298H Seminars - Spring 2020

Americans cherish the right to say what they think—but they also value other things such as justice, privacy, decency and fairness. Sometimes freedom of expression collides with one of those other rights we value, leading to some interesting and complex conflicts. The right to express ourselves is specifically delineated in the First Amendment and interpreted in hundreds of laws and court cases since the U.S. Constitution was written. This seminar examines the benefits—and costs—of freedom of expression in various parts of American culture. The course stresses that the right to freedom of expression applies to all citizens, not only to the media. Students will be expected to do frequent writing in various formats and to make occasional oral presentations.

This course, Honors in Winnipeg: An Ethics Based Study of Human Rights, will be a three-credit Honors experiential seminar followed by a one week trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Students may earn an additional Honors credit hour for the travel through UHON 201H. This experiential, global course will focus on human rights by first recognizing and learning more about past approaches. Faculty will immerse students in this subject matter through curated case studies, local field trips within Nebraska, and an extended trip to the Winnipeg area including the Fisher River Reserve and the Canada Museum for Human Rights guided by scholars from the museum and the University of Winnipeg. Midway through our term, we will also collaborate with the University of Manitoba and join our class with one of their classes to open a global dialogue on human rights. The goal is to provide you with a brief, intensive learning experience focused on global challenges to human rights at all social and political levels by actively engaging in difficult content and discussion. To enroll, first apply for the trip via MyWorld on the Education Abroad website.

This course is an interdisciplinary seminar in which you will hear from a variety of professors from different fields. They will tell you their stories including any "eureka" moments of enlightenment, how they chose the career paths that they did, discussion of any challenges they had to face, mention of any controversies they encountered and discussion of some of their most rewarding moments along the way. The course will also include a weekly recitation in which you do group problem solving through simulations, guided discussions and other types of oral and written communication exercises to dive more fully into the material presented by the guest professors.

Nebraska—the state and the University—has changed a lot in the last century and a half. At the heart of what makes Nebraska unique, strong, and special are its people. People, who, contrary to stereotypes of the Great Plains, come from a wide and diverse range of backgrounds. This class highlights the key and diverse contributions Huskers—of the past and present—have made in the fields of politics, art, science, agriculture, media, and business. Together, this class introduces you to this shared history, one that you will draw from, debate about, and add to while on you are on campus and for the rest of your lives. Nebraska will change you. How will you change Nebraska?

Ensuring water and food security for a growing global population without compromising the environment is one of the grand challenges of our time. Whether in Nebraska, California, Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting sustainable agricultural systems involves a multitude of public and private sector actors and depends on individuals and organizations cooperating to build trust using old and new technologies and behavioral insights. This interdisciplinary and interactive course will focus on the business and sustainability aspects of water use for food production. An associated and selective summer international engagement experience will allow students to travel to Rwanda to participate in a long-term research project on scaling smallholder irrigation. Throughout the course, the emphasis will be on analyzing entrepreneurial approaches by public and private sector actors to evaluate the use of water in agriculture and potential impacts, opportunities, and challenges.