Could I refuse to attend office's off time courses? Does a workplace have a right to command their workers to attend off time course?

It is all a matter of the type of position you are in. For example, clerical staff in the US cannot be required to work overtime without either being compensated, usually at 150% of their normal pay rate, or else being given "comp time" off their standard hours during the following days to compensate for the added hours. However, professional employees such as e.g. Engineers are considered "exempt" from such overtime requirements, are more highly compensated in their base salary, and are expected to work evenings and/or weekends on a temporary basis without being paid overtime if their project(s) require it.

Ethical managers and company owners will usually provide comp time even to exempt workers as soon as they can, and if the unpaid overtime becomes too long-term, such managers and owners will find a way to compensate the exempt employees through e.g. Bonuses. The bottom line is that if your position is not an exempt one (and assuming either you are in the US or that similar laws apply where you live and work), your bosses have no legal or ethical right to force you to work longer than the standard hours detailed in your contract. If the contract requires 40 hours per week, and specifies that business hours are from 7 AM to 4 PM, they may be able to require you to attend relevant training after hours, but they should them pay for that overtime based on whatever rate your contract specifies, and if it does not specify a rate, then based on usual practices in your industry.

At the very least they should pay 2.5% of your weekly pay for every such hour required (i.e.At least 100% time). Something to consider however is that while they may be ethically, and possibly even legally in the wrong, should you refuse to follow instructions, they could let you go. If they are truly unscrupulous, they could even make up some unrelated excuse and claim they're firing you "for cause" which may mean (a) no severance pay, (b) you may lose unused leave, (c) they may be unwilling to give you a good reference letter, and (d) they could even spread the word that you're unreliable, etc.The bottom line is that being right is one thing, but being smart about it is possibly even more important.

Well, on the positive side of things, you get to learn a new language for free. Unless I misunderstood and you have to pay. I think you should learn the language and start looking into jobs that are looking for this.

Between that and your masters you'll be laughing all the way to the bank and you'll look back on this as a short time in your life that was slightly miserable, but became profitable for you. Best of luck!

If you're leaving anyway, their opinion of you here shouldn't follow you to your next job. If they say the extra work is voluntary, then you have no requirement to do it. You could also try reasoning with them, saying you have somewhere important to be.

That will usually buy you a few weeks or months if handled well. It also depends on your state. If you're a "Right To Work" State, they can fire you without cause, any time they like.

They usually won't, but they have that option. Not attending these voluntary classes might be grounds for termination to them, so it's good to know.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.