From the politics of drug policy to exploring the radical implications of AI on democracy, explore these fascinating student-directed courses for Winter Term 2.
If you want to dive deeper into a topic outside of what is currently offered at UBC and meet other students who share your interests, student directed seminars may be for you! Unlike many of your other classes at UBC, these opportunities enable you to have a role in shaping many aspects of the course. From helping to form the syllabus, to choosing readings and leading class discussions, these student directed seminars empower you to design your own learning experience in a peer led environment.
Arts Studies
Decolonizing Academia (ASTU_V 400-A_001)
The history of the word “decolonization” reveals academia’s complex role in both upholding and challenging colonial systems. This seminar invites you to critically examine the concept, its inclusions and exclusions, and its connection to the resources and practices shaped by colonial institutions. Co-create a space beyond traditional disciplines to explore student-first approaches, relationality, harm reduction, individualized praxis, and Indigenous futurity, while prioritizing holistic analysis and meaningful change.
Student Coordinator: Scout Wasdell
Faculty Sponsor: Coll Thrush
Gonzo Cinema (ASTU_V 400-G_001)
“Gonzo” often comes up when talking about Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas—but what does it really mean? This seminar dives into the wild world of gonzo cinema, exploring films that are crude, weird, or seemingly “unwatchable” yet full of affect and potential. You’ll examine acts of deterritorialization, Indigenous survivance, and the hidden minor perspectives within privatized margins, all while unraveling what makes a film truly gonzo.
Student Coordinator: Kermodii Chen
Faculty Sponsor: Mila Zuo
Reimagining Academia: Anti-Colonial & Feminist Frameworks for Undergraduate Studies (ASTU_V 400-R_001)
How can you build an anti-colonial and feminist career after graduating from colonial institutions? This seminar explores the responsibilities of intellectuals by critiquing academia’s colonial history and introducing tools like feminist pedagogies, resilience-building, and design methodology. Reimagine academic disciplines and practices, fostering innovation and anti-colonial approaches.
Student Coordinator: Aatisha Avasthi
Faculty Sponsor: Sunaina Assanand
Search for Meaning: Logotherapy as a Therapeutic Approach (ASTU-400-T)
What is the meaning of life? This seminar explores existential psychology through Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy, a therapeutic approach that sees the search for meaning as central to psychological well-being. Dive into Frankl’s philosophy, discuss its impact on modern psychology, and explore its application in therapy today. Reflect, share, and uncover new perspectives on life’s most profound question.
Student Coordinator: Anna Mondragon
Faculty Sponsor: Jessica Tracy
Geography
Palestine in the World (GEOG 442 201)
This seminar explores the social and historical production of Palestine as a geographical place embedded in and understood through a series of interlocking scales, including the body, the city, the nation, and the region. Through critical political economy, investigate colonial connections between Palestine, its Middle Eastern neighbours, and powerful states in Europe and North America that have influenced its history, politics, and economy.
Student Coordinators: Hammad Jabr & Joshua Bransford
Faculty Sponsor: Peter Hudson
Political Science
The Politics of Drug Policy (POLI 308X-001)
This course critically examines the political forces shaping drug regulation and enforcement in North America, with a focus on B.C.’s opioid crisis and beyond. You’ll explore ideological frameworks, electoral politics, social stigma, and community safety to understand the complex structures behind drug policies. Combining political analysis with harm reduction and lived experiences, this course highlights the diverse impacts of these policies on communities.
Student Coordinators: Kaden Anderson-Hancock & Thea Sheridan-Jonah
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Carey Doberstein
Political Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (POLI 344Z-001)
Could artificial intelligence challenge the foundations of democracy? This seminar explores how AI impacts deliberation, accountability, and justice, questioning what happens when machines approximate human reason. Through political philosophy, political theory, computer science, and machine ethics, we’ll examine how AI forces us to rethink social contracts, legal systems, and ideas about moral agency in our rapidly evolving societies.
Student Coordinator: Tina Yong
Faculty Sponsors: Yves Tiberghien & Jeffrey Byrne
About Student Directed Seminars
The Student Directed Seminars program provides upper-year undergraduate students (in third year or later) the opportunity to propose, coordinate, and lead their own 3-credit seminar class with a small group of peers on a topic not currently offered at UBC.
