World Politics and International Relations

2026/2027

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

3

Кредиты

Кто читает:

Департамент политологии и международных отношений

Статус:

Курс по выбору

Когда читается:

1-й курс, 1 модуль

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course’s structure is designed in a problem-specific and inter-disciplinary way, striking a neat balance between theory and practice. Students will get a deep dive into five overarching dimensions of the world politics and IR, namely (1). Sovereignty and Political Geography, (2). Power & Influence, (3) International Law & Justice, (4.) Identity (5) Foreign Policy Decision-Making. The acquired knowledge will provide an opportunity to fluently navigate across a complex environment of world politics and IR.

Learning Objectives

• • Understand the essence of key theoretical notions and paradigms of IR;
• • Outline the complex global affairs landscape (major powers and military/political blocs, institutions, organizations, business actors, NGOs);
• • Explore the evolution and current state of military affairs (why and how are states waging the warfare?);
• • Analyze the role of the international law in shaping the world politics;
• • Scrutinize stakeholders, pathways and drivers of the industrial & economic competition between major powers;
• • Familiarize with established methods of information collection, analysis, forecasting and decision-making;

Expected Learning Outcomes

• • identifies the specifics, relative strengths / limitations and the scope of the practical applicability of various IR theories;
• • understands the inter-relation of political, military, legal and moral factors in shaping the outcome of a military conflict;
• • is familiar with key trends of the military affairs in XX-XXI century;
• • has a basic understanding of the institutional framework of international relations since 1945 both at the global and regional (particularly across the Eurasia) levels;
• • understands the complex framework of the inter- and intra-regional economic cooperation & competition (across the Eurasia);
• • masters skills of the (open sources) intelligence collection & analysis as well as learning the specifics of the foreign-policy decision-making;

Course Contents

• Sovereignty & Political Geography
• Power & Influence
• International Law & Justice
• Identity: Cultural, Religious, Psychological traces
• Foreign Policy Decision-Making

Assessment Elements

• Participation in class discussion
  For each lecture and seminar topic, students are required to read at least two articles/chapters/books from the list of the recommended literature. Apart from the recommended titles, they are encouraged to read other materials relevant to the course’s general theme and topics. Substantial part of the relevant materials can be found in the web resources’ list below. Students are required actively participate in discussions during seminars.
• The PPT slides-based presentation of the essay
  Students are required to prepare an analytical essay (to prepare it the group of two students should be formed) that would be presented in two different formats (PPT slides-based presentation and a written text). Essay’ subject should be relevant to the general theme of the course’s topics. Students should propose the essay’s subject/title on their own (some variations of possible themes for essays are listed below), subject to approval by the instructor, who may suggest necessary changes. A short PPT-based group (two students) presentation of the essay should be made during the last class of the course, and essays (two students) should be sent to the instructor no later than five days after the last class. Specific requirements for preparing PPT presentations of the essay and the final written version of the essay will be provided by the instructor.
• The essay
  Students are required to do one written assignment. They must write an analytical essay on any subject that is relevant to the general theme of the course or the course’s topics. Students should propose the essay’s subject/title on their own (some variations of possible themes for essays are listed below), subject to approval by the instructor, who may suggest necessary changes. The essay must be between 12 and 15 pages long.

Interim Assessment

• 2026/2027 1st module
  0.3 * Participation in class discussion + 0.4 * The essay + 0.3 * The PPT slides-based presentation of the essay

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