International Studies

This course explores the dynamic interaction between human sciences and globalization. The course investigates the impact of global interconnectedness on human behavior, culture, and society, while gaining interdisciplinary perspectives on historical, ethical, philosophical, and political dimensions.  

This course examines pressing global issues and the efforts of international organizations to address them in recent decades. The course explores the six principal organs of the United Nations and various UN Funds and Programmes as well as UN Specialized Agencies. The course also emphasizes the efforts made by national governments, including Japan's foreign policy towards the UN and Japan's ODA policy. 

This course examines international security issues, especially those related to inter-state conflict such as arms races, international law, nuclear weapons, crisis bargaining and cyber warfare. 

This course examines major world cultures and their languages in a comparative context. Students will gain a critical understanding of culture and diversity through examining the languages and cultures of China, France, Japan, Korea, Spain and Latin America.

This course provides an overview of the history of international relations from the Napoleonic Wars to the eve of World War I. The main objective of this course is to assist students in understanding the key elements of diplomatic history necessary to study contemporary world politics. The course also prepares students for upper-level courses in the Political Science and International Relations department. 

This entry-level course covers statistical analysis related to survey methodologies and statistical analysis tools such as R, Stata, and Python for data analysis as a general topic of international studies.  

Students learn various data analysis methodologies in the fields of international economy, international development cooperation, and international relations, and how to generate, interpret, and critically judge quantitative analysis results on major topics covered in those fields. 

This course is ideal for undergraduate students in international studies who want to apply econometric principles to real world data. It is particularly suited for those seeking to develop skills in R programming, including data cleaning, visualization, statistical modeling, and interpretation, to support independent research and future academic or professional endeavors. 

This course explores issues of economic development in a globalizing world. Today, trade policy is at the forefront of the development agenda, and it is a critical element of any strategy to fight against poverty. This renewed interest in trade liberalization does not come from dogma, but instead is based on a careful assessment of development experience over the last 50 years. This course examines how multilateral trade cooperation in the World Trade 2 Organization (WTO) helps developing countries create and strengthen institutions and regulatory regimes that will enhance the gains from trade and integration into the global economy. The course also surveys how the growth of regional trading blocs affects developing countries that are turning to regionalism as a tool for economic development. 

Prerequisite: Principles of International Commerce (Highly Recommended).

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. International Security (a.k.a Strategic Studies) is an established field within the International Relations discipline, focusing on the role and functions of military forces in international politics. More specifically, the course covers both theory and practice of war and warfare, with emphasis on the contemporary era. It is subdivided into two sections (of different lengths). The first part ("Strategic Theory", shorter) examines some of the principal "theories of war" (e.g. Sun Tzu & Clausewitz ). The first part provides the participants with the relevant analytics tools to attend the second part ("the Tools of Warfare"), which is devoted to the application of those theories to modern warfare as well as an examination of the principal military doctrines, the weapons of mass destructions and irregular warfare (insurgencies, guerrilla and terrorism).

By the end of the course, students are able to: 1) Appreciate variation in conceptions of international security theories. 2) Understand the origins and evolution of mainstream theories on military strategy. 3) Understand the significance of alternative conceptions of national security for states' policies. 4) Develop an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of modern warfare in strategic international events. 5) Develop analytical skills to be applied to international security issues.

This course explores the origins, contemporary manifestations, strategies, impacts, and responses to extremism in Europe and the Americas, with a focus on right-wing examples. It examines the political, social, and cultural dimensions of these movements. The course also distinguishes extremism from related phenomena such as populism and nationalism, explores the motivations and ideologies behind extremism, and assesses the consequences for democracy and social cohesion in these regions. The course begins with a brief introduction to the definitions and distinctions surrounding extremism. In Section II, it takes a closer look at how extremism has developed in contemporary European and American contexts. Section III focuses on analyzing extremist ideologies and discourses, including propaganda and online strategies, through various case studies. Finally, in Section IV, it reflects on the social and political impacts of extremism, as well as the responses from governments and civil society. In terms of methodology, the course is taught through lectures, cross-sectional analysis, group discussions, and the use of primary and secondary sources alongside case studies. 

Throughout history, but more so in recent years, forced displacement has been one of the most difficult challenges facing the international community. To be effective, any efforts to address forced displacement need to be multi-sectoral. While refugee and forced migration studies have evolved over the years, contributing to a range of philosophical, political and interpretative theories, this course focuses on the protection and assistance of displaced persons in multilateral setting, through the lens of a former UNHCR staff member.  

As "Refugee and Forced Migration Studies" I and II are closely interlinked, it is strongly recommended for students to take both courses. These courses are useful for students who wish to pursue a career in the humanitarian field (UN, NGOs, NPOs etc.) in the future.