International Governance: International Cooperation and Institutionalisation

Course goals

• knowledge on the functioning of the most important IOs (International Organizations) in the world, especially the UN; their historical development and the international political context in which they operate;
• basic knowledge and understanding of the main theoretical underpinnings related to the main International Organizations;
• knowledge of the economic and nonstate aspects of international governance;
• knowledge of relevant historical cases.

Skills: after completing the course, students will be able to:

• critically reflect and actively participate in classroom discussions about the topic;
• critically assess relevant scholarly articles;
• find and present scholarly material in a group context;
• apply relevant theories to historical material;
• write essays critically analyzing key questions of the course and utilizing scholarly literature as well as example cases.

Content

This course examines how international institutions like the United Nations or the European Union secure peace, advance global norms, and respond to crises. We will focus on the emergence of these institutions, which is a recent historical phenomenon. Why were international organizations created, and how has their role in international affairs evolved over time? The course critically investigates the rise of these and other organizations in the context of globalization, the Cold War, and decolonization. We will ask: what visions of international order do international organizations embody? What problems do they confront when advancing peace, security, or human rights? And to what extent have international organizations succeeded in changing international society - are they really the 'normative powers' they aspire to be? 

Additional information

This is the second course of the minor International Relations.

Please note: the time slot shown here is not yet final and may still be modified until the 3rd Wednesday in September.