International Relations Theory Course

Course Philosophy

Course Development Philosophy

The course is designed according to Martin Zubko’s teaching philosophy, expressed in the principle that:
“A supreme principle of teaching is to ignite curiosity that leads to purposeful research, resulting in discoveries that bring meaning.” 

This approach informs the course structure, where intellectual curiosity serves as the starting point for research-driven learning. Through engagement with theoretical debates and independent investigation, students are encouraged to develop original insights and contribute to deeper understanding of international politics. 

“With each course, my aim has been to develop a research-driven intellectual workshop in which teaching is built around two complementary dimensions: mentoring and coaching. I recognise the limitations of my own knowledge in comparison with the expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence systems; however, the central purpose of my work lies elsewhere — in cultivating individuals who can navigate a complex and often chaotic information environment shaped by truth, misinformation, and partial truths.

The essential task is to develop students’ capacity for independent judgement: the ability to critically evaluate information, formulate meaningful questions, and produce rigorous analysis. Their own intellectual curiosity and judgement remain the primary sources of inquiry, enabling them to discover new perspectives, identify emerging patterns, and contribute original insights to the understanding of complex phenomena.”
— Martin Zubko

Core Principles

1. Theoretical Contestation: International politics can be understood through multiple competing theoretical traditions, each advancing distinct assumptions about the nature of power, order, agency, institutions, and change. 

2. Analytical Pluralism: No single theoretical framework fully captures the complexity of global order. Competing perspectives illuminate different dimensions of international politics, revealing particular dynamics and leaving others less visible.

3. Epistemological Reflexivity: All theories of international relations are historically situated, reflecting distinct intellectual traditions, institutional interests, and geopolitical contexts. The study of International Relations therefore requires critical attention both to competing explanations of world politics and to the assumptions and forms of knowledge through which those explanations are produced.

International Relations theory provides the intellectual foundation of the discipline. It seeks to explain why things happen in world politics, through what mechanisms, and under what conditions competing explanations offer more or less persuasive accounts of international phenomena. The course examines how different theoretical traditions conceptualise power, security, cooperation, conflict, identity, institutions, and global change, while exploring the assumptions, strengths, limitations, and normative implications of each perspective. Students learn to evaluate theories as alternative analytical frameworks through which international politics can be interpreted and critically assessed, not as fixed truths.

Course Content Structure

This 12-week course is organised around a thematic and theoretical framework examining the foundations, evolution, and contemporary debates of International Relations theory. It begins with the central concepts of power, anarchy, and international order, before examining how different theoretical perspectives explain conflict, cooperation, and the use of force in world politics. The course then explores the relationship between international political economy and globalisation, analysing competing perspectives on power, inequality, and economic transformation. The final module applies these theoretical approaches to contemporary issues in world politics, including great power competition, human rights, intervention, global governance, and the future trajectory of international order.

MODULE I: Anarchy and Its Consequences

Week 1: Power and International Politics

Week 2: Anarchy and Strategic Interaction

Week 3: The Mitigation of Anarchy

MODULE II: Uses of Force

Week 4: The Political Uses of Force

Week 5: The Utility of Force Today

Week 6: Nuclear Futures

MODULE III: International Political Economy and Globalization

Week 7: Foundational Perspectives on Political Economy

Week 8: Perspectives on the Global Political Economy Today

MODULE IV: Contemporary Issues in World Politics

Week 9: The Return of Great Power Politics

Week 10: Human Rights, Civil Wars, and Interventions

Week 11: Managing the Global Commons

Week 12: The Political Shape of the Future

Module titles and weekly topics adapted from Art, Crawford, and Jervis (2023).

Integrated Learning Stages

Each week of this 12-week course is structured around three integrated learning stages designed to develop theoretical understanding, analytical application, and critical engagement with competing perspectives in International Relations.

1. Preparation: Engaging with Theoretical Concepts and Scholarly Debates
   Before each session, students engage with assigned academic readings, theoretical texts, and empirical materials to develop familiarity with key concepts, analytical frameworks, and major debates in International Relations. Preparation provides the foundation for informed discussion by encouraging students to critically examine different explanations of power, anarchy, cooperation, conflict, and global order.

2. Discussion-Based Lecture: Applying Theory to World Politics
   Class sessions combine theoretical engagement with structured analytical discussion. Students examine competing IR approaches, compare their assumptions and explanatory claims, and apply theoretical frameworks to historical and contemporary cases, including security dilemmas, uses of force, international political economy, globalisation, and emerging challenges in world politics.

3. Research Lab: Developing Analytical Skills Through Independent Investigation
   The research lab develops students’ capacity for theory-driven research and critical analysis. Students work with scholarly debates, primary sources, policy materials, and empirical evidence to formulate research questions, evaluate competing explanations, analyse causal and constitutive arguments, and develop independent interpretations of contemporary international issues.

Foundational Texts

Core Text 

An innovative element of this course is that it is based on a single publication that prompts students to engage with and research other publications. It is designed less as a conventional survey course and more as an intellectual research debate supported by practical research assessments.

Art, Robert J., Timothy W. Crawford, and Robert Jervis, eds. 2023. International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues. 14th ed. Rowman & Littlefield. 

Companion Readings

• Bukovansky, Mlada, Edward Keene, Christian Reus-Smit, and Mónica Spanu, eds. 2023. The Oxford Handbook of History and International Relations. Oxford University Press.

• Knutsen, Torbjørn L. 2016. A History of International Relations Theory. Manchester University Press.

• Roach, Steven C., Aaron D. Barder, and Martin Griffiths. 2024. International Relations: The Key Concepts. 4th ed. Routledge.

• Sandel, Michael J. 2010. Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

• Shiraev, Eric, and Vladislav Zubok. 2024. International Relations. 4th ed. Oxford University Press.

• Sørensen, Georg, and Jørgen Møller. 2025. Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics. 9th ed. Oxford University Press.

• Weber, Cynthia. 2020. International Relations Theory: A Critical Introduction. 5th ed. Routledge.

Research articles do not appear in the bibliography above. This is intentional. Each week, students are expected to identify a peer-reviewed article relevant to that week’s topic, bring it to the seminar, and share it with the group. The lecturer contributes selections alongside the class. This practice develops independent literature-searching habits, exposes the seminar to a wider range of scholarly perspectives than any fixed reading list could provide, and keeps the course in sustained contact with current debates in the field.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the major theoretical traditions and concepts in International Relations: Explain and critically evaluate the principal approaches that shape the study of world politics, including realism, liberalism, international society theory, constructivism, Marxist and critical approaches, post-structuralism, postcolonial theory, and feminist perspectives. Identify the different assumptions these traditions make about power, anarchy, order, cooperation, conflict, and global change.

2. Apply IR theories to contemporary issues and empirical cases: Use theoretical frameworks to analyse key areas of international politics, including strategic competition, the use of force, nuclear politics, international political economy, globalisation, human rights, intervention, global governance, and changing world order. Demonstrate how different theories generate distinct interpretations of historical events, institutions, and contemporary challenges.

3. Evaluate theoretical arguments and the relationship between theory and practice: Critically assess competing theoretical explanations by examining their analytical strengths, limitations, and relevance to real-world political problems. Evaluate how IR theories inform understandings of security, economic relations, global inequalities, and policy choices in conditions of uncertainty and contestation.

4. Develop and defend independent analytical arguments: Formulate clear, evidence-based arguments on major theoretical debates in International Relations through written and oral work. Engage critically with scholarly debates, compare competing perspectives, and defend analytical positions, recognising the complexity and contested nature of global politics.

Assessment

Graded Assessment Components

Assessment 1: Theoretical Analysis (35% | 2,500 words)
Select one case examined during the course and analyse it through a single IR theoretical tradition. Identify the theory’s core assumptions about power, actors, structures, and causation. Apply the framework consistently and evaluate its strengths, limitations, and analytical blind spots.  

Submission Deadline: End of Week 7.

Assessment 2: Capstone Applied Theoretical Essay (55% | 5,000–6,000 words)

Develop a theoretically informed analysis of a major puzzle or development in contemporary world politics (from the approved case list). Apply one major IR theoretical tradition in depth, demonstrating clear understanding of its assumptions and analytical logic. Evaluate the theory’s explanatory strengths, limitations, and implications. Prioritise analytical depth; engage competing perspectives only where they strengthen the argument.  

Submission Deadline: Sunday of Week 14 (Formal Assessment Period, following the conclusion of Week 12 teaching).

Assessment 3: Participation and Analytical Engagement (10% | Ongoing)
Participation is assessed throughout the semester based on the quality of students’ engagement with the analytical objectives of the course. Assessment considers contributions to Discussion-Based Lectures and Research Labs. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical concepts to empirical cases, engage critically with different interpretations, use evidence effectively, and respond constructively to alternative arguments. Attendance is required. Marks are awarded for the quality of intellectual engagement.

Grading Scale (%) and Performance Standards

• 80–100: Exceptional
  Outstanding analytical ability, originality, and intellectual independence. The work develops a sophisticated, tightly integrated argument that combines theory, evidence, and method with exceptional precision. It critically evaluates competing explanations, exposes underlying assumptions and limitations, and produces insights that approach professional analytical standards.

• 70–79: Excellent
  Advanced analytical skills and strong theoretical understanding. The work presents a clear, well-supported argument and engages critically with relevant debates and alternative explanations. Minor limitations may remain in originality, depth, or full integration of perspectives.

• 60–69: Good
  Solid command of key concepts, literature, and analytical approaches. Theories are applied appropriately and the argument is coherent. Limitations typically appear in originality, critical depth, methodological sophistication, or engagement with competing interpretations.

• 50–59: Satisfactory
  Adequate understanding of core concepts and empirical material. The work engages with the course content but remains largely descriptive or summary-based, with limited analytical depth, theoretical application, or critical evaluation.

• 40–49: Marginal Pass
  Basic understanding of course requirements is present, but analysis is underdeveloped, heavily descriptive, and insufficiently supported by evidence or theoretical reasoning.

• Below 40: Fail
  Does not demonstrate sufficient understanding of key concepts, analytical approaches, or evidence. The work lacks a coherent argument and fails to meet minimum academic standards.

Submission, Formatting Requirements and Academic Integrity

• All written work must be submitted as a PDF file.

• Use 12-point Aptos or Arial font. Number all pages. On the first page include your name, student number, course name, assignment title, and word count. A separate cover page is not required.

• The stated word count is a guide. Stay within 10% above or below it. The word count includes the main text and in-text citations, but excludes the reference list, tables, figures, and appendices.

• Use the Chicago Author-Date citation style throughout. Examples: (Yergin 2020) or Yergin (2020) argues that… For direct quotations include the page number: (Yergin 2020, 47). Place the reference list at the end, organised alphabetically by surname. Footnotes may be used sparingly for substantive clarifications only; do not use them for routine citations.

• Formal policies regarding academic integrity and the use of AI tools vary by institution and will apply in full. Beyond these formal requirements lies a deeper educational principle: the purpose of assessment is not merely to demonstrate completion of tasks, but to develop genuine understanding, analytical capability, and intellectual independence. A qualification represents not only the work submitted, but the knowledge and skills that work is designed to cultivate. This course is built on meaningful engagement with scholarship, practitioners, and professional perspectives that extend beyond the formal syllabus. The value students gain depends on a shared commitment to curiosity, preparation, critical thinking, and responsible academic practice.

Detailed Module Descriptions

MODULE I: Anarchy and Its Consequences

Week 1: Power and International Politics

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 1)
The following readings examine competing approaches to power, authority, and political order in international politics. The analytical focus of each text is indicated below:

• Joseph S. Nye, Jr., “What is Power in Global Affairs?” — Power as influence beyond material capabilities and coercive capacity.

• Thucydides, “The Melian Dialogue” — The relationship between power, strategic necessity, and political survival.

• Hans J. Morgenthau, “Six Principles of Political Realism” — Political realism, national interest, and power as the organising principle of international politics.

• J. Ann Tickner, “A Critique of Morgenthau’s Principles of Political Realism” — Critiques of realist assumptions and alternative understandings of power and political agency.

• Ralph J. Bunche, “The Device of Race in International Politics” — Racial hierarchy, exclusion, and structural inequalities in international relations.

• Ian Hurd, “Legitimacy in International Politics” — Legitimacy as a source of authority, compliance, and international order.

• E. H. Carr, “Morality and International Politics” — Tensions between power, ethics, and political reality.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

Week 2: Anarchy and Strategic Interaction

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 1)

The following readings examine competing explanations of anarchy, security competition, and strategic interaction in international politics. The analytical focus of each text is indicated below:

• Kenneth N. Waltz, “The Anarchic Structure of World Politics” — Anarchy as the defining structural condition of international politics and its implications for state behaviour.

• John J. Mearsheimer, “Anarchy and the Struggle for Power” — Offensive realism and the argument that uncertainty and competition drive states to seek power.

• Alexander Wendt, “Anarchy Is What States Make of It” — The social construction of anarchy and the role of identities, ideas, and state interaction.

• James D. Fearon, “Rationalist Explanations for War” — Rationalist accounts of conflict, bargaining failures, and the conditions under which war occurs.

• Robert Jervis, “Offense, Defense, and the Security Dilemma” — How uncertainty, military technology, and perceptions generate security competition.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

Week 3: The Mitigation of Anarchy

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 3)

The following readings examine how states manage the consequences of anarchy through cooperation, institutions, diplomacy, law, and international organisations:

• Robert Jervis, “Cooperation Under the Security Dilemma” — Conditions under which cooperation becomes possible despite insecurity and mistrust.

• Michael W. Doyle, “Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs” — Liberal explanations of peace, democracy, and institutional cooperation.

• Stephen M. Walt, “Alliances: Balancing and Bandwagoning” — Alliance formation as a response to threats and power asymmetries.

• Hans J. Morgenthau, “The Future of Diplomacy” — Diplomacy as a mechanism for managing conflict and preserving international order.

• Leslie Johns, “Competing Perspectives on International Law and Politics” — Debates over the role, authority, and effectiveness of international law.

• Robert O. Keohane, “International Institutions: Can Interdependence Work?” — Institutional cooperation and the possibility of managing anarchy through interdependence.

• Adam Roberts and Dominik Zaum, “The U.N. Security Council” — The role and limitations of international institutions in maintaining global order.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

MODULE II: Uses of Force

Week 4: The Political Uses of Force

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 4)

The following readings examine the relationship between military power, political objectives, coercion, and strategic influence in international politics. The analytical focus of each text is indicated below:

• Robert J. Art, “The Fungibility of Force” — The political utility of military power and the extent to which force can achieve different policy objectives.

• Thomas C. Schelling, “The Diplomacy of Violence” — Force as a tool of coercion, bargaining, and strategic communication rather than only destruction.

• Robert J. Art, “The Four Functions of Force” — Distinguishing the different political purposes of military power, including defence, deterrence, compellence, and reassurance.

• Bruce Hoffman, “What Is Terrorism?” — Defining terrorism and examining its political objectives, strategies, and relationship to violence.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

Week 5: The Utility of Force Today

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 5)

The following readings examine contemporary challenges to traditional understandings of military power, including coercion, non-state strategies, cyber conflict, and alternative forms of political resistance:

• Robert J. Art and Kelly M. Greenhill, “The Power and Limits of Compellence” — The conditions under which coercive strategies succeed or fail.

• Todd S. Sechser and Matthew Fuhrmann, “Nuclear Coercion Myths” — The limits of nuclear threats and the relationship between nuclear capability and political influence.

• Kelly M. Greenhill, “When Migrants Become Weapons” — Migration as a form of coercion and the strategic use of non-military instruments of pressure.

• Erica Chenoweth, “The Record of Nonviolent Resistance” — The effectiveness of nonviolent movements and the political alternatives to armed struggle.

• Ben Buchanan, “The Cybersecurity Dilemma” — How digital technologies reproduce strategic uncertainty and security competition.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

Week 6: Nuclear Futures

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 6)

The following readings examine nuclear strategy, deterrence, escalation risks, and the future of nuclear order:

• Caitlin Talmadge, “Deterrence in the Emerging Nuclear Era” — The challenges of maintaining deterrence stability amid technological and geopolitical change.

• Robert Jervis, “Losing Control in Crises” — The risks of escalation, misperception, and unintended consequences during nuclear crises.

• Thomas C. Schelling, “A World Without Nuclear Weapons?” — The strategic and political implications of nuclear abolition and disarmament debates.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

MODULE III: International Political Economy and Globalization

Week 7: Foundational Perspectives on Political Economy

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 7)

The following readings examine competing approaches to the study of international political economy, focusing on the relationship between markets, states, power, and global economic relations:

• Robert Gilpin, “The Nature and Study of International Political Economy” — The relationship between economic forces and political power in shaping international economic order.

• Dale C. Copeland, “Economic Interdependence and War” — The relationship between trade expectations, economic dependence, and the prospects for conflict.

• Dani Rodrik, “Why Doesn’t Everyone Get the Case for Free Trade?” — The political and social tensions surrounding trade liberalisation and global economic integration.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

Week 8: Perspectives on the Global Political Economy Today

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 8)

The following readings examine contemporary transformations in the global economy, including globalisation, financial instability, trade governance, economic power, and energy politics:

• Jeffrey Frankel, “Globalization of the Economy” — The drivers, consequences, and limits of economic globalisation.

• Jonathan Kirshner, “The International Consequences of Financial Fragility” — The relationship between financial instability, state power, and international economic vulnerability.

• Aseema Sinha, “Understanding the Crisis at the WTO” — Institutional challenges and political tensions within the global trade regime.

• Adam S. Posen, “America’s Self-Defeating Retreat” — The consequences of economic nationalism and declining support for international economic engagement.

• Dani Rodrik, “New Rules for the Global Economy” — Reforming global economic governance and managing tensions between markets, sovereignty, and democracy.

• Jason Bordoff and Meghan L. O’Sullivan, “Green Upheaval: The New Geopolitics of Energy” — The geopolitical consequences of energy transitions and changing patterns of resource competition.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

MODULE IV: Contemporary Issues in World Politics

Week 9: The Return of Great Power Politics

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 9)

The following readings examine contemporary debates on polarity, strategic competition, and the transformation of international order amid renewed rivalry among major powers:

• Barry R. Posen, “Emerging Multipolarity: Why Should We Care?” — The implications of multipolarity for stability, competition, and international order.

• John M. Owen, “Balancing Soft and Hard Power: China, Russia, and the United States” — The interaction between military capabilities, influence, and different forms of power competition.

• Timothy W. Crawford, “Wedge Strategies: Can China Divide India and the United States?” — The use of diplomatic strategies to exploit divisions among rival states and reshape strategic alignments.

• Hal Brands and John Lewis Gaddis, “The New Cold War: America, China, and the Echoes of History” — Historical comparisons and debates over whether contemporary great-power rivalry resembles previous ideological and strategic conflicts.

• Robert S. Ross, “The False Promise of Russian Balancing against China” — The limits of strategic partnerships and balancing behaviour in great-power competition.

• Stacie Goddard, “How the International System Can Still Check China and Russia” — The role of institutions, alliances, and systemic constraints in limiting revisionist powers.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

Week 10: Human Rights, Civil Wars, and Interventions

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 10)

The following readings examine the relationship between sovereignty, human rights, political violence, and international efforts to manage conflict and protect populations:

• Emilie M. Hafner-Burton, “Global Human Rights in the Twenty-First Century” — The evolution of international human rights norms and their effectiveness in world politics.

• Margaret E. Keck and Kathryn Sikkink, “Transnational Activist Networks” — The role of advocacy networks, information politics, and non-state actors in shaping international norms.

• Barbara F. Walter, “The ‘New’ New Civil Wars” — The changing nature of internal conflicts and the conditions that produce contemporary civil violence.

• Alexander B. Downes, “To the Shores of Tripoli? Regime Change and Its Consequences” — The political risks and unintended consequences of external intervention and regime change.

• Barbara F. Walter, Lise Morjé Howard, and V. Page Fortna, “The Astonishing Success of Peacekeeping” — The effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and international efforts to sustain peace.

• Caroline A. Hartzell and Matthew Hoddie, “Crafting Peace through Power Sharing” — Institutional arrangements for conflict resolution and post-conflict political settlement.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

Week 11: Managing the Global Commons

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 11)

The following readings examine collective action problems, global governance, and the challenges of managing shared resources and transnational risks beyond the control of individual states:

• Joshua Busby, “Why Climate Change Matters More Than Anything Else” — Climate change as a central challenge to security, cooperation, and international governance.

• Stephen M. Walt, “The Realist Guide to Solving Climate Change” — Realist perspectives on climate politics, national interests, and the limits of international cooperation.

• Jeffrey W. Knopf, “The Future of the Global Nuclear Order” — The challenges of maintaining nuclear stability, arms control, and international security institutions.

• Tanisha M. Fazal, “Health Diplomacy in Pandemical Times” — Global health governance, international cooperation, and the political consequences of transnational crises.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

Week 12: The Political Shape of the Future

Core Question
Each week, students formulate a core research question based on the assigned readings and theoretical debates for that particular topic. Students submit their proposed question by email to the lecturer, demonstrating how they have identified a key issue, puzzle, or debate emerging from the week’s materials.

Preparation (Chapter 12)

The following readings examine competing interpretations of future international order, including debates over American power, China’s rise, liberal order, and systemic transformation:

• Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth, “Why China Won’t Overtake the United States” — The persistence of American advantages and constraints on China’s ability to achieve global dominance.

• Michael Beckley, “How Fear of China Is Forging a New World Order” — The impact of strategic rivalry and threat perceptions on the formation of a new international order.

• G. John Ikenberry, “The Next Liberal Order” — The resilience and possible transformation of liberal international institutions.

• Alexander Cooley and Daniel H. Nexon, “How US Hegemony Ends: The Unraveling of American Power” — The decline of hegemonic order and the domestic and international sources of geopolitical change.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The session is structured around critical engagement with the preparatory readings through a guided debate between the lecturer and students. The discussion addresses the key questions and arguments emerging from the assigned texts, followed by the introduction of additional analytical perspectives that extend, challenge, or refine the initial debates. The session concludes by clarifying unresolved issues, conceptual challenges, and points requiring further reflection.

Research Lab
Students apply the week’s theoretical concepts to independent research tasks and empirical cases. Through guided investigation of scholarly debates, primary sources, and relevant evidence, students develop research questions, evaluate competing arguments, and strengthen their ability to connect theoretical frameworks with the analysis of world politics.

Office Hours and Consultation 

I welcome students to discuss course material, assessment questions, research ideas, or analytical challenges during consultation hours. To ensure that all requests are received and can be scheduled appropriately, please use the contact form provided for booking consultations.

I will respond with available times and confirmation of the meeting arrangement.

*** This course is designed to be adaptable across different higher education contexts. The weekly structure, assessment components, and reading requirements can be adjusted to meet the needs of particular institutions, programmes, or individual teaching contexts, and can be scaled appropriately for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. While the course’s analytical framework and intellectual objectives remain consistent, the structure presented here should be understood as a flexible model rather than a fixed template.

Updated – June 2026

I have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and coherence of this course design, but if you identify any errors, omissions, or areas for improvement, I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Academic work is always strengthened through careful review and constructive engagement. Additionally, if you are aware of any outstanding publications that could further enrich the course, I would welcome your recommendations.

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