Core Seminar "Contemporary Studies of International Politics"

2026/2027

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

6

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Political Science and International Affairs

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

1 year, 1-4 module

Instructor

Еремина Наталья Валерьевна

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This core seminar aims to familiarize students of the educational trajectory “International Politics of Eurasia” with relevant approaches to and tools for academic and policy-oriented research in International Studies. This will enable greater coherence of the educational process, set grounds for knowledge and understanding of the state of the art in the field, and help students to improve their professional communication skills. The seminar will focus on major scholarly discussions on logics of inquiry and key issues in International Studies. It will scrutinize various methodological paradigms and methods used for research on specific topics. AI is not used in the course.

Learning Objectives

• • To familiarize students of the educational trajectory “International Politics of Eurasia” with relevant approaches to and tools for academic and policy-oriented research in International Studies (Core paradigms of International Relations, the English School, Global and Transnational Governance, Critical Theories).
• • To scrutinize various methodological paradigms and methods used for research on specific topics in International Studies (for example, Game theory and etc.).
• • To enable greater coherence of the educational process, set grounds for knowledge and understanding of the state of the art in the field, and help students to improve their professional communication skills.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• • Identifies and justifies methodological approaches appropriate for their own research in International Studies
• • Understands major theoretical debates in International Studies
• • Knows the state of the art and key issues in the field of International Studies
• • Knows methodological approaches to and tools for academic and policy-oriented research in International Studies
• • Understands major scholarly discussions on logics of inquiry in International Studies
• • Identifies specific research methods (techniques, tools) that fit selected methodologies

Course Contents

• Ontological and Epistemological Foundations of IR Research
• Explaining international relations
• Methodological Turns and Use of Methods in International Studies: Learning from "Best Practices"
• Selected Issues in IR
• Prospects of Research in IR

Assessment Elements

• In-class participation 1
  Students are expected to attend each seminar and regularly participate in discussions. The instructor grades the participation during the seminars based on the quality of answers, demonstration of engagement with the assigned readings and home tasks, and overall quantitative involvement in the in-class activities.
• Article Review
  Students are expected to choose any article from one of the top International Relations journal published in the last 5 years (from 2021 to 2025) and not covered in the course. Students are to write a review on this article that will summarize its content, place it in the context of debates and categories discussed in the first semester of the course as well as criticize it where appropriate. The volume is 1,500 words (one grade point is substracted for each full 150 words above or below the specified word count.) The reference style is Chicago, in-text citations. The reference list is NOT included in the word count.
• Test
  The test will consist of 4 open-ended questions covering the material of the first module.
• Essay
  The students are to write an essay on any of the approaches or subfield of IR discussed in the first semester. Students are free to formulate any topic that broadly fits the discussed material, but it should be agreed upon by the instructor. The essay must contain an extensive literature review and advance an original argument. The minimal word count is 2000 words. The references style is Chicago, in-text citations. The reference list is not included in the word count.
• In-class participation 3
  Students are expected to attend each seminar and regularly participate in discussions. The instructor grades the participation during the seminars based on the quality of answers, demonstration of engagement with the assigned readings and home tasks, and overall quantitative involvement in the in-class activities.
• Methodological book review
  Students are expected to read a book from the field of International Studies and comment on its methodological framework and methods. Write a paper that analyses its research objectives, approaches and methods and present your reflections on the connections between these elements. The paper's volume is 2000 words. The reference style is Chicago, in-text citations. The reference list is not included in the word count. The list of books for review is provided by the instructor.
• Research essay
  Students are expected to write an essay that would build on the knowledge obtained in the first two semesters of the course and apply it to the Eurasian context. The argument must be illustrated with empirical data. The students are free to formulate topics of interest but they should be approved by the instructor. Students can build on the materials that examined during the term paper preparation BUT THE TOPIC OF THE ESSAY CANNOT BE IDENTICAL TO THE TOPIC OF THE TERM PAPER.
• In-class participation 2
  Students are expected to attend each seminar and regularly participate in discussions. The instructor grades the participation during the seminars based on the quality of answers, demonstration of engagement with the assigned readings and home tasks, and overall quantitative involvement in the in-class activities.
• Methodological book review
  Students are expected to choose any article from one of the top International Relations journal published in the last 5 years (from 2021 to 2025) and not covered in the course. Students are to write a review on this article that will summarize its content, place it in the context of debates and categories discussed in the first semester of the course as well as criticize it where appropriate. The volume is 1,500 words (one grade point is substracted for each full 150 words above or below the specified word count.) The reference style is Chicago, in-text citations. The reference list is NOT included in the word count.
• Research essay
  The students are to write an essay on any of the approaches or subfield of IR discussed in the first semester. Students are free to formulate any topic that broadly fits the discussed material, but it should be agreed upon by the instructor. The essay must contain an extensive literature review and advance an original argument. The minimal word count is 2000 words. The references style is Chicago, in-text citations. The reference list is not included in the word count.

Interim Assessment

• 2026/2027 2nd module
  0.25 * Test + 0.25 * Article Review + 0.2 * In-class participation 1 + 0.3 * Essay
• 2026/2027 4th module
  0.2 * In-class participation 2 + 0.4 * Research essay + 0.4 * Methodological book review
• 2027/2028 2nd module
  0.4 * Research essay + 0.2 * In-class participation 3 + 0.4 * Methodological book review

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Basha i Novosejt, A., Weterings, R., Ridder, M.d., & Frinking, E. (2010). Sustainability in a multipolar world
• Lees, Nicholas. The International Relations of the North–South Divide: Historical Inequality, Contemporary Disagreement and World Politics. 1st, First Edition ed., Bristol University Press, 2026. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.26218435.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Burles, R. (2025). The geopolitics of history. European Journal of International Relations, 31(4), 839-861. https://doi.org/10.1177/13540661251380432