By Vlasceanu Mihaela

Timișoara- Historic and artistic crossroads

Since art has been able to reflect change in different historical periods as the visible component of human life, we will present the evolving relationship between political systems and art over a time span that defines Timișoara as a modern and European city. The course focuses mainly on how history can be understood and documented by art (architecture and public space sculpture) as part of the European identity, not only the historical evolution of the capital of the Banat province, but as a reflection of how art documents the events that defines this space as a multicultural successful experiment. The essence of the political, social, economic, religious and cultural discourse that reflect EU identity will be the subject of the WUT summer courses ranging from medieval Timișoara to the 18th Century; defining the Baroque era, manifold and spacious-principles of a European artistic movement (central European Baroque- case study on provincial Baroque); the Vauban citadel; 19th Century Timișoara: the Romanticism and historismus and progress paradigm, pluralism of styles, Paris and Haussman urbanism theory, Viena-Ringstrasse- defortification of Timișoara and the new relation with the historical centre; modernisation paralells. The range of subjects covered by the lectures is diverse and argued by the studies on metamorphosis of the European image from the 18th to the 20th centuries, in an area whose identity derives from its geographical position and civilizational diversity with an emphasis on a series of case studies of the most representative monuments. In order to understand the present we have to acknowledge the past, in this case the position of Timișoara across centuries with particularities that shape the local heritage as part of the European identity; the change of attitudes in the 1900’s was reflected in the new artistic movements: Art Nouveau and Secession; introduction to the idea of periphery integrated within the whole with pages of visual history where monuments are deciphered by means of historical truth.

By Ariesan Claudiu

Sympathetic Humour and Postmodern Irony in our times. Soothing the Soul vs. sharpening our Rhetorics
Abstract of Course

Ancient cultural models viewed laughter as a source of purification due to its close connection with the comic, in opposition to the tragic, and with the banal or sadness of everyday life (pandemics included!). During the Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the science of the comic, with its philosophical, aesthetic and anthropological resources, had to face the challenge of being regarded with suspicion by theology, whose adepts failed, for the most part, to grasp its essence, force and significance. The sinuous history of the integration of smile, even in its angelic form, constitutes a topic of great relevance in present-day circumstances, when cheap irony and public derision has almost entirely replaced the profound, redemptive effects of quality humour. Classical philosophy, patristics and modern thought converge to mark a symbolic trajectory for the sympathetic smile in each of us. A scholarly foray into the area of nowadays laughter which we propose may turn into a life lesson, regarding the universality of this phenomenon: each man, each nation has its specifics in the area of comicology and we should all enrich ourselves with the experiences of others. As the only human activity that generates more cerebral energy than it consumes, laughter acts as a corrective to the cerebral cortical flow. Positive laughter can charge our energetic “batteries” and help our mental circuits to regenerate. And our ways of academic speaking can improve by adapting such consecrated humorous and ironical techniques.

By Blidisel Rodica

Taxation and Accounting in the Digital Era and Global Economy

The course addresses the changes in taxation and accounting focusing on international challenges, in particular, taking into account digitalization of economies.
The implementation of new regulations and harmonization of taxation and accounting in EU countries influence investment and decision-making of companies and limits establishment of tax-efficient capital structures (mixtures of debt and equity) by companies, increase effective tax burden and boost tax compliance costs.
Digitalisation of the economy, driven by development of Fin Tech companies, has brought the international corporate tax debate to a critical point. Therefore, during the last period OECD developed Framework on domestic tax Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) and Action Plans aiming to tackle tax avoidance through multinational enterprises exploiting gaps and mismatches between different countries' tax systems, improve the coherence of international tax rules and to ensure a more transparent tax environment. The course will contribute to the development of accounting and tax management skills and competencies to the potential employees of internationally operating businesses.
The students will apply multidisciplinary approach to analyze the aims, practices and consequences of taxes which affect the business process. The attendance of the course will facilitate participants’ development / enhancement of technical knowledge and analytical skills on:
1. Current attempts at Tax Harmonization within the European Union including:
- EU Anti-tax Avoidance Directive,
- OECD Framework on domestic tax Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) and Action Plans,
- Proposed Financial Transaction Tax (FTT),
2. Regulations of digital taxation and their implications on businesses,
3. Accounting practices in the Digital Era at European and international level,
4. Effects of business taxation and accounting on firm-level decisions (including tax-efficient capital structures (mixtures of debt and equity)).
The course will contain real world case studies related to taxation and accounting in international digital context and will use digital tools and innovative practices according to collaborative teaching and learning methods (problem based learning).
The case studies aim to explore the effects of accounting and business taxation on firm-level decisions, arising from corporate tax harmonization and taxing digital businesses.

Conf. Univ. Dr. Rodica Gabriela Blidișel
Departamentul de Contabilitate și Audit
Facultatea de Economie și de Administrare a Afacerilor
rodica.blidisel@e-uvt.ro

By Selea Teodora

Machine Learning Applied on Earth Observation Data

Artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning, these are the buzz words of the moment! In this course we dive into the magic behind these learning algorithms and see how we can use them to automatically extract information from Earth Observation Data. The European Satellite Programme (Copernicus) provides 12 terrabytes of data per day – for free, having applications in various real-life scenarios from land monitoring, agriculture, forestry to emergency management or urban planning. This course provides an introduction into processing and understanding satellite optical data (images) and how to combine it with Computer Vision AI techniques. Therefore, we learn the basics for working with free and open-source satellite data, using several specialized Python libraries: rasterio, geopandas or shapely. Also, by hands-on experiments, we are going to explore a Python deep learning library, Keras, by applying popular AI Computer Vision techniques to our satellite data.

By Tovarnitchii Constantin

Presentation skills and nonverbal communication.

It is a very practical course inspired by acting techniques, in order to gain personal comfort and self-confidence in front of the public / audience. The course involves a series of acting exercises and games that will lead to anchoring in front of the public, to relax, to obtain an optimal comfortability, using breathing, relaxation and body repositioning exercises. Will be studied also the body language before speaking, pauses and the power to be silent in front of people.

We will work one by one, customized, according to the needs and abilities of each participant, in several types of presentations. Following this course, the participants will acquire skills that will allow them to be more confident, to hold a coherent speech in front of an audience, an interview, so that they can demonstrate their own qualities and abilities.

By Ciutacu Sorin

WORDS’ HISTORIES. COURSE TOPICS FOR THE LATE SUMMER COURSE OF WUT
by Assoc. Prof. Dr Sorin Ciutacu, West University of Timisoara
TOPIC ZERO: THE THING AND THE SIGN. SEMIOTICS AND PHILOSOPHY
Plato’s dialogue Cratylus describes a debate on two opposite opinions. Cratylus believes in a bond between language, thought, and reality and insists that words reflect some properties of things (physis). Cratylus’s opponent, Hermogenes maintains the opposite view. According to him, the names of all things are the result of convention (thesis).
TOPIC ONE: WHAT IS ETYMOLOGY? METHODS AND PRINCIPLES OF ETYMOLOGY
Etymology not based on sound correspondences will only arrive at reasonable conclusions when the case is blatant (Latin pater vs. Engl. father) or by mere chance. Today the origin of many words remains unknown, but we are able to steer clear of misleading convergences, however falsely rewarding they may seem. For a long time, the main method of etymology was dissecting a word and adding, subtracting, and transposing letters. Basically, etymologists of today do the same thing, but according to rules and steered by the facts of history.
TOPIC TWO: BORROWED WORDS
The second topic proves that English words are a mixed linguistic hoard. They come from many languages in addition to the native Germanic words, giving the English language a rich, multilevel vocabulary. By looking at these words, we can learn about encounters with speakers of other languages. English words reflect a history of extensive language contact: in Britain, in the Americas, and around the world through imperialism and colonisation, and today, through globalisation and World Englishes.
English stands out among languages in terms of just how many words it has borrowed. In this borrowing, we can see how different kinds of words gather around in different areas of the lexicon, for example, Greek and Latin in science.
TOPIC THREE: CHANGE OF MEANING
A third topic is that words change all the time. English, as a living language, is ever-changing. The human mind is a creative entity, and through our creativity, we change the language. It’s important to note that change is a natural part of language, not in any way a destructive force. There is no endpoint or destination in language. Looking at change in the past, we can learn a lot about our history—and we need to recognize and become comfortable with the idea that the changes around us are more interesting than worrisome.
Even though it is commonsensical to consider change as error, but here we will look upon change more often as creativity. This is how linguists think about change, as opposed to how writers of usage guides consider it.
TOPIC FOUR: THE ORIGIN OF EARLIEST WORDS AND ANCIENT ROOTS The greatest temptation of etymology is to go so far as to be able to discover the origin of language. Yet word historians are not geared up to make such a discovery. The past stages of the majority of languages spoken today are either unknown or documented for a relatively brief period. In some cultures, words are well preserved, but in others they are replaced at a quick pace.
TOPIC FIVE: SOUND SYMBOLISM AND FOLK ETYMOLOGY
The form of the word may hinge upon the impression the sounds of speech call up in us. The extent of the dependence is hard to assess, and etymologists, like all scholars, feel uncomfortable when dealing with elusive data. The process of altering otherwise incomprehensible words, in order to give them a semblance of meaning, is called folk, or popular, etymology. A product of ignorance, it nevertheless should not be underestimated as a factor of language history, for many familiar words owe their form to it.
TOPIC SIX: WORDS’ HISTORIES ILLUSTRATED
The 40 odd words discussed under this heading illustrate the diverse origins of the English vocabulary. They also show some of the ways in which words change in meaning. Each entry traces the history of a word as far back as possible. The evolution of English words from their earliest use in English into modern times represent a true kind of cultural history viewed from a semantic angle.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ayto, J (2005), Word Origins. The Hidden Histories of English Words from A to Z, Second Edition, A&C Black: London
Curzan, A (2012), The Secret Life of Words, The Great Courses: Chantilly, VA
Danner, H (2014), A Thesaurus of English Word Roots, Rowman &Littlefield: Lanham, Maryland
Liberman, A (2009), Word Origins And How We Know Them. Etymology for Everyone, OUP: Oxford
Stockwell, R & Minkova, D (2001), English Words. History and Structure. CUP: Cambridge
*** Merriam-Webster's Book of Word Histories (1991), Merriam-Webster Inc.: Springfield Massachussets

By Putz Mihai

QUANTUM LOGICS OF CHEMISTRY

Lesson 1: Quantum Assessment for Atomic Stability: the alternative (to Heisenberg-Schrödinger) quantum mechanical description of total energy given by path integrals specialized to Feynman-Kleinert formalism, while recovering the Bohr quantification of Hydrogen(ic) atom(ic) prototype, is presented, yet within a more general framework in which the stability issue is solved by existing quantum fluctuation, here explicitely modeled by periodic paths and Matsubara frequencies; both ground and exited states are treated in quantum statistical perspective.
Lesson 2: Quantum Nature of The Chemical Bond: Valence, Orbitals and Bondons: The classical quantum methods in characterizing chemical bonding, i.e. the valence orbital theory (of Pauling) and the molecular orbital theory (of Heitler and London) are firstly exposed (and illustrated for paradigmatic molecular systems) for didactical and benchmarking research purpose on fundamental nature of the chemical bonding. Then, the “missing link” in characterizing chemical bonding field by its associated quantum particle, the bondon, is revealed by employing the combined Bohmian quantum formalism within the Schrödinger quantum picture of electron motions so resulting in specific bondonic -mass, -velocity, -charge, and -life-time; the mass-velocity-charge-time quaternionic properties of bondons’ particles are finally used in discussing various types of chemical bond towards assessing their covalent, multiple bonding, metallic and ionic features.

By Seiman Corina

Biochemistry aspects in various medical conditions
Lecturer: Senior Lecturer PhD. Corina SEIMAN

Medical Biochemistry combines paraclinical aspects with notions of semiology, means of clinical investigation and medical imaging for various pathologies.

In this course I will cover the possibilities of investigation, diagnostic methods, in medical pathologies such as dermatology, ENT, gastroenterology, neurology, physiokinetotherapy, cardiology, internal medicine, diabetes, ophthalmology, urology.

It is known that the mechanisms of action of drugs in different diseases, the classification of the main conditions framed in these pathologies, and the correlation of biochemical parameters with clinical signs is not only effective but also spectacular as a concept transdisciplinary approach to biochemistry in relation to other sciences, chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, pharmacy, toxicology.

This course is structured according to the following topics: the treatment of pathologies, within each classification of the main diseases, mechanisms of action, methods of diagnostic, harvested biochemical parameters, clinical signs and symptoms, treatment symptoms, therapeutic protocols and procedures.

You know that learning process is usually fascinating by playing, and each notion will be determined practically by students. Students will use breakout rooms for teamwork, will use the crossword puzzle, will stick puzzle pieces to build the clinical picture for each pathology themselves.

At the end, the subject of perfumes will be covered, together with the perfume synthesis, the personalization of a fragrance according to a palette of individual characteristics, the aspects of toxicology and physiopathy, in relation to the skin and emotional reactions of humans.

"Man can only become man through education. He's nothing but what education makes of him." I. Kant

By Andreescu Diana

Key points in the History of Design (1900-2000) 100 years of Design

What is History of Design?
Assimilation of knowledge in the field of design history, familiarization with the specialized language and issues specific to the field (shape, color, texture, material, semantics, etc.), preparation for specialized practical creation.

Description and purpose of the course History of Design

In this course you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the complete history of design, ie with its separation from art, as well as with the directions in industrial and graphic design. In addition, you will be introduced to areas such as interior design, architecture, and their impact on modern trends in design and art. The Design History course is designed so that it can be attended by anyone, regardless of your prior knowledge when you begin this course.

Course plan and syllabus:
1. The historical bases of design from the industrial evolution to the Arts & Crafts movement
Introduction to the history of design
How has design influenced the development of printing and the graphic design of books?
Familiarizing students with the Industrial Revolution and the Arts & Crafts movement

2. The beginning of the 20th century and the Second World War
Art Nouveau - Secessionism
Art Nouveau - Industrial design and architecture
Plakatstil and war propaganda from the First World War

3. Avant-garde movements and design development
The avant-garde movements in the twentieth century
Constructivism
Bauhaus
De Stijl
Art Deco

4. Design after the Second World War
What did the design of the '50s look like?
The new functionalism and antidesign
The psychedelic era, revolutions and pop culture
The '80s,' 90s and contemporary design

By Vulcanov Dumitru

HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE AND COSMOLOGY
Prof.univ.dr. Dumitru N. Vulcanov

Starting from the ideea that scientific and religious knowledge also involves establishing the place and role of humanity in the universe, modern science (physics) has established a series of coordinates that comprise the scientific knowledge and description of the dynamics of the universe from its birth to its present form, using mathematical and experimental means. That is why this field, although extremely interesting and appealing to the general public especially since the direct detection of gravitational waves in LIGO project – awarded with the Nobel prize for physics in 2017- , is accessible only by the mathematical and scientific knowledge of the person who is approaching it. In addition, day by day cosmology and astrophysics are becoming an element of contemporary culture and the idea of a graduate student (of any specialty or field) with no knowledge of the Big-Bang, black holes or the expansion of the universe is inconceivable. This is the role we expect this course to have, without formulas, without mathematical calculations or sophisticated explanations from physics, but with an illustrative description of the main concepts and ideas of modern astrophysics and cosmology. In addition, we will give special attention to people and their history that have developed this field, which is the greatest adventure of the human mind of modern times.

By Lisetchi Mihail

"Here’s the thing: lofty ideals are not enough. Wanting to do good is one thing. Actually doing good is another. "Getting the changemaker mindset: reinvent yourself as a social entrepreneur" will help you understand the process of social entrepreneurial problem-solving, arm you with the concepts and some of the practical skills required for a social value centered project and empower you, as a change agent, to make a difference starting right now.

Like it or not, the modern world forces us to constantly reinvent ourselves. And the reinvention process requires an entrepreneurial mindset. You will be challenged to get out of your comfort zone and start engaging with the diverse community problems around you. So, how do we create innovative and effective solutions to community problems? This course is for anyone who wants to make a difference. Whether you are already familiar with the field of social innovation or social entrepreneurship, working for an organization that wants to increase its social impact, or just starting out, this course will take you on a journey of exploring the complex problems that surround us and how solve them.

The course guides you step by step to create the business model for your own project concept. You learn to develop from the intersection of your strengths and a specific social need an actionable project idea. In a nutshell, you'll learn to apply entrepreneurial skills to social problems and design lasting solutions. You bring your passion and the cause. The course curriculum provides the actionable tools to get you started and step up your game.

By the end of the course, you will have formed your own approach to social entrepreneurship, and you will have begun to develop the concepts, mindset, skills, and relationships that will enable you to start and evolve as a changemaker. Oh, you already know what social entrepreneurship means and why is it important? Than why don’t you just step in and share it with us?"

By Vertes Andreea

The Constitution today. Judicial review and civil liberties
The course is addressed primarily to those students interested in the legal framework of the political phenomenon of the nation, namely the key elements of the existence of the State, as well as the legal principles and concepts, such as the separation of powers or the rule of law, that ensure its proper functioning and the ways in which it must be structured and controlled in order to fulfill its purpose - protecting the rights and freedoms of the people.

The Constitution is the supreme set of norms that directs all social activities and legally frames the political phenomenon in a given country. In addition, the Constitution has the vocation to govern all fields of law, the different branches seeing their fundamental principles determined or interpreted through the decisions of the Constitutional Court.

The Constitution does not enumerate all of the rules and rights, principles and procedures that actually govern a nation or, on some issues, the plain meaning is evasive or ambiguous. The solution to many constitutional conundrums lies not solely within the written document, but beyond it, in the mixture of values, precedents and practices that complement and complete the concise text.

The course offers to take the students on a tour of the Constitution, showing how each nation’s foundational document cannot be understood in mere textual isolation. Proper constitutional interpretation depends on an array of factors, such as the precedents set by political institutions, common practices, constitutional judicial review or the influence of ECJ and ECtHR case law - indispensible instruments for making sense of the fundamental text.

By Darjan Ioana

“Counseling and self-development” is a course that proposes a logical, exciting journey on the path of self-understanding and self-development. The topics approach relevant subjects as the development and structuring of self-concept, self-image, self-esteem, the architecture of the human system of beliefs, and their impact on everyday life, resilience and assertiveness, and coping strategies.
The main topics are Self-concept development, The human cognitive system, Cognitive distortions, irrational beliefs, and cognitive restructuring, Stress, Wellbeing, Resilience, and Assertiveness.
The course presents both relevant theories about human personality and behavior, grounded mainly in cognitive and positive psychology, and practical solutions and strategies to promote mental health.
The didactical approach is reflective and collaborative learning, using hermeneutic conversation, guided discovery, reflection, and self-reflection.
The acquired competencies and learning objectives could be helpful to self-development and self-empowerment, and, also, could represent professional competencies (for counselors, therapists, teachers, etc.) in assisting and supporting clients to cope with stress, trauma, and loss, and to improve their self-esteem, resilience, and assertiveness.