Admission requirements
Only students of the Advanced MSc International Relations and Diplomacy can take this course.
Description
This introduction to diplomacy compensates for the neglect of the study of diplomacy in many IR curricula, whilst diplomacy is arguably the engine room of international relations. The course aims to contribute to your understanding of diplomacy, arguably the infrastructure of global governance. It will look at selected trends in contemporary practice, in particular the diplomatic machinery’s adaptation to domestic and international change and diplomacy’s increasing societisation. You will reflect on the practice and theoretical aspects of diplomacy and how both academics and practitioners are debating recent diplomatic trends in a fast-moving transnational space. New functions, modes, and actors of diplomacy present a picture that requires us to take a new look at the conduct of international relations today.
Course objectives
By the end of the course you will have:
A better understanding of the institutions and processes by which states and others represent themselves and their interests to one another.
Become familiar with the way in which diplomacy is theorized and debated among experts in think tanks and practitioners.
Evaluated recent trends in diplomatic practice in relation to selected issues in global and domestic affairs.
Improved your collaborative skills aimed at writing short essays.
Honed your independent reserach skills.
Learned how to deal with the challenge of short-notice, take home assignments.
Timetable
On the right-hand side of the programme front page of the studyguide you will find a link to the online timetables.
Mode of instruction
The course will be fundamentally lecture-based, with interaction realistically adapted to the size of the group. The course has three main weekly components: perspective lecturers, practitioners sessions' and independent study of the literature for the end-of-course research challenge.
Study load: 140 hours
Attendance Policy
Attendance is mandatory, subject to course structure (see syllabus for details).
Assessment method
The final grade for this course is based on two components testing both academic knowledge and written academic skills:
Co-authored work consisting of a short, assessed essay (30%) This work will benefit from structured coaching during your research.
A three hour take-home, written assessment (70%) You will write two essays based on questions given at the start of the session.
Details for submitting papers (deadlines) are posted on Brightspace.
On the front page of the programme you will find links to the website, uSis and Brightspace.
Failed partial grades or components should be compensated by passed partial grades or components. The calculated grade must be at least 5.50 to pass the course. It is not possible to re-sit a partial grade or component once you have passed the course.
Passed partial grades obtained in the academic year 2023-2024 remain valid during the academic year 2024-2025.
Passed partial grades obtained in the academic year 2024-2025 remain valid during the academic year 2025-2026.
Should a student fail the overall course, the student can complete the course in the second year of the programme.
The assessment method has changed from last academic year. Students that have valid partial grades from last academic year, may complete the course according to last years assessment methods.
Reading list
Compulsory readings of three articles or book chapers on each course topics will be announced on Brightspace.
Textbook recommended for optional, preparatory reading.
- Pauline Kerr and Geoffrey Wiseman (eds), Diplomacy and Globalization: Theories and Practices, New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017 (second ed.).
Registration
Register yourself via uSis for each course, workgroup and exam (not all courses have workgroups and/or exams). Do so on time, before the start of the course; some courses and workgroups have limited spaces. You can view your personal schedule in MyTimetable after logging in.
Registration for this course is possible from 11 July, 2024
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. After enrolment for the course in uSis you will be automatically enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Jan Melissen j.melissen@fgga.leidenuniv.nl