HTE406
Barcelona as a case study: 12 walks to test success
Faculty
Alfred Bosch
Writer and Historian
Course length
Duration
Total hours
Credits
Language
Course type
Fee for single course
Fee for degree students
Skills you’ll learn
Overview
This course will focus on what a city requires for success. The case of Barcelona is especially relevant because this is where our students are living and also because it has no given bonuses (no big water courses, no natural port, no mineral resources, no crossroads, no state capital condition, no huge fortunes…).
That compels us to wonder exactly where and why achievement reaches its highest mark. This case study will force us to focus on the importance of human qualities and conditions which promote talent and innovation, possibly the key to local and global (glocal) success.
Learning highlights
- Introduction to Barcelona, the host city of Harbour Space
- Cultural connection to the town; building a friendlier environment for the student
- Analysis of success patterns for collective projects
- Debate and discussion on trial and error in community decisions
- Outdoors urban experience as a learning method
- Familiarity with sources and information about surrounding society
- The outcome should be a comfortable relationship between the student and his urban and social environment, thus favouring interaction and a convenient framework for academic work. No students should study in Barcelona with his/her back to the community.
Course outline
15 classes
Session 1 (Remember, Wednesday February 1st)
The past. Performing above size. Gothic splendour.
Session 2
The Catalan factor. Shut your eyes, wish it hard and you will become Catalan.
Session 3
When roots are not a barrier but a strength.
Session 4
Success out of failure and necessity. The Industrial Revolution, Eixample and Cerdà.
Session 5
Local power and autonomy. The lack of a capital condition.
Session 6
Crazy enough to beat conventional wisdom. Sagrada Familia and Gaudí.
Session 7
Doomed to struggle and overcome. Civil War and Franco.
Session 8
Urban sprawl, business, corruption and the grey years. Meridiana and Plaça Massada.
Session 9
The Barcelona 1992 olympics. How the choice was made.
Session 10
Never mind where you come from; civil society and FC Barcelona Stadium.
Session 11
The human towers, allegory of collective achievement. Castellers de Sants.
Session 12
The winter festival. Street celebration and popular mediterranean leisure.
Session 13
Olympics as a pretext. Olympic village, beaches and plaça Prim.
Session 14
Pushed to engage in trade and entrepreneurship. Consolat de Mar, Llotja.
Session 15
Barcelona, turn pretty. Rambla, Raval, Old harbor, hotels and tourism.
Prerequisites
Basic fitness for walking for a couple of hours is required. Any candidate requiring special mobility should contact the Student office. This is not a tourist activity. Following the course will entail active participation, hard work, reading and completing the requested papers.
Attendance is compulsory, and non-attendance should be justified.
Methodology
Most of the sessions will include outdoor lessons and practical visits, with about a dozen walks or more around town, and as few as possible indoor sessions. Visits to sites or monuments will, unfortunately, be limited and subject to change according to circumstances, although alternatives will always be at hand. Some minor costs, fees or tickets, might be necessary for certain sites. This will be mentioned beforehand and alternatives discussed.
Grading
Alfred Bosch was born and raised in Barcelona, where he lives. Aside from Catalan and Spanish, he masters English, French and Portuguese and speaks basic German and Italian. Professor and researcher in academic institutions at home and abroad: Pompeu Fabra University, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Open University of Catalonia, Rovira i Virgili University, CIDOB, University of Chicago (USA), CEAN Bordeaux (France), University of London (UK), University of Ibadan (Nigeria), University of Witwatersrand (South Africa) and Hood College (Washington). He also chaired the African Studies Centre and completed a PhD dissertation on Nelson Mandela and the ANC.
Lucky to have a multi-faceted background. He was deeply involved in the organization of the 1992 Olympics of Barcelona. Columnist for various newspapers, he covered war conflicts around the globe. As a writer, he has published 20 different titles –including fiction and non-fiction- on a range of topics from African societies to the debate on European and Catalan issues. In politics, he has been congressman in Madrid, leader of his group in Barcelona City Council, vice- president of Metropolitan Barcelona in charge of International Affairs and Foreign Minister of the Catalan (Autonomous) Government. Glad to return to the world of knowledge.
See full profileApply for this course
Barcelona as a case study: 12 walks to test success
by Alfred Bosch
Total hours
45 Hours
Dates
Jan 30 - Feb 17, 2023
Fee for single course
€1500
Fee for degree students
€750
How to secure your spot
Complete the form below to kickstart your application
Schedule your Harbour.Space interview
If successful, get ready to join us on campus
FAQ
Will I receive a certificate after completion?
Yes. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate signed by the director of the program your course belonged to.
Do I need a visa?
This depends on your case. Please check with the Spanish or Thai consulate in your country of residence about visa requirements. We will do our part to provide you with the necessary documents, such as the Certificate of Enrollment.
Can I get a discount?
Yes. The easiest way to enroll in a course at a discounted price is to register for multiple courses. Registering for multiple courses will reduce the cost per individual course. Please ask the Admissions Office for more information about the other kinds of discounts we offer and what you can do to receive one.