Admission requirements
Admission to the Masters programme.
Basic training in international relations or public international law.
Description
International law takes form in the realm of international relations. In this realm, considerations of power and considerations of morality can clash or coincide, sometimes to the benefit and sometimes to the detriment of international law. Given its relevance to the development and application of international law, students of international law must have a basic knowledge of international relations and politics. This course aims to provide students with that knowledge, focusing both on the most important empirical theories of international relations (such as realism, liberalism and social constructivism) and on the moral considerations that are implicit and explicit in such theories. In the course, the most important insights that these theories have presented are dealt with on the basis of concrete examples. Therefore, attention will also be given to specific issues and developments in international politics, such as globalization, regionalism, terrorism, war and peace, human rights, poverty and development, climate change and nuclear non-proliferation.
Course objectives
Objectives of the course
The course has the following objectives:
1) Making law students sensitive to the political context of international legal problems while providing them with insight in the interaction of international politics and international law. 2) Law students learn how to apply theories of international relations to concrete processes and issues in world politics.
Achievement levels
The following achievement levels apply with regard to the course: Students are able to critically evaluate major theoretical contributions in the field of study, and to assess their relevance to policymaking.
Timetable
The timetable of this course can be found in uSis.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Number of (2 hour) lectures: 10
Names of lecturer: dr. Peter van Ham
Required preparation by students: Prior reading of book chapters
Assessment method
Examination form(s)
- Written exam (one week after the final lecture).
Areas to be tested within the exam
The examination consists of the required reading (literature) for the course and the subjects taught in the lectures.
Regulation retake passed exams
In this course it is possible to retake an exam that has been passed (cf. art. 4.1.8.1 and further of the Course and Examination Regulations), on the condition that this course is included in the compulsory components of the degree program. Students who have passed the exam may retake the final written assessment (test) of the course if they meet certain requirements. To retake a passed exam, students need to ask the Student Administration Office (OIC) for permission. For more information, go to 'course and exam enrollment' > 'permission for retaking a passed exam' on the student website.
Reading list
Obligatory course materials
Literature:
- Joseph Grieco et al, Introduction to International Relations (Red Globe Press, 2018, 2nd ed.)
Course information guide:
- Will be available 2 weeks before the beginning of the course.
Registration
Through uSis.
Contact information
Coordinator: dr. Peter van Ham
Work address: KOG
Contact information: through e-mail
Institution/division
Institute: Public International Law
Department: Public Law
Room number secretary: KOG, B1.11
Opening hours: 9.00-17.00
Telephone number secretary: 071-527 7578