Admission requirements
This course is designed for the minor Global Affairs. For both Dutch based and exchange students, it is not possible to follow single courses of this minor. You need to be enrolled in Usis for the minor to be accepted to this course. There are 200 places open for registration, on a first come, first served basis, where LDE students are given priority.
This course is also open for inbound exchange students if they wish to take the entire minor Global Affairs. Exchange students must be admitted by the FGGA International Office prior to the start of the minor; priority will be given to direct exchange partners of FGGA. For more information about the application procedure for exchange students, please contact the FGGA International Office
Description
This course addresses the main features and limitations of instruments of power at the international level. It investigates in detail the recourse to military power and/or economic sanctions in the cases of, for instance, Libya, Kosovo, Syria and Ukraine, together with the resulting political backlashes and legitimacy questions. It also investigates the impact of the new policies of the presidents Biden, Putin and Xi and puts those policies in a broader geopolitical framework.
The course also examines shortcomings arising from soft power usage, especially against the background of regionally diverging norms and values, and discusses new concepts such as hybrid warfare and strategic deterrence. The dilemmas and implications arising from the employment of specific power instruments will also be addressed from a practical perspective of decision-making.
Course objectives
The course objectives are:
To provide students with a theoretical knowledge of instruments of power and the practical challenges arising from their usage
To ensure students have a substantial knowledge of the pillars of power so as to be able to participate constructively in debates on global affairs
To enable students to conduct independent research and to critically assess and apply the literature
To enhance students’ analytical abilities in combination with their skills in writing, presenting and debating
Timetable
The schedule for 2023 will be published in due time
The timetable will be displayed with a link on the website, Brightspace and on the page of this minor programme.
Mode of instruction
The class will consist mainly of lectures and class debates in which current affairs pertaining to the course content will be discussed and analysed.
The total study load for this course is 140 hours, consisting of:
21 hours attending lectures and seminars
30 hours writing papers
89 hours studying the compulsory literature
Participation in lectures, discussions and exercises is required in order to obtain a grade. One lecture may be missed. Being absent more than once may likely lead to expulsion from the course.
Assessment method
Mid-term assignment
25% of total grade
Re-sit not possible
Grade must be compensated
Final exam assignment
75% of total grade
Re-sit possible
Re-sit will take the same form
Grade must be 5.50 or higher to pass the course
Students will also be permitted to re-sit the 75% final assignment if they have a calculated overall course grade lower than 5.50 or with permission of the Board of Examiners. There is no re-sit for the mid-term which needs to be compensated.
Late hand in penalty: 0,5 minus per day, and after seven days we do not accept papers any longer.
In the case of written assessment methods, the examiner can always initiate a follow-up conversation with the student to establish whether the learning objectives have been met.
The Course and Examination Regulation Security Studies and the Rules and Regulation of the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs apply.
Reading list
TBA on Brightspace
Registration
Registration via MyStudymap or uSis is possible from Monday 17 July, 13.00 h, after registration for the entire minor. Register for every course via MyStudymap or uSis. Some courses of the minor have a limited number of participants, so register on time.
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. After enrolment for the course in MyStudymap you will be automatically enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
After registration for an exam you still need to confirm your attendance via MyStudymap. If you do not confirm, you will ultimately be de-registered and you will not be allowed to take the exam.
More information on registration via MyStudymap can be found on this page.
Please note: guest-/contract-/exchange students do not register via MyStudymap but via uSis. Guest-/contract-/exchange students also do not have to confirm their participation for exams via MyStudymap.
Contact
globalaffairs@fgga.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
All sessions will be in English.
Essays need to be written in English.
Please note that the resits of this minor will be organised in January.