Course info

This module focuses on contemporary international institutions—norms, rules, and organisations—aimed at addressing matters of pressing global concern. Most fundamentally, the module is concerned with applying International Relations scholarship to assess practical policy challenges in contemporary global politics. What should be done to reduce armed violence and promote a more peaceful international system, and how can these goals be achieved in a world of finite resources and competing interests? The first half of the module provides an advanced examination of IR theory, focusing on (some) major approaches concerning the origins, roles, and efficacy of institutions, asking “when do institutions matter, and how?” The second half of the module applies these analytic lenses to case studies from the fields of international security, human rights, and justice. The specific topics will vary by year. In Fall 2022, the module will focus on international security institutions. Throughout, students are challenged to integrate theory and empirics to critically evaluate the utility of IR scholarship in understanding and responding to real-world problems.