviews, etc.);
 improve their rhetoric skills in preparing and giving oral presentations.
4. Course requirements:

4.1. Attendance
Attendance at all classes for the course is mandatory. If a student is absent for
unavoidable reasons (illness or other), the instructor must be informed on the same day
(the day s/he misses). This should be done via e-mail (the e-mail address is given at the
beginning of this syllabus). It is also NOT allowed to be late for the classes. Being
regularly late for classes affects the grade. The longer a student is absent, the lower
grade for classroom activities s/he will get. If unjustified absences exceed 30%, a
student automatically gets an “F”.
Attendance is expected for every session. For six unexcused absences, you will drop the
course with an X grade.
4.2. Class Participation
Students are expected to take an active part in all classroom activities: ask questions in
English, answer questions of other students voluntarily, express their viewpoints on
discussed subjects, and be involved in group activities. All this together makes up the
grade for classroom activities. All subjects occurring in the course of this program are to
be discussed in English only.
4.3. Home Assignments
Home assignment is an integral and important component of instruction. If the
assignment is not clear, students should ask the instructor to clarify the problem before
the due date. All papers are expected to be submitted in class, e-course, or via the
professor’s email [email protected] on the day they are due. Late papers are not
accepted. If the papers have insufficient number of words, the professor has the right to
subtract 5 points. If the paper fails to reach 70% of the minimum word requirement, it
will not be accepted.
If you become ill or the victim of an emergency, please let me know within 48 hours and
be ready to provide me with some evidence to support your absence, such as a medical
certificate, etc.

4.4. In-Class Essays and Exercises


In-class essays and exercises should be done in a special exercise book or on the
handouts. If a student is absent for any reason, it is a must to consult the classmates or
the professor to find out what the student has missed and submit the assignment within
one week. If the student missed in-class essays due to illness, s/he can write them
during office hours either on Mondays or Wednesdays.
4.5. Writing component
To complete the course, students should write 1250-1500 word Cause and Effect,
Problem Solution Essays, as well as a mini Research Paper/Grant/Produce a Video
Project (1750-2500 words).
- If students opt to write a Mini Research on a target problem, they must give a PPP on it
at the end of the semester. Students are highly encouraged to have at least one
consultation with the professor before giving/her PPP. If the student misses his/her PPP,
s/he loses the points. OR
- Instead of Mini Research students may also launch their Individual / Team Video
Projects and create a video. Within the framework of this project, students are
supposed to create their video projects on any challenge that they face in their country,
community, university, family, or group. It may be conducted either individually or in a
team. The topics of the projects and team members should be announced to the
instructor by the end of the 4 week of the course.
th

Upon the completion of the video project, students should provide the professor with
the video script of the video.
- Another option that students can chose is to write a grant and give a presentation on it
at the end of the semester. OR
- Finally, students are willing to be involved in solving an up-to-date community problem,
they are more than welcome to do so by participating in the Civic Engagement Bridging
Classroom and Community Project initiated by Bard College. Within the framework of the
project, students are expected to pick an orphanage, a senior house, or the hospice, visit it
and identify a problem the institution has and try to solve it by organizing any type of club:
Chess club, Reading club, Psychology club, Math club, Hiking club, Football club or Dance
club. The students can work individually, in pairs, and in groups of three. The students
should visit the chosen institution at least once a week throughout the entire semester.
Upon the completion, they can apply for the Civic Engagement Certificate, which will give
them an opportunity to participate in Civic Engagement conferences and events organized
by OSUN. As a capstone project, the club leaders should give a presentation of their club
and write a 500-word article for the AUCA NewStar Independent newspaper. Interested
candidates should contact me via email for more details.

Tete-a-tete conferences and office hours are compulsory, make sure to


prepare drafts of your papers, projects, or research papers as well as
questions beforehand.

4.6. Extra points


Extra points are optional and may include one of the following assignments:
- Student Project Reflection Papers, Feedback Journal, Diaries: 500 words per week x 16 weeks =
8000 words (digital file should submitted at the end of the semester via e-course); OR
- Weekly Online Forums/Discussions via e-course or any other media platform. Make sure to keep
a separate file with all your initial posts and comments so that you would be able to submit it at
the end of the semester via e-course (500 words per week). Make sure to save all the WF posts
in a separate file as at the end of the semester, you will asked to submit Weekly Forum posts on
the e-course for Turnitin Check. If nobody starts a new thread or nobody posts comments, (1)
encourage others to respond or post their entries. (2) do not waste your time waiting, write your
thoughts in the Diary.
Note: All types of writing should include new vocabulary learned throughout the course.

5. Course Protocol and Assessment


5.1. Procedure and Conduct
 Always bring a notebook or writing paper, and a pen to class.
 You may use your mobile phone, laptop, and iPad in the classroom.
However, a student using any electronic device unrelated to the class's academic
work will be asked to excuse himself/herself from the class.
 The student is solely responsible for finding out what instructions or
assignments have been missed and making up any work due to absence.
5.2. Email Ethics
 When emailing the instructor, be polite, precise, and brief. For more
details, please check the site below
< https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/sending-email-to-faculty-and-administrators
>
 When attaching a file, it is highly recommended that the student provide
an appropriate name to the file as well, e.g. bakyt_ismailov_CEE_final draft.docx
 If you do not include all the parts and names of the file(s) and message, it
might be lost or unnoticed by the professor.
 Allow 48-72 hours for a reply.
 Never use the “reply all” button when writing private letters to the
professor.
5.3. Plagiarism
A student must not adopt or reproduce another person's ideas, words, or statements
without appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of
others and acknowledge an indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:
5.3.1. Using quotes of another person's original words, either oral or written;
5.3.2. Paraphrasing another person's words, either oral or written;
5.3.3. Using another person's idea, opinion, or theory; or image
5.3.4. Borrowing facts, statistics, or other illustrative material from the work of another
student, unless the information is common knowledge.
5.3.5. Using the material (text and image) generated by AI should be cited. (the
professor should see the prompt, original, the generated outcome, as well as editing)
5.3.6. Using thoughts from previously submitted/published papers (self-plagiarism)
If you are found to have plagiarized any part of an assignment, at first student fails that
assignment. However, multiple instances of plagiarism may result in the student failing
the course and possibly expulsion from AUCA. The General Education faculty is also
authorized to handle issues of plagiarism on a case-by-case basis in consultation with
the General Education Director.
General Education instructors are authorized to use plagiarism-detecting technology to
support their findings when plagiarism is suspected.
Before submitting the papers, presentations, scripts, articles on the e-course, make sure to
double check them via
Turnitin Draft Coach extension via auca GoogleDoc account.

If there is plagiarism in at least one assignment (forum, paragraph, etc.), no matter


how many points you will get in the further studies, the total grade for the course will
not be higher than B. Plagiarized papers are Not subject to be rewritten.

If you are not aware of how to avoid plagiarism, please consult either a librarian or
WARC tutor.

6. Assessment
Assessment is based on a cumulative average of the following activities:
Type of Activity Maximum
points

1 Cause and Effect Essay (MLA) 1250-1500 words (excluding references) 20

2 Problem Solving Essay (MLA) 1250-1500 words (excluding references) 20

3 Individual or Team Capstone Projects (PICK ONE Project only) 30


 Individual Mini Research Paper (20pts) on a Challenge in the
community, country, or world 2000-2500 words (excluding references)
+ Power Point Presentation (10pts) based on Research Paper OR (20+10)
 Individual or Team Video Project (20pts) on a Challenge in the
community, country, world. (10-20 minutes long) + its script (10pts)
OR
 Individual or Team Grant Proposal (20 pts) + Power Point
Presentation (10pts) based on the proposal OR
 Civic Engagement Project (20 pts) + Power Point Presentation
(10pts) based on the project

4 Presentations (the topics should fit the main one of the week, e.g. the week’s 15
topic is about Religions, your own topic might be about the Role of Religion on
economy in Kyrgyzstan, if you manage to connect the topic of your
presentation with the final project, that would be even better as you can use
the sources I your final project)

5 Class Participation (Free Writing, Reading, weekly forums, text-annotation, 15


related participatory activities, peer reviews, simulations of the read material if
any, quizzes and in-class essay, reflection papers and summaries on class
videos, etc.)

Total: 100

6 Extra points (optional) should be submitted DURING and/or at the END of the Up to 10
semester. (for more details, see 4.6. page 3 of this syllabus)

Course Outline
Required Texts:
Yuval Harari (the link to the digital version in on the Moodle, e-course)

Abbreviations used in the course outline:


CEE - Cause and Effect Essay VP - Video Project
PSE - Problem Solving Essay GP - Grant Proposal
RP - Research Paper CEP- Civic Engagement Project
We Date Home Reading Writing Component Due Date
ek

1. Jan. 13 Introductory class: Description, Start your SYS Diary or


requirements of the course. “Breaking ice” Reflection Journal and
write down /type your
ideas, ideas that you
dis/likes, impressions,
concerns, etc. 100 words
Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century, per day (500 words per
Jan. 15 “Disillusionment” pp. 17-28 week) If you use in/direct
quotes, make sure to give
references. Enjoy!

2. Jan. 20 What makes a good presentation?

In-class CE
paragraph peer
Jan. 22 Cause and Effect Essay [HANDOUT] Take any problem and review.
consider its effects and Write an outline
causes. Write a CE your future CEE a
paragraph. send it at my em

3. Jan. 27 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century, Turn your CE paragraph


“Work” pp. 29-47 into the essay.

Jan. 29 Introduction to Students’ VP. Brainstorming of


problems in groups/individually.

4. Feb. 3 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century, In-class Peer Rev


“Liberty” pp. 48-69 the 1st draft of t
CEE. (Feb.5)
Feb. 5

In-class peer review of CEE.

5. Feb. 10 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century,


“Equality” pp. 70-76, “Community” pp. 78- In-class paragrap
83. peer review.
Feb. 12 Find a problem in your Write an outline
Problem Solving Essay (PSE) community, country, your future PSE
PPP: Brief Review of the PSE [PPP] family, etc. and write a PS and send it at my
paragraph. email.

6. Feb. 17 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century, Turn your paragraph into
“Justice” pp. 182-187 the essay.

Feb. 19
Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century,
“Civilization” pp. 84-96

7. Feb. 24 Introduction to Grant Proposal (GP) Outline of GP


In-class email
Gathering the data 1: Email ethics. writing.
Writing emails, business
Gathering the data 2: Business Letters. letters Peer Review of D
Feb. 26 of the PSE

8. Mar. 3 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century,


“Nationalism” pp. 97-109
Mar. 3
Final Draft of t
CEE+1st+Peer
Mar. 5 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century, Reviews.
“Religion” pp. 110-118

9. Mar. 10 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century,


Ch.14 “Secularism” pp. 167-175

Mar. 12 Mandatory Tete-a-tete student


conferences (prepare questions
concerning your academic performance:
projects, missing papers, etc.)
10. Mar. 17– Spring Break
22 No Classes

11. Mar. 24 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century, Mar. 24


“Immigration” pp. 119-131 Final Draft of t
PSE+1st + Peer
Review.
Mar. 26 Brief Review of Research Paper (RP) Write a rough outline of
Structure [PPP] and outline of the Video your Video Project or RP In-class Peer rev
Project (VP) the outlines of R

12. Mar. 31 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century, Improved version


“Ignorance” pp. 177-187 of your RP/VP/GP
outlines should b
sent at the
Analyzing the data, reporting Creating questions instructor’s emai
Apr. 2 Gathering the data 4: Conducting https://smallbusiness.chron
Interviews. .com/create-structured-
interview-questions-
19099.html

13. Apr. 7 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century, Apr. 9


“Education” pp. 209-216 In-class Peer rev
of the 1st draft o
the RP/VP/GP
Apr. 9 Ss projects

14. Apr. 14 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century,


“Science Fiction” pp. 199-207

Apr. 16 What is a Video Script? Debates.

15 Apr. 21 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century,


“Meaning” pp. 217-226; Reading,
discussing, analyzing.

Apr. 23 Watching a movie: “The Brave New World”


or “The girl who was plugged in”;
identifying problems, analyzing the
solutions, and presenting new solutions.

16 Apr. 28 Yuval Harari, Lessons of 21st Century,


“Meditation” pp. 248-254
Apr. 30
Final Draft of
Student’ PPP on their Research Papers, Video Script of
Apr. 30 Grant Proposals, and Video Projects. VP should be
submitted on t
e-course.

17 May 7 Concluding class. Course evaluations.


Setting goals for the future projects.
Evaluating the Projects,
comparative essays,
May 7
writing feedback papers Final Draft of t
VP/RP/GP + 1st
draft + PRF
Defence of you
RP, GP, CEPs, o
the VP/RP/GP +
1st draft + PRF

Grade categories
AUCA Letter-grades and GPA system are explained on the following website:
https://auca.kg/en/p2885/

The following scale is used for determining class grades:

A 94-100 B- 80-83 D+ 67-69


A- 90-93 C+ 77-79 D 64-66
B+ 87-89 C 74-76 D- 60-63
B 84-86 C- 70-73 F <60

Disclaimer: This syllabus and course outline are subject to changes by the professor.
Changes will be made with as much advance notice as possible.

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