| Course Type | Elective Course |
|---|
| Course Level | Bachelor's Degree |
|---|
| Year of Study | - |
|---|
| Semester | - |
|---|
| ECTS | 5 |
|---|
| Name of Lecturer(s) |
|
| Learning Outcomes |
At the end of this course, the students;
- learn how to discuss the concepts and events that shape the contemporary world politics.
- learn how to reach the generalizable knowledge instead of speculations, conspiracy theories and political propaganda.
- compare and evaluate theoretical and historical bases of international relations, and current developments in international relations.
|
| Mode of Delivery | Face to face |
|---|
| Prerequisites | No |
|---|
| Recommended Optional Programme Components | No recommended optional programme components. |
|---|
| Course Description | This course deals with current affairs across the globe and its content gets altered in accordance with events likely to have a major impact on regional or global balance of power. This term we kick off with an outline of global order evolving into multi-polarity with major aspects. Having discussed the transition from unipolarity into multipolarity at some length we will move on to some events that accelerated this transition. We will look into the war in Ukraine and the two other wars that it triggered off, that is, the war in the media and the social media as well as the war between those actors trying to turn the globe into multipolarity and those, namely the US and its allies, endeavouring to preserve the US-led unipolar world order. Following the war in Ukraine, we will look at the potential conflict between China and Taiwan with unpredictable consequences. We shall then focus on a regional dispute in Southern Caucasus between Azerbaijan and Armenia with the latest Azerbaijani operations by which Baku liberated all its territories under Armenian occupation. We shall then turn to the Eastern Mediterranean where there was until recently much tension over the exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves, delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zones and etc. The course will end with a general review of all subjects in question. |
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| Course Contents |
| WEEK |
TOPICS |
|
1st Week |
Debate on the evolution of world order from unipolarity into multipolarity. Historical perspective, causes and etc. |
|
2nd Week |
Debate on multipolarity: what is multipolarity likely to bring in? |
|
3rd Week |
The war in Ukraine: causes and respective arguments |
|
4th Week |
The war in Ukraine: likely outcome in the actual war, media war and beyond |
|
5th Week |
Tension between Russia and the West: what is it likely to lead to? |
|
6th Week |
China-Taiwan conflict: causes and respective arguments |
|
7th Week |
Midterm Exam |
|
8th Week |
Tension between China and the West |
|
9th Week |
Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute over Karabakh |
|
10th Week |
Azerbaijan's successful war of liberation |
|
11th Week |
Potential for a rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia and Azerbaijan and Armenia |
|
12th Week |
Eastern Mediterranean Dispute: hydrocarbons, geopolitical configuration etc. |
|
13th Week |
Eastern Mediterranean Dispute: hydrocarbons, geopolitical configuration etc. |
|
14th Week |
Latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean |
|
| Recommended or Required Reading | There are no required books in this course. Instead, students are expected to follow major journals such as Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the National Interest, Perceptions, Baku Dialogues. Students will also be assigned specific articles, op-eds, etc. |
|---|
| Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods |
- Lecture
- Discussion
- Case Study
- Questions/Answers
|
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| Assessment Methods and Criteria |
|
Quantity |
Percentage (%) |
| Mid-term |
1 |
40 |
| Total(%) |
|
40 |
| Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%) |
|
40 |
| Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%) |
|
60 |
| Total(%) |
|
100 |
|
| ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload |
| Activities |
Quantity |
Duration (Hour) |
Total Workload (Hour) |
| Midterm exam |
1 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
| Preparation for Quiz |
|
|
|
| Individual or group work |
14 |
2 |
28 |
| Preparation for Final exam |
1 |
30 |
30 |
| Course hours |
14 |
3 |
42 |
| Preparation for Midterm exam |
1 |
25 |
25 |
| Laboratory (including preparation) |
|
|
|
| Final exam |
1 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
| Homework |
1 |
24 |
24 |
| Total Work Load | 152 |
| Total Work Load / 30 (h) | 5.06 |
| ECTS Credit of the Course | 5 |
|
| Language of Instruction | English |
|---|
| Work Placement(s) | No |
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