Russia in World Politics

2022/2023

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

6

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Political Science and International Affairs

Course type:

Elective course

When:

1 year, 1, 2 module

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course is devoted to the analysis of various roles that Russia is claiming to play in the contemporary world politics, and Russian positioning at different scales – global and regional. Theoretical part of the course is supported by empirical cases.

Learning Objectives

• The main goal of the course is the analysis of Russia's role in world politics, its relations with China, the EU, the USA. The course introduces students to Russia's strategies in international field and offers different perspectives on Russia's foreign policies

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Able to use relevant research results in political science and adjacent sciences, to develop applications of political science for solving practical tasks
• Able to develop proposals and recommendations for applied research and consulting
• Able to use relevant research results in political science and adjacent sciences, to develop applications of political science for solving practical tasks
• Knows Russia's place in world politics' hierarchy
• Is familiar with Russia's direction in IR
• Is familiar with notion of great power politics and its manifestation in Russia's case
• Is familiar with Russia's view on relationship between Russia and USA
• Is familiar with notion of soft power and its use by Russia
• Knows role and reasons for Russian engagement in Africa
• Distinguishes between main points of Russia-EU relations' history
• Is familiar with modern state of Russia-EU relations
• Is familiar with Cinese-Russian relations
• Is familiar with Russia's strategy in the post-Soviet region

Course Contents

• Topic 1
• Topic 2
• Topic 3
• Topic 4
• Topic 5
• Topic 6
• Topic 7
• Topic 8
• Topic 9
• Topic 10

Assessment Elements

• Сlass participation
  Contribution of a student to discussions during seminars, her / his knowledge of the subject and level of literature comprehension.
• Presentation
  Each student is supposed to perform a presentation on the class topic. List of presentations will be provided by professor as well as guidelines for them. Presentation must be based on relevant to issue books, articles, reports and electronic resources. Each seminar students are supposed to ask questions about presentation and provide insightful comments. Both presentation and answers to questions will be assessed.
• Final essay
  By the end of the course students will prepare a home written essay. Professor will define the topic. Essay will cover themes studied during the class. Essay must contain relevant theories, concepts, data (figures and numbers), concrete convincing arguments with examples. Students must demonstrate knowledge obtained during classes (lectures, presentations, discussions)

Interim Assessment

• 2022/2023 2nd module
  0.33 * Final essay + 0.34 * Сlass participation + 0.33 * Presentation

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Busygina, I. (2018). Russia–EU Relations and the Common Neighborhood : Coercion Vs. Authority. London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1560734
• Ohannes Geukjian. (2017). Explaining Russian Foreign Policy Behavior. Theory and Practice. Europe-Asia Studies, 4, 704. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2017.1314624
• Tsygankov, A. P. (2018). Routledge Handbook of Russian Foreign Policy. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1735577

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• A twenty-first century concert of powers promoting great power multilateralism for the post-transatlantic era The 21st Century Concert Study Group. Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. (2014). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.427237939
• Newman, E., & Zala, B. (2018). Rising powers and order contestation: disaggregating the normative from the representational. Third World Quarterly, 39(5), 871–888. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2017.1392085

Authors

• AGEEVA VERA DMITRIEVNA