Academic Content
For Summer Academy 2024, we are hosting two separate sessions.
Two academic streams will be offered during both cohorts. MSA students may only participate in one
Pathways to Neuro and Health Sciences
Through a series of lectures, case studies, simulations, experiments, and debates, we will explore the complex structure and function of the human nervous system. We will outline some of the stories of McGill scientists that lead to major breakthroughs in understanding the brain.
Brain development will be traced to examine how the nervous system develops from a single cell. We will contrast how the neonatal brain differs from an adult brain and how it continues to change as we get older.
Students will then survey different systems in the brain that encode and process sensory information to help us feel and understand our world. After this survey, we will illustrate how the brain creates a motor response that allows us to move and speak.
Understanding Migration, Global Citizenship and Diasporic Resistance
This course delves into the multifaceted phenomenon of global migration. Students will explore historical, social, economic, and political debates using a cosmopolitan lens to critically interrogate key concepts and approaches to the study of migration.
Students will engage in critical discussions, analyze case studies, and explore different perspectives to develop a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding migration. Key topics will include: the causes and consequences of migration, the role of states and international organizations in shaping migration policies, and constructing human rights from below.
A significant aspect of the course will be a citizens’ assembly simulation which encourages students to collaborate and participate in the democratic process in constructing the parameters for their learning about migration. The assembly will allow students to build and demonstrate skills such as critical reading, presentation and public opinion polling through a dynamic, team-based environment. Students will learn the philosophy of cosmopolitanism, a worldview that emphasizes global citizenship and interconnectedness.
By engaging real-world complexities that shape migration policies, this course addresses the challenges faced by migrants, the impact of migration on national culture and diasporic identities, and the debates surrounding acculturation in so-called host societies. Overall, this course will emphasize the importance of empathy, accountability, and solidarity that is necessary to foster inclusive societies.
The 2024 syllabus for this course is currently being updated by a McGill Faculty member. More information will become available to applicants before the end of March.