University Courses
International Politics
This course is an opportunity for students to explore global crises and global solutions. It will introduce various perspectives of international political economy (IPE), for example, the shift from a focus on interdependence to globalisation, the debate between orthodox and heterodox or radical scholars, and how ecological, feminist and neo-Gramscian perspectives now compete with traditional perspectives.
The course includes three foci:
Focus 1: History and Dynamics
Focus 1 will provide an introduction to the history and dynamics of the international political economy, from the fifteenth century through the Industrial Revolution and the consolidation of the post-1945 world order to the present. A broad range of theoretical approaches will be examined, beyond the traditional three-paradigm perspectives of “economic nationalist,” “liberal” and “critical,” in an attempt to learn how these theories can explain and respond to problems and issues.
Focus 2: Top Ten International Challenges
Focus 2 will explore ten, or as many as possible, of the most serious international challenges facing the world today, and opportunities for global solutions. The Top Ten International Challenges to be examined are:
| climate change | communicable diseases |
| civil conflicts | access to education |
| financial stability | governance and corruption |
| malnutrition and hunger | migration |
| subsidies and trade barriers | sanitation and access to clean water |
First, each challenge will be analysed by an internationally renowned expert, who will define the problem and describe the costs and benefits of a range of policy options to improve the situation. Secondly, students will consider and evaluate two alternative perspectives for each challenge, similarly proposed by internationally recognised experts. Lastly, the policy proposals of the internationally renowned experts will be evaluated by eight of the world’s top economists, including three Nobel Laureates from North America, Europe and China. The expert panel consists of: Jagdish N. Bhagwati, Robert F. Fogel, Bruno S. Frey, Justin Yifu Lin, Douglass C. North, Thomas C. Schelling, Vernon L. Smith and Nancy L. Stokey.
Focus 3: International Politics and Ethnic Conflict: Case-Studies of Rwanda and Darfur (Yugoslavia, if time permits).
We will examine ethnic and civil conflict as an increasingly international problem. Our case-studies will be two of the most widely debated conflicts: Rwanda, and the current genocide in Darfur, and Yugoslavia if time permits. We will discuss why, how and when states and international organizations intervened, and whether they could have done better or worse, and how ethnic conflict is highly contagious and has impacts on both neighbours and distant countries.
The focus will be on analytical questions of why events happen and do not happen, and not on normative questions about what should have happened or not. Our objective will be to access the various conventional wisdoms of ethnic and international politics including contagion/diffusion, irredentism, types and impacts of intervention, and the impact of ethnic conflict on wider issues in international relations.
Development Studies
This course will offer students the opportunity to experience an international, interdisciplinary and comprehensive overview of the major issues of development theory and practice and the writings of forefront scholars from both the so-called “South” and “North.” The course will cover many important topics, from globalisation to refugees, gender issues to development theory, colonial to post-colonial strategies of development, neo-liberalism, non-governmental organizations, alternative forms of development, and many more.
The ten principle areas of study will be:
| human rights | ethics and morality |
| industrialization and employment | urbanization |
| the environment | gender |
| population and development | health and education |
| political economy of violence and insecurity | agents of change: UN, World Bank |
Journal article readings cover a plethora of issues, such as:
| human rights | ethics and morality |
| liberty | crimes of war and peace |
| alienated labour | feminist scholarship |
| cultural universals | social justice |
| religion | conflict and war |
| crisis decision-making | global inequalities |
| politics of class | politics of cultural pluralism |
| revolution | clash of civilizations? |
| political liberalization/democratization | global HIV-AIDS crisis |
| politics of (natural?) disasters | gender, politics and development |
| impacts and legacies of colonialism | economic policy choices |
| culture, tribalism and ethnicity | music and politics |
| politics of cultural pluralism | economic development challenges |
| class and income | arts and politics |
| civil and military governance | theories of democratic transition |
| ideology, economics and development | African liberation ideologies |
| urban bias and regional inequality | politics of identities |
| globalization and inequality | indomitable spirit |
| urban poverty and the informal economy | |
| politics of terrorism and counterterrorism | |
| the role of the military in (and out of) politics | |
| reforming international financial institutions | |
| approaches to the study of Third World politics | |
| political determinants of economic inequality | |
| global migration, especially from South to North | |
| nationalism, national liberation and decolonization | |
| challenges of independence, statebuilding and regime consolidation |
“One Person WILL Make A Difference”
A philosophy of praxis, or the integration of theory and action, and “The World Is The School. Rwanda Is The Classroom,” will guide the course. If possible, a field trip will be scheduled to a grassroots development initiative of a local NGO in a village or town, where students will be given the opportunity to discuss the origins, challenges, etc. of the project with the local villagers and NGO.
Students also will be given the opportunity to prove that “One Person WILL Make A Difference.” If possible, students will apply what they have learned, through a group field project, in such areas as HIV-AIDS prevention and treatment, improvement of curricula and pedagogy in schools, etc.