MODULES

Some of the major developments in global politics today are being discussed under the umbrella term 'globalization.' This module provides you with an introduction to the major transformations occurring in global economics, politics, culture, and ecology. It will introduce you to various tools assisting in the interpretation and assessment of these transformations. Starting from this theoretical basis, you will discuss real-world situations of political conflicts.

This module introduces you to one of the most prevalent actors in international relations: the nation-state. For decades, the state has been the major actor on the global stage; more recently, its power has been eclipsed by non-state actors such as civil society activists, social movements, transnational networks, multinational corporations and others. This module familiarizes you with the history of the nation-state and discusses today's challenges to statehood. In addition, it debates the tools of the nation-state for policy making on the global stage: the principles of international law. You will discuss relevant fields subject to international law such as states and statehood, sovereignty and intervention, means of dispute settlements, human rights law, and international criminal law. Finally, it discusses intersections of international relations and international law and locates mutual fields of interests between the two disciplines.

One of the major challenges to but also opportunities for traditional statehood 'from above' is the attempt to bargain for supranational models such as the European Union. This module introduces you to the rationale for creating the union and for working towards its widening and deepening. It discusses the many problems and challenges along the way. The module then introduces you to the EU as a foreign policy actor – learn about the External Action Service and tools such as the neighbourhood policies. You will subsequently inquire into the economic and financial architecture of the union and discuss implications of the sovereign debt crisis for the Euro zone.

This module provides you with a background on the development of security and risk, analyzing the often contested terminologies and policies that are used within this area. The theoretical section places the focus on four different conflict situations (war, civil war, terrorism, and ethnic conflict), which are explained in-depth. The module concludes with a longer section on the different approaches to security. War, defence mechanisms, and peace-keeping efforts are among the subjects that are broached within this module.