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Gateway to Global Affairs

Vak
2017-2018

Admission requirements

This course serves as the introductory course for the minor Global Affairs and can thus only be followed as part of the minor.

Description

This course will pay close attention to the shift to a multipolar world and will analyze positions and policies of a number of major states and other entities. Students will learn about the functioning of international organizations and the answers they are attempting to find to the 21st century challenges they are confronted with.
The course will confront modern day threats to stability: from a pandemic to cyber warfare, from climate change and mass migration to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Students will study interstate and intra-state conflicts as well as post-conflict reconstruction and nation-building. The political/military relationship is analyzed using a number of peacekeeping operations both in and outside a United Nations context as cases.

Course objectives

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • to familiarise the students with the functioning of the major nations and institutions of the 21st century globalised world

  • to allow students to acquaint themselves with the nexus between theory and practice

  • to confront students with the political, legal and moral questions which decision-makers in multilateral as well as national contexts are presented with every day

  • to provide students with a good foundation for the rest of the minor.

Timetable

TBA

Mode of instruction

The modes of instruction for this course, although they are not set in stone, will include lectures by the instructor, (moderated) discussions and debates and guest lectures.

Course Load

The total study load for this course is 140 hours, consisting of:

  • 14 hours for attending lectures

  • 126 hours studying – work on assignments

Assessment method

2 Essays

  • Short essay (29%)

  • Long Essay (71%)

Details for submitting papers (deadlines) are posted on Blackboard.

Late hand in penalty: 0,5 minus per day, and after seven days we do not accept papers any longer.

Compensation rule: Only assessments with the weight of 30% and lower are compensable. This means that one does not have to pass an assessment if it weighs less than 30% in order to pass the course, if the average of all assessments combined is at least a 5.5. In addition, assignments with less than 30% are not re-sitable, meaning that if one failed an assessment of less than 30%, one is not allowed to redo it.

Retake: in order to redo the paper, you need to hand-in the first paper. If you fail to hand in the first paper, you will not be able to redo the paper.
Students will be permitted to re-do the paper if they have a mark between 3 and 5,4 or with permission of the Board of Examiners.

Blackboard

Blackboard will be used.

Reading list

Will be made available via Blackboard.

Registration

TBA

Contact

Lecturer: Prof.mr. J.G. de Hoop Scheffer

Prof. Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer

Remarks

All sessions will be in English.
Essays need to be written in English.