Admission requirements
This course serves as the introductory course for the minor Global Affairs and can thus only be followed as part of the minor or the track. The minor is accessible for bachelor students who have obtained their ‘propedeuse’ and have a keen interest in global affairs, but the level of teaching is most suitable for third-year students, particularly of Political Science, Public Administration, Law and International Studies. If there are any uncertainties about the suitability of your programme and profile to the minor, please do not hesitate to send an email to globalaffairs@cdh.leidenuniv.nl.
Description
This course will pay close attention to the shift to a multipolar world and will analyse positions and policies of a number of major states and other entities. Students will learn about the functioning of international organisations and the answers they are attempting to find to the 21st century challenges they are confronted with. The course will confront modern day threats to stability: from a pandemic to cyber warfare, from climate change and mass migration to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Students will study interstate and intra-state conflicts as well as post-conflict reconstruction and nation-building. The political/military relationship is analysed using a number of peacekeeping operations both in and outside a United Nations context as cases.
Course objectives
to familiarise the students with the functioning of the major nations and institutions of the 21st century globalised world
to allow students to acquaint themselves with the nexus between theory and practice
to confront students with the political, legal and moral questions which decision-makers in multilateral as well as national contexts are presented with every day
to provide students with a good foundation for the rest of the minor.
Timetable
The course will take place from September 1st till September 19th 2014. The exact times and dates of the lectures have yet to be decided upon, but during those three weeks the course will meet 2 or 3 times a week.
Mode of instruction
The modes of instruction for this course, although they are not set in stone, will include lectures by the instructor, (moderated) discussions and debates and guest lectures. Seeing as this course will only take three weeks, it will be very intensive and demanding.
Assessment method
Essay, 1500 words (25%)
Final exam (75%)
Blackboard
Yes.
Reading list
TBA.
Registration
Students register for the minor and the course in Usis. See the website (in Dutch) http://onderwijs.leidenuniv.nl/minoren/toelating-inschrijving/toelating.html
Contact information
Lecturer:
Prof.mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer: j.g.de.hoop.scheffer@cdh.leidenuniv.nl:mailto:j.g.de.hoop.scheffer@cdh.leidenuniv.nl
Assistant:
Imane Maghrani: i.maghrani@luc.leidenuniv.nl:mailto:i.maghrani@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
This course can only be taken as part of the minor Global Affairs.