This course is a general introduction to International Relations (IR). It covers a wide variety of topics, from the development of the study of international relations, to contemporary concerns. It aims to introduce the student to central theories and concepts of the study of IR, and introduce important events in IR such as conflict, the changing nature of sovereignty, and new international rules. The course starts with a foundation in theories of IR, followed by a study of the principle organizations and issues such as war and the economy. Finally, it examines a range of contemporary issues in IR (such as security, humanitarianism, and the environment). There will be some practical elements to expose students to the activities of IR professionals who work in fields such as policy analysis, diplomacy, international and transnational organizations, security, and intelligence. The course material is primarily academic articles, however, films and other relevant media are used for instruction.
The principles and practice of international relations, with particular reference to the modern world; the bases of international power and interstate competition; inequalities among states, including domination and colonialism; war and conflict resolution among great powers; the role of trade, defence policies, and control over scarce resources; the involvement of non-state players, including international organizations and special interest groups; international issues concerning the treatment of minority groups, human rights, the use of the environment, international crime, and terrorism. Students will learn to discuss; analyze; assess international structures; methods; interactions of actors in international politics.
This lecture-based course seeks to explore and compare various forms of political systems in theory, principle and practice. Most importantly, the course main goal is to probe different political systems such as in democracies, communism, monarchy, military dictatorship, and other systems in an analytical and comparative manner. Furthermore, understanding forms of representation, party political systems, elections and decision making in the context of the different systems. The working of the executive, legislative and judicial aspect of government and their inter-relationship.
Comparative Political Systems course introduces students to an extraordinary breadth of content and depth of contextualization. This course aims to give a practical examination of modern day political systems. The focus shall be on political structures, historical context, political culture, legal constructs and how these components have coalesced into contemporary frameworks that govern nation state behavior internally and externally. Students will be required to apply theories of political organization, legal mechanisms and social theory in a comparative fashion. Various nation states will be analyzed contrasting developed and developing nation political structures and value systems in order to derive a broad understanding of contemporary politics in the modern world.
Various forms of political systems, both in theory, principle, and practice; political systems in stateless societies, traditional kingdoms and empires, absolutist states, democracies, and modern “authoritarian” and militaristic states; various forms of representation, party-political systems, elections, and decision-making; the working of the executive, legislative, and judicial aspects of government and their interrelationships. Students will understand; examine; assess various forms of political systems, both in theory, principle and practice.
This course covers the so-called long nineteenth century, beginning around 1750 and ending with the start of the First World War in 1914. In this period, the modern world emerges. The course introduces students to the systematic study of change over time from a comparative and global perspective. In particular, it examines in demographic issues, the Industrial Revolution in the West, political revolutions and the emergence of nationalism across the globe, and nineteenth-century imperialism. Students will examine a range of primary sources from the period and develop skills in the critical analysis of texts and images.
Selected aspects of world history from c.1763 to 1914; the Industrial Revolutions and the growth of the world economy; the American and French Revolutions; Latin American independence and development; political developments in Europe and the United States: representative government, the abolition of slavery, nationalism, socialism, women’s rights; imperialism and responses to it; the emergence of Japan; wars and warfare; social, scientific, medical and technological developments. Students will discuss; assess; examine a range of primary sources from the period and develop skills in the critical analysis of texts and images.
This course covers the twentieth century, running from the outbreak of the First World War to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States. During this time, key features and institutions of the modern world related to globalization and international governance continued to develop. Particular attention is paid to the two world wars and the intervening period, the emergence of an international order dominated by two superpowers and the ensuing Cold War, decolonization in Asia and Africa, and the socio-economic transformations of societies across the globe resulting from medical and technological developments such as new contraceptive methods and computing. The course develops the historical skills, such as identifying change over time and interpreting primary sources, introduced in ICIR 201 The Formation of the Modern World.
A short introduction to selected aspects of world history since World War II. The USA and the USSR as superpowers. The Cold War. The UN system. Decolonialization and the ‘Third World’. Major regional powers. The Soviet collapse and its repercussions. Regional conflicts in the Middle East, South Asia, and the Balkans. Economic, technological and scientific developments. The great consumer boom. OPEC and oil prices. The World Bank and IMF. The EU and other economic regionalisms. World poverty. New political movements: Civil Rights, feminism, radical Islam. Ethnic conflicts and nationalism. Students will discuss; examine; assess; identify changes over time and interpreting primary sources, introduced in ICIR 201 The Formation of the Modern World.
This course consists of a historical survey of the major paradigms in the Social Sciences (History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Anthropology, Geography, Psychology) during the twentieth century. Emphasis will be on the political aspects of such areas of activity as economics, sociology, etc. Students will understand; analyze; assess schools and paradigms of political thought. They should also be able to understand the relationship between politics, economics and social phenomena. The primary aim is to introduce students to foundational political and social theories, and to enable them to apply these to contemporary problems.
This course examines major perspectives on International Relations such as Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism and Critical Theory. Students will apply different conceptual frameworks to a range of issues in global politics and reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of particular perspectives. Students will examine a range of issues in international relations such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, human rights, trade, investment and finance and apply multiple theoretical perspectives to analyze these issues.
This course exposes students to the basic tenets of conflict studies, by comparing and contrasting various concepts and definitions of war, conflict, violence and peace. War and violence are discussed both in historical perspective and in regard to contemporary conflict geographies. Trends, types and tendencies of contemporary conflict are examined and illustrated through a number of relevant case studies. The course focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to collective violence, demonstrating the merits of a holistic understanding of human aggression for the analysis of conflict and violence. Students will scrutinize the correlation between war and politics, interpret the nexus of violence and identity, and discuss the issue of war crimes and atrocities. Modalities of peace making and peace building are examined and contrasted, leading to a critical discussion of the challenges of trauma and reconciliation in post-conflict societies.
The impact of war upon society and the state; social and political consequences of war; the mobilization of society in times of war; the status of human rights and freedom in times and places of war; politics and war; patterns of military organization; the possible social and political role of the military. Students will describe; explain; analyze; assess major approaches to conflict, war and peace in comparative global perspective.
This course outlines the evolution of Thai foreign policy from the nineteenth century to the present day. It will enable students to develop their understanding of the rationale and goals behind the Thai foreign policy-making process and evaluate the success of those policies.
Students will examine and evaluate a selected case study related to Thai foreign policy. The influence of geopolitics on Thailand’s foreign policy; pre-modern interstate relations and concepts in Southeast Asia and their continuing influence; Siam’s relations with the Western imperial powers in the colonial period; the evolution of Thailand’s foreign policy and relations during the First and Second World Wars; Thailand’s foreign policy during the Cold War, especially its relations with the USA; the formulation and effects of current Thai policies regarding ASEAN, the UN, APEC, and other regional and international organizations; the evolution and impacts of current Thai bilateral relations with China, the Koreas, Japan, and India. Students will discuss the formulation, evolution and results of Thai foreign policy from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, with a particular focus on analyzing the decision-making process in a selected case study.
This course outlines the major theories and issues in international political economy. It assesses the success and failures of international organizations, particularly those related to political economy. The course explains the bargaining between rich and poor countries. The course discusses the political and economic conditions conducive to the development of cooperative international economic behavior among countries.
It aims to introduce students to issues in international political economy including post-colonialism, IMF and World Bank lending, role of MNC’s, development, global poverty, globalization, development traps, global governance and future trajectories.
The historical development of a world political society and the structures of international diplomacy. War and peace-making between the Great Powers. The Concert of Europe. The League of Nations, the United Nations, and the Cold War. International agreements, treaties, and organizations. The principles of international law. Students will remember; understand; apply; analyze the historical development towards a peaceful world order.
This course is an outline of the major international organizations (IOs) today. It will look at their structure, duties, directions, obligations, and success. The course focuses on the large International Governmental Organizations (IGOs) such as the United Nations as well as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Multinational Corporations (MNCs). Theories concerning IOs will be discussed at the beginning of the course to guide students through the rest of the materials. The various IOs are examined in two ways: firstly, a description of their structure, function, and activities. Secondly, there will be a critical analysis of their role in global politics, the success of their mission, and potential biases or agendas which affect their activities. The course will examine the problems of cooperation in the international system and how institutions are designed and constructed to overcome these problems. Particular emphasis will be placed on students’ ability to think critically, both about the nature of problems that face states as well as development of global governance mechanisms.
The development of international organizations since the 19th century; their nature, function, and purpose; contemporary global and regional international organizations (the United Nations, ILO, WTO, and the IMF; the EU, ASEAN, NAFTA, APEC, etc.); their effectiveness and future. Students will remember; understand; analyze; assess organizations from a comparative perspective.
This course introduces students to the different methods of conducting meaningful research in International Relations and Global Affairs related fields. It aims to introduce students to research intent and design, methodology and technique, format and presentation, and data management and analysis. The purpose is to help students prepare for advanced level research tasks independently.
An introduction to the scientific method and its use in social science research; examination of research methods, data collection, survey techniques, and hypothesis formation, observations and testing. Students will assess; analyze; evaluate world events; disciplinary research methods in international relations.
A study of ASEAN reveals both progress in the development of a Southeast Asian security community and the numerous impediments that remain to further regional integration. Principal among the latter is the continued importance attached to national governance in the region. Of comparatively recent origin, the national polities of Southeast Asia remain the dominant players in regional affairs. Although regional integration has made significant progress, national sovereignty remains a paramount concern. In this course, we examine the shared trajectories and conflicts that have shaped Southeast Asian states; the growth of ASEAN as a political and economic organization and a range of contemporary regional issues and concerns. Southeast Asia in the context of global politics in the period since World War II. The impact of the Cold War and its ending. The international relations of the Southeast Asian states. ASEAN. Students will assess, analyze; evaluate ASEAN regionalism.
This course provides opportunities for students to explore career options relating to the field of international and global affairs. It aims to equip students with the skills necessary for new graduates to establish a career in the current global employment market, which include, resume and cover letter writing, making networking, interview techniques, and job search strategy.
How to find a job; create a CV; personal branding; prepare; perform effectively for interviews. Explains how to evaluate the application experience. Students will assess; arrange; appraise methods and means to find jobs in a competitive marketplace.
