Description
Students choose (one of) the thesis seminar(s) offered within their specialisation. It is strongly recommended that students start thinking about the topic of their thesis before the start of the classes. Attendance is compulsory for all classes. Detailed information about the study material and the writing process can be found on Brightspace.
Course Objectives
Objective 1: To deepen the understanding of theories and methods related to research on the theme of the Master Specialisation.
Objective 2: Applying them to a specific topic as part of the student’s Master thesis project.
General Introduction Meeting
See 'Information and Deadlines' for the time and date of the introduction meeting.
Themes
Theme 101: International Institutions (Dr. G. Hirschmann)
This thesis seminar will guide students through the process of designing and carrying out an academic research project studying international institutions. Students are invited to propose theoretically informed research projects that study the politics, policies and decision-making processes of international institutions in various policy fields. This seminar advances a broad concept of international institutions understood as including both formal institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank or the International Criminal Court, and informal institutions and norms, for example the norms of international criminal justice or the Responsibility to Protect. This seminar is open to a variety of research methods but there will be an emphasis on qualitative research designs and methods.
The course reading list and the course syllabus will be posted on Brightspace before the start of the course.
Preparatory assignment:
Before the first class students should have an idea of the broad topic you want to research, and if possible, the main areas of literature you will have to familiarize yourself with. To that aim, students should write a one-page research proposal, which sets out the broad topic and, if possible, includes the research question the project will address.
Theme 102: Global Public Goods and Commons (Dr. R. Hagen)
This thesis seminar applies insights from political economy and addresses the difficulties countries, organizations and individuals have in achieving successful collective action. By using and comparing theories from public goods and commons literature, students will use an empirical example of their own choosing in their individual project that delves into how collective action has / is / or can be, achieved and what the difficulties in that specific instance are. (Global) public goods and commons are multidisciplinary subjects combining fields such as political economy, law and philosophy and uses them to explore the workings of international action and decision making. Examples of such issues are found for instance in climate mitigation, defense, refugee protection and the Internet. By writing a thesis on this subject students will gain an understanding on the necessary conditions of achieving successful collective action in these complicated settings.
Theme 103: Global South in Global Governance (Dr. E. Nartok - van der Kist)
This thesis seminar focuses on the role of the Global South in shaping and challenging global governance structures. It examines critical issues such as inequality, climate justice, development policies, colonial legacies, international institutions, and South-South and North-South cooperation. Students will explore the historical and contemporary contributions of the Global South to global governance, analysing its influence on policy, power dynamics, and global decision-making processes. Specific cases might include: G77, BRICS, AIIB, ASEAN, ISA and AU. Through a combination of disciplinary and interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks, this seminar provides students with the analytical tools and guidance to develop a master's thesis addressing these complex and evolving topics. This seminar accommodates a wide range of research methods, primarily qualitative but also quantitative.
Theme 104: Governance of International Security (Dr. J. Michaels)
This thesis seminar explores the international institutions, laws, and other formal and informal regulatory mechanisms that ‘govern’ the threat and use of force in international affairs. Key topics that will be examined include: definitions of security, the evolution of norms and international law as they pertain to limiting wars and armed conflicts, the role of international institutions and alliances such as the League of Nations, the United Nations, the EU, and NATO, debates about the utility of interdependence and globalization in promoting peace, international efforts to counter terrorism and WMD proliferation, as well as deal with war crimes. The seminar will introduce students to the key academic debates and texts in the field, as well as ensure that a wider range of voices provide alternative interpretations and points of emphasis than those that typically feature in the mainstream political science discourse. Although the seminar is open to a variety of approaches to the topic, there will be an emphasis on qualitative research designs and methods.
Assessment method
Grades are based 100% upon the research thesis submitted toward the end of the semester, which is evaluated jointly by the instructor/supervisor and a second reader.
Registration
See 'Information and Deadlines'
Timetable
See 'MyTimetable'