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 critically examines how global problems are – and might be better – governed. Contemporary society is heavily globalized, deeply interconnecting people across the planet. We see this trend in matters such as armed conflicts, digital technologies, ecological problems, economic instabilities, geopolitical shifts, humanitarian crises, identity struggles, pandemics, and social inequalities. Governing global-scale developments – shaping and directing them in positive directions – is one of today’s greatest political challenges. This course introduces students to the measures, actors, networks, structures, and ideologies that currently govern – and might in future differently govern – the globe.
The first week of the course addresses globality: the condition of people being interconnected on a planetary scale. We cover the manifestations, history, and drivers of globalization. The second week reviews the challenges that globality poses in contemporary society: for cultural identity, democracy, distributive justice, ecological integrity, economic welfare, liberty, peace, and solidarity. The third week considers the variety of actors (both governmental and nongovernmental) that do the governing of global affairs. The fourth week examines how these multiple state and nonstate actors combine in polycentric networks of governing that raise major issues of democracy, effectiveness and fairness. The fifth week looks beyond actors to the practices and underlying orders that structure the governance of global problems. The sixth week explores the legitimacy of current global governance, from both empirical and normative perspectives: how far do existing arrangements have ‘the right to rule’? The seventh week assesses contending policy frameworks that are available to govern a global world. We assess the possible promises and pitfalls of each ideological approach, hopefully leaving students more empowered to make their own choices about desirable global futures.
Course objectives
After completion of the course, students are expected to be able:
Knowledge
to describe the global qualities of contemporary society and its governance
to identify the actors and networks that participate in governing global connections
to recognise practices and underlying orders that structure global politics
Insight
to appreciate the complex dynamics through which global issues are governed
to reflect on the legitimacy (or otherwise) of arrangements for governing a global world
to assess the potential promises and pitfalls of various ideological approaches to global policy
Skills
to understand academic writings and lectures about governing a global world
to participate in probing discussions of global challenges and their governance
to communicate effectively in both speech and writing about governing a global world
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
7 lectures of 3 hours.
Participation in lectures, discussions and exercises is required in order to obtain a grade. One lecture may be missed. Being absent more than once without acceptable cause may likely lead to expulsion from the course.
The total study load for this course is 140 hours, consisting of:
21 hours for attending lectures
119 hours studying the compulsory literature and working on assignments
Assessment method
Mid-term assignment
25% of total grade
Re-sit not possible
Grade must be compensated
Final assignment
75% of total grade
Grade must be 5.50 or higher to pass the course
Re-sit possible
Re-sit will take the same form
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 of Security Studies and the Rules and Regulation of the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs apply.
Reading list
The reading list will be added 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.
This course takes place in The Hague.
Please note that the re-sits of this minor will be organised in January.