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Evolution by natural selection has created amazingly complex and sophisticated solutions to some very difficult problems - how exactly does it achieve this, and how can we harness this capability for engineering artificial systems and computational problem solving?

The content includes key concepts, tools and approaches in:
- Basic aspects of evolutionary biology,
- Techniques in artificial evolutionary computation,
- Scientific exchange between the two disciplines: e.g. how artificial evolutionary algorithms help us understand the capabilities and limitations of biological evolution, and how current topics in evolutionary biology inspire new solutions to evolvability and scalability in engineering.

This module is intended as an optional module for appropriate part 4 undergraduates and MSc students. Prior completion of specific modules is not a prerequisite for enrolment. This unit introduces basic biological topics to a computer science/numerate audience and assumes no biological background/pre-requisites. However, the module does involve considerable biological as well as computational material, and would suit students with an interest in the theory of evolution and competence in programming.

There has been growing interest in the past few years in how cities and regions respond and adapt to rapid, and often turbulent, economic change, and why some cities and regions appear much more successful than others in coping with and taking advantage of such change. The aim of this module is
to examine a new evolutionary economic geography which explores how ideas and concepts from a number of sciences concerned with the evolution of complex systems can be used to explain regional change and adaptability. The course considers how the economic structures and activities of cities and regions economies are shaped by rapidly changing global market conditions and competition, technological change, and shifts in public policy and modes of political–economic governance. How relevant are the ideas of emergence, self-organisation, path creation, adaptive cycles, robustness and resilience to the study of city and regional economies? Using a range of examples from different types of economy, it examines how processes of creative destruction produce the rise of new industries and the decline of others. It compares different types of regional innovation systems and their knowledge networks. It outlines some of the recent dynamics of global production networks, and it reviews the consequences of these processes for different economic regions. It considers some of the ways in which economic processes are set within variegated and differentiated regulatory contexts and how these result in varied experiences.

There has been growing interest in the past few years in how cities and regions respond and adapt to rapid, and often turbulent, economic change, and why some cities and regions appear much more successful than others in coping with and taking advantage of such change. The aim of this module is
to examine a new evolutionary economic geography which explores how ideas and concepts from a number of sciences concerned with the evolution of complex systems can be used to explain regional change and adaptability. The course considers how the economic structures and activities of cities and regions economies are shaped by rapidly changing global market conditions and competition, technological change, and shifts in public policy and modes of political–economic governance. How relevant are the ideas of emergence, self-organisation, path creation, adaptive cycles, robustness and resilience to the study of city and regional economies? Using a range of examples from different types of economy, it examines how processes of creative destruction produce the rise of new industries and the decline of others. It compares different types of regional innovation systems and their knowledge networks. It outlines some of the recent dynamics of global production networks, and it reviews the consequences of these processes for different economic regions. It considers some of the ways in which economic processes are set within variegated and differentiated regulatory contexts and how these result in varied experiences.

There has been growing interest in the past few years in how cities and regions respond and adapt to rapid, and often turbulent, economic change, and why some cities and regions appear much more successful than others in coping with and taking advantage of such change. The aim of this module is
to examine a new evolutionary economic geography which explores how ideas and concepts from a number of sciences concerned with the evolution of complex systems can be used to explain regional change and adaptability. The course considers how the economic structures and activities of cities and regions economies are shaped by rapidly changing global market conditions and competition, technological change, and shifts in public policy and modes of political–economic governance. How relevant are the ideas of emergence, self-organisation, path creation, adaptive cycles, robustness and resilience to the study of city and regional economies? Using a range of examples from different types of economy, it examines how processes of creative destruction produce the rise of new industries and the decline of others. It compares different types of regional innovation systems and their knowledge networks. It outlines some of the recent dynamics of global production networks, and it reviews the consequences of these processes for different economic regions. It considers some of the ways in which economic processes are set within variegated and differentiated regulatory contexts and how these result in varied experiences.

The level and extent to which corporate executives, especially those of large multinational corporations pay themselves has, and continues to be, a hot and sometimes, controversial re-occurring issue of major interests to governments, regulators, media and the general public worldwide. Indeed, the past decades have witnessed a rapid emergence of good executive compensation and corporate governance practices as crucial parts of running any successful corporation. In particular, one reason for the increased interests in the level and composition of executive pay is that it has implications for corporate performance, ethics and risk-taking. Reckless risk-taking often motivated by greed and excessive compensation motives of executives’ of large global banks, financial institutions and corporations were, for example, implicated as part of the causes of the 2007/08 global financial crisis. In a similar vein, the pay packages of senior managers (e.g., vice-chancellors, presidents, principals, directors and chief executive officers) of public sector and non-profit organisations, such as higher education institutions and universities, NHS trusts, local governments and charities have come under severe public scrutiny recently. Therefore, the central aim of this module is to provide students with a thorough grounding in a range of advanced topics in executive compensation. In particular, the module seeks to introduce and develop students’ ability to critically evaluate a wide of range of contemporary concepts, disclosures, issues, markets, measures, measurement, mechanisms, metrics, performance, pricing/valuation, principles, options, reforms, regulations, research and theories in executive compensation. The module is delivered with a strong international or comparative emphasis and targeted at postgraduate students in financial management, accounting, finance, business and management. The ultimate rationale is to provide students with international view of, and knowledge in, executive compensation theory, research and practice. In particular, explicit efforts will be made at striking a fair balance between theory and practice in the delivery of the module. Delivery is made up of lectures, seminars and independent studies. Seminars involving a selected set of questions will provide students with opportunities for formative assessment and feedback. Students joining the module will be expected to be willing and ready to engage in a wide range of independent reading, writing, questioning and seeking explanations.

The level and extent to which corporate executives, especially those of large multinational corporations pay themselves has, and continues to be, a hot and sometimes, controversial re-occurring issue of major interests to governments, regulators, media and the general public worldwide. Indeed, the past decades have witnessed a rapid emergence of good executive compensation and corporate governance practices as crucial parts of running any successful corporation. In particular, one reason for the increased interests in the level and composition of executive pay is that it has implications for corporate performance, ethics and risk-taking. Reckless risk-taking often motivated by greed and excessive compensation motives of executives’ of large global banks, financial institutions and corporations were, for example, implicated as part of the causes of the 2007/08 global financial crisis. In a similar vein, the pay packages of senior managers (e.g., vice-chancellors, presidents, principals, directors and chief executive officers) of public sector and non-profit organisations, such as higher education institutions and universities, NHS trusts, local governments and charities have come under severe public scrutiny recently. Therefore, the central aim of this module is to provide students with a thorough grounding in a range of advanced topics in executive compensation. In particular, the module seeks to introduce and develop students’ ability to critically evaluate a wide of range of contemporary concepts, disclosures, issues, markets, measures, measurement, mechanisms, metrics, performance, pricing/valuation, principles, options, reforms, regulations, research and theories in executive compensation. The module is delivered with a strong international or comparative emphasis and targeted at postgraduate students in financial management, accounting, finance, business and management. The ultimate rationale is to provide students with international view of, and knowledge in, executive compensation theory, research and practice. In particular, explicit efforts will be made at striking a fair balance between theory and practice in the delivery of the module. Delivery is made up of lectures, seminars and independent studies. Seminars involving a selected set of questions will provide students with opportunities for formative assessment and feedback. Students joining the module will be expected to be willing and ready to engage in a wide range of independent reading, writing, questioning and seeking explanations.

This module sits at the core of your development on the Global Executive MBA (GEMBA), and in its focus on developing Future Leaders. In an increasingly volatile, uncertain, changing and ambiguous (VUCA) global environment, the requirements for leaders to be able to adapt and motivate teams, stakeholders, and themselves personally, has never been greater. In addition, the pace of change places significant well-being pressures on individuals as leaders, and the ability to understand and know yourself sits at the core of being able to effectively lead others in a sustainable, effective, and positive manner.
As leaders, the core of the practice must be based on actively embracing, championing, and personifying EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, and INCLUSIVITY (EDI). The Executive Personal and Leadership Development Programme (EPLDP) consistently provides teaching, application, and exploration of the requirements and challenges that Future Leaders face in both in the workplace and socially. The values of EDI are critical in the GEMBA and EPLDP, and your successful completion of your GEMBA degree can only be achieved if you consistently demonstrate and develop your EDI knowledge and practice. Included in the EDI focus are the issues of both Sustainable Leadership (SL) and Ethical Leadership (EL). By combining the focus on EDI, SL and EL, you will develop capabilities that are crucial in the leadership of complex, multi-cultural, local and global teams, groups, and organisations.

This module sits at the core of your development on the Global Executive MBA (GEMBA), and in its focus on developing Future Leaders. In an increasingly volatile, uncertain, changing and ambiguous (VUCA) global environment, the requirements for leaders to be able to adapt and motivate teams, stakeholders, and themselves personally, has never been greater. In addition, the pace of change places significant well-being pressures on individuals as leaders, and the ability to understand and know yourself sits at the core of being able to effectively lead others in a sustainable, effective, and positive manner.
As leaders, the core of the practice must be based on actively embracing, championing, and personifying EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, and INCLUSIVITY (EDI). The Executive Personal and Leadership Development Programme (EPLDP) consistently provides teaching, application, and exploration of the requirements and challenges that Future Leaders face in both in the workplace and socially. The values of EDI are critical in the GEMBA and EPLDP, and your successful completion of your GEMBA degree can only be achieved if you consistently demonstrate and develop your EDI knowledge and practice. Included in the EDI focus are the issues of both Sustainable Leadership (SL) and Ethical Leadership (EL). By combining the focus on EDI, SL and EL, you will develop capabilities that are crucial in the leadership of complex, multi-cultural, local and global teams, groups, and organisations.

How should I live my life and does it matter that I do so in good faith? What is it to live an authentic existence in light of the fact that that existence will at some point end? How is living authentically or in good faith related to being oneself, an individual, as opposed to being just one of the crowd? These are among the central questions that ‘existentialist’ thinkers, such as Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Heidegger, try to answer. This module aims to introduce you to the different perspectives that some of the most prominent existentialists have on such questions, and to give you the chance to reflect on these issues in light of their work.

How should I live my life and does it matter that I do so in good faith? What is it to live an authentic existence in light of the fact that that existence will at some point end? How is living authentically or in good faith related to being oneself, an individual, as opposed to being just one of the crowd? These are among the central questions that ‘existentialist’ thinkers, such as Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Heidegger, try to answer. This module aims to introduce you to the different perspectives that some of the most prominent existentialists have on such questions, and to give you the chance to reflect on these issues in light of their work.