30196 - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

This course serves as an introduction to the study of important issues in key international relations, by integrating economic and political analysis. The goal of the course is to teach students basic concepts and theories that are useful for making sense of contemporary debates and developments in international politics. We study current events and the recent history that has shaped the international system, with a specific attention devoted to big powers (the United States, China, and Russia), important blocs/regions (the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, etc.), and two topical international actors (the United Nations and the European Union). The class surveys big-power relations, international cooperation, security and conflict, trade, and international political economy topics. By the end of the class, students are able to analyze current international developments and policy arguments about global affairs. In 2022, specific attention will be devoted to the impact of the pandemic on IR, including geoeconomic and power relations, conflicts, and democracy.

Provisional course summary (to be updated before and during lectures):

• Introduction to IR Theories.
• US: The reluctant superpower.
• China: The rising superpower.
• Russia: The hollow superpower.
• A divided world: The Middle East.
• The United Nations:
  • Decision-making and power distribution.
  • Development.
  • Funding.
  • Peace and security.
• The European Union:
  • Decision-making and power distribution.
  • EU: Political cleaveges and future integration.
  • EU in action: Foreign policy and common defense.
  • EU in action: Migration.

The course also includes a case study (e.g. on the 1994 Rwandan genocide), and a number of seminars (one-hour lectures) with specific experts on relevant topics in international relations. For instance, the 2021 iteration of the course hosted seminars on the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, East and South East Asia, Latin America, Migration, Global Health, Cybersecurity, and Climate Change.

• Identify and analyse the key issues in current international politics.
• Describe developments in today's main big powers, both domestically and in their foreign policy, and the interplay between each of them.
• Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the United Nations and the European Union in today's global predicament.

• Evaluate the potential evolution of the international system, and of the foreign policies of the main big powers.
• Speculate on potential solutions to long-standing problems in international politics (e.g. the role of UN peacekeepers in conflict prevention and resolution).
• Discuss and criticize the policy options on the future of the UN and the EU.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)

• Classes consist of face-to-face lectures (100% in presence, if the pandemic situation will allow this).
• The course includes a number of guest speaker's talks. For example, last year the course featured 9 different such talks, with experts joining online (on the Middle East - two talks -, Sub-Saharan Africa, East and South East Asia, Latin America, Migration, Global Health, Cybersecurity, and Climate change).
• The course includes 1 case study (e.g. on the 1994 Rwandan genocide).

Students have the option to sit a written partial exam for two-thirds (67%) of the class grade, after the first two Modules of the course. In case they pass the written partial exam, they are able to sit a second written partial exam at the end of the course for the remaining third (33%) of the grade. Students that do not pass or do not sit the written partial exam are able to sit the written general exam for 100% of their grade.

Students are only able to attend the written general exam for 100% of their grade (no partial exams planned).

• Teaching materials (slides and readings) are provided to students both in advance of the start of the course, and during the course itself, through Bboard.
• Almost all teaching materials provided are compulsory, but no course manual is recommended.