UCSSCPOL367.5 ECTSEnglishBachelor
International Organizations in Theory and Practice
Faculteit—
NiveauBachelor
Studiejaar2026-2027
Beschrijving
Course goals
At the end of this course, students should
- be familiar with theoretical approaches to studying and analyzing international organizations as actors in their own right (exam).
- acquire the ability to analyze and evaluate the structure of IOs and their effectiveness (exam, IO case study, policy brief).
- develop an understanding of major contemporary challenges of global governance (exam, IO case study, policy brief).
- be able to discuss and evaluate the role of international organizations in dealing with complex global policy issues such as global warming, migration and refugees, conflict resolution and peace keeping as well as climate change; (IO case study, debate leadership, participation, presentations)
- be able to formulate alternative policy solutions to global complex policy issues involving international organizations and critically reflect on these policy solutions (IO case study, policy brief, presentations).
Content
International Organizations are fundamental to understanding international politics. They play a major role in efforts to attain international cooperation and global governance. Yet the power, impact, and effectiveness of International Organizations differ widely – across organizations, issues, regions, and over time. A key aim of the course is to understand these differences and their implications for the solution of transnational challenges.
The course will be divided in two parts. The first part introduces central theoretical approaches that help us to understand key aspects of international organizations: their creation and design, their decision-making processes, and their impact and policy effectiveness. The second part applies this analytical toolbox to explain the role of international institutions in specific policy domains, such as security, human rights, health, environment, migration and labor rights.
In terms of institutions, while particular attention will be given to the United Nations and related agencies and programs, non-governmental and regional organizations will be discussed as well.
The course will be divided in two parts. The first part introduces central theoretical approaches that help us to understand key aspects of international organizations: their creation and design, their decision-making processes, and their impact and policy effectiveness. The second part applies this analytical toolbox to explain the role of international institutions in specific policy domains, such as security, human rights, health, environment, migration and labor rights.
In terms of institutions, while particular attention will be given to the United Nations and related agencies and programs, non-governmental and regional organizations will be discussed as well.
Format
This course will be conducted through seminars with an emphasis on interactive teaching aimed at engaging all students in active participation. There will also be group/student-led
discussion sessions. For these group-led discussion sessions, I will assign a group of students (2-3 students) articles, which they will present together with questions that they develop based on their reading. The assigned group will be responsible for leading class discussion with puzzles and questions. Furthermore, a debate and/or simulation will be included in the course.
Reviews0 reviews
Nog geen reviews voor dit vak. Wees de eerste!
Heb jij dit vak gevolgd?
Deel je ervaring met toekomstige studenten. Inloggen met je Universiteit Utrecht mailadres duurt één minuut.
Schrijf een review