International Affairs

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

• 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Objectives

The objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of world events, encouraging analytical and critical thought and examining the causes and consequences of interlinked processes in an international context. In an increasingly globalised world, international events have a greater impact on many areas of society, and the objective is for students to be able to apply some of the knowledge gained on this course in their future working and academic lives.

Learning outcomes

• Discuss situations and cases in the field of study based on the interpretation of the historical, political, cultural and socioeconomic context, and its evolution over time.
• Interpret relevant data to support judgements or arguments, through reflection on socioeconomic, political, cultural or scientific issues, taking into account linguistic, social and gender diversity.
• Demonstrate motivation, creativity and initiative in academic and professional projects, and also commitment to quality, rigour and ethics.
• Use analysis and summary strategies and techniques to make efficient decisions in processes of research, selection and interpretation of data and information.
• Use data and statistics correctly and effectively for journalistic, informative or communicative purposes, in academic and professional contexts.
• Carry out professional or academic tasks and projects in complex environments through effective cooperation in diverse teams, both face-to-face and online, and through efficient use of digital resources.

Content

1. Course profile
2. Key concepts in International Relations
3. Theories: Realism, Liberalism, Critical approaches (Marxism, poststructuralism, feminism, ...)
4. Mapping conflicts: geography and levels of spatial analysis
5. Major actors in IR: states, intergovernmental organizations, transnational organizations
6. Identity and culture
7. War, peace and terrorism
8. Global challenges

Evaluation

• Participation in class and seminars: 20%
• Presentation 1 (in groups): 20%
• Final project (in groups): 30%
• One written test: 30%

At the end of the course, it is necessary to obtain a minimum of 5 out of 10 to pass the course. All the activities that have not been done or have not been turned in on the due date cannot be repeated and will count 0 points.

In the event that a student fails the course, the student will be able to repeat the written test and resubmit the Final project.

Methodology

The course consists of lectures, seminars and students' oral presentations. In lectures the teacher will give background knowledge and theory, and in the seminars the students will apply the knowledge gained in the lectures to real cases. Students will be given articles and exercises to prepare for the seminars and are expected to actively participate in seminar debates. The course will be conducted in English but students will not be assessed on their English ability but rather the content, analytical quality and originality of their work and contributions.

Bibliography

Key references

• Harari, Yuval Noah (2014). Sapiens: A brief history of humankind. London.
• Heywood, Andrew (2014). Global Politics (2 ed.). Palgrave MacMillan.
• Kaplan, Robert D. (2013). The Revenge of Geography: What the map tells us about coming conflicts and the battle against fate (2 ed.). Random House Trade Paperbacks.
• Marshall, Tim (2016). Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics. Eliot & Thompson Ltd.
• Reus-Smith, Christian; Snidal, Duncal (ed.) (2010). The Oxford Handbook of International Relations. OUP.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.