Leiden University College

This course introduces how to design research projects on a question having to do with law and/or justice. Students begin by exploring how gaps in the existing knowledge about a topic can be identified and how a research question can be formulated to fill such a gap. Students explore various types of questions as well as the kinds of data, sources, and research methods that develop arguments in response. Students further examine ways in which data can be collected as well as how sources can be usefully drawn upon. Students are expected to participate by raising questions and sharing ideas during class meetings and on a discussion forum, and by writing reflections on designing a research project.

International environmental law (IEL) is an innovative, dynamic, and rapidly developing field that seeks to address global environmental issues such as the impacts of, amongst others, climate change and illegal trade in endangered species. As the causes, effects, and potential solutions of such global phenomena transcend national boundaries, international cooperation is increasingly important as reflected in a growing number of international environmental agreements. This course offers an overview of the evolution of IEL, as well as an introduction to the major concepts, cases, and principles that shape effective global environmental governance. Throughout the course, attention is focused on international responses to environmental issues with a transboundary or global scope. Following the introductory lectures, which set the scene by introducing the rules and principles of IEL, students have an opportunity to explore the role of international law in regulating environmental problems such as, inter alia, climate change, biodiversity loss, wildlife trading, and marine pollution. Students also consider the role of IEL in strengthening the rights of nature movement, as well as the governance of the oceans, the Arctic, and Antarctica.

The objective of this course is to assess the means available to the international community when addressing challenges such as armed conflict, terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, and refugee crisis in a coordinated manner. The course is construed around different thematic security threats and critically assesses the way in which the international community attempts to address these issues. The role of the UN Security Council is crucial in this context but it is not the sole actor of relevance when addressing security related issues. Since the starting point of the assessment remains a legal one, this course is not only about what ideally should be done, but also what can lawfully be done under international law. The course encompass both a written policy brief as well as an oral component in the form of a simulated televised interview.

This reading-intensive course studies some of the main conflicts that have occurred since 1945 – beginning with the wars in Indo-China (1946-54) and Algeria (1954-62) that saw the end of France as a colonial power. Conflicts covered in this course include: The Franco-Vietnamese conflict; Lebanon civil war; Islamic revolt in Afghanistan and occupation by the Soviet Union; and the American conflict in Iraq.  Students gain a clear understanding of the background and consequences of these conflicts, how immensely difficult it is for outside powers to intervene in any other state, and a deeper understanding of societies that are very different to those of the West. Students critically analyze the impact traditional mass media and social media have had, both in covering the conflicts and in fostering resistance or opposition to the powers that be.

French Beginners is a French task-based language course for students with no knowledge of the French language. This course involves sets of grammatical, lexical, and phonological items. Communicative tasks are used to develop speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills. An important aspect of the course is the culture knowledge of French and other French-speaking countries. The French language course for beginners aims at the A1/A2 level of the Common European Framework (CEFR). By the end of this course, students are able to: understand and use familiar everyday expressions and basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type; introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows, and things he/she has; can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.