'Universities serve to make students think: to resolve problems by argument supported by evidence; not to be dismayed by complexity, but bold in unravelling it'.  (What are universities for? by Geoffrey Boulton and Colin Lucas).   This course takes up this challenge by offering latter year students the opportunity to explore a series of complex issues. The connections between economic, historical, social, legal, scientific, engineering and environmental and moral dimensions of complex problems will be explored.    

In 2010 the course will examine the linked themes of  'collapse' and ‘resilience'.  Case studies will include global financial crises, the collapse of empires, contemporary 'failing' states, pandemics, engineering and network failures and the moral and legal dimensions of these issues.

For more details see course webpage.

Enrolment process

A maximum of 25 students selected on basis of outstanding results and interest in and commitment to working in policy areas.

Please register your interest by emailing UGadminLaw@law.anu.edu.au by 1 July 2011.

For more information about this course, please contact Student Administration at the ANU College of Law.

1. Enhanced ability to analyse complex issues, including from a legal perspective;
2. Knowledge of different methodologies for analysing complex issues, including legal methodologies ;
3. Ability to apply more than one method in order to unravel complex issues.

1. Reflective learning portfolio that includes reflection upon the issues from a legal dimension, as well as evidence of preparation for each of the student run seminars/tutorials. 
2. Prepare and give a policy briefing paper to ‘minister' or ‘senior public servants' in a role-play on complex real world contemporary problem. This will be done in multi-disciplinary groups at short notice to simulated working in policy areas. 
3. Facilitating a tutorial/seminar to maximise your classmates learning. 
4. Individual five minute talk to your tutorial group on what the course has taught you about unravelling a complex issue in the discipline of law. 
5. Tutorial group collaboration via a wiki to document key tutorial outcomes (same mark for everyone in your tutorial).

4 hours contact a week, 6 hours independent learning a week

Students need to have completed 96 units towards their degree including at least 30 units of LAWS1XXX level courses.

N/A

• Bammer, Gabriele and Michael Smithson 2008, Uncertainty and risk: multidisciplinary perspectives, Earthscan
• Bar-Yam, Yaneer 2004, Making things work: solving complex problems in a complex world, NECSI Knowledge Press
• Harris, Graham 2007, Seeking sustainability in an age of complexity, Cambridge University Press
• Mitchell, Melanie 2009 Complexity a guided tour, Oxford University Press
• Examples of sstudent lerning portfolios at http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/examples/portfolios/index.html

Before the course starts students should read past student assessment items from this course website and read one of the following books:

• Bammer, Gabriele and Michael Smithson 2008, Uncertainty and risk: multidisciplinary perspectives, Earthscan
• Bar-Yam, Yaneer 2004, Making things work: solving complex problems in a complex world, NECSI Knowledge Press
• Harris, Graham 2007, Seeking sustainability in an age of complexity, Cambridge University Press
• Mitchell, Melanie 2009 Complexity a guided tour, Oxford University Press

Lecture theatre with digital audio (and if possible video) recording facilities