KHAS 105 Universal Values and Ethics

This transdisciplinary course is designed to help students reflect critically on the ethical implications of their conceptions of life and of their relationship with other human beings, with the society at large, and with the rest of existence. It aims to encourage them to think freely – to be free of prejudice and misinformed preconceptions; to build self-confidence and become responsible individuals who appreciate the rights of other living beings; and to empower them to become active agents in society’s development through civic engagement. The course consists of five modules designed to focus on some of the most pressing issues of our times, i.e. diversity, cit-y-zenship, gender, information technologies, and bioethics, all of which involve ethical dilemmas that are hard to resolve and even hard to recognize most of the time. The course also aims to equip the students with basic research skills and reinforce their command of English by developing their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, and to expand students’ academic vocabulary both at the receptive and productive level.