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 information session
See 'Information and Deadlines' for the time and date of the information session.
Thesis seminar Themes:
Theme 101: International Institutions (Dr. M.A. Joosten)
This thesis seminar will guide students through the process of designing and carrying out an academic research project studying international institutions with a focus on economic institutions. This seminar adopts a broad concept of international institutions understood as including both formal institutions such as the WTO, World Bank or UN and informal institutions and norms. This seminar is open to a variety of quantitative and qualitative research methods.
The master thesis is an independent piece of work for which you must delineate your own research question, related to the topic of international organizations. You are expected to do the readings required for the thesis seminar. You can use the further reading as a starting point for your research.
In the context of a rapidly changing global political economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the growing estrangement of the European Union with Trump’s America, competition coming from south-east Asia and especially China, and the increasing popularity of right-wing populist parties in the European Parliament and in national parliaments, the role of global and regional economic institutions has become increasingly important and contentious. At the same time, these institutions, as developed my states and other (non-state) transnational actors also increasingly shape the domestic economic and political policies available to states and remain central to international cooperation in areas from financial regulation to international trade. A great deal of important research has focused on describing the various factors shaping the origin and evolution of these institutions as well as their impact. This seminar will begin by exploring and evaluating broad analytical approaches to international cooperations, as well as questioning the role of power, timing, and ideas in shaping institutions.
Topics you can study might include regulation and governance, trade and investment, migration, economic inequality, welfare states, labor markets, globalization, fiscal and monetary policy, human rights and environmental governance, economic development, and so on.
Theme 102: Global South in Global Governance (Dr. E.E. Nartok-van der Kist)
This thesis seminar examines the growing role of the Global South in shaping, contesting, and reimagining global governance. Students will engage with critical issues at the heart of contemporary world politics, including inequality, climate justice, development policy, colonial legacies, and the evolving dynamics of South-South and North-South cooperation.
Drawing on a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks, the seminar motivates students to utilise the analytical tools to investigate how Global South actors influence international institutions and global decision-making. Case studies may include G77, BRICS, AIIB, ASEAN, ISA and the AU. The seminar accommodates diverse research approaches, primarily qualitative but open to quantitative methods, and provides structured guidance for the development of a master’s thesis on these complex and contested topics.
Additional Information
Please note that for some seminars there will be no additional substantive readings than the ones discussed in the courses they build on.
Registration
See 'Information and Deadlines'.
Examination
The thesis seminar is composed of a research proposal (first 8 weeks) and a thesis (remaining of the course). The research proposal ensures that the student is on the right track to carry out the research and write the thesis. It must be approved by both readers (see below), but is not awarded a grade. The grade of the thesis corresponds to 100% of the grade of the thesis seminar.
Research Proposal
The research proposal includes a problem statement, theoretical foundation, conceptualization as well as a sound explanation of the methods and techniques for data collection and analysis. The proposal must be approved by the supervisor and a second reader. The second reader will be designated by the Director of Studies. Please note that teachers are not obliged to provide thesis supervision if the proposal is not approved. The research proposal is not graded, it receives only a pass/revise/fail evaluation.
Master Thesis
The MSc thesis needs to comply with high standards of academic research. The formal requirements of the Master thesis are stated on the page ‘Thesis seminar information and deadlines’. The thesis evaluation form with the evaluation criteria will be published on Brightspace.
Students that drop or fail the course have to retake the complete thesis seminar (in the 2nd semester of the next academic year). Students should contact the Exam Committee if they are unable to complete the master thesis by the deadline due to circumstances beyond their control.
Timetable
See 'MyTimetable'.