International Studies

This course offers an in-depth empirical analysis of key issues in contemporary world politics. It examines challenges of international cooperation in response to various growing global issues in the 21st century. Topics include: China and US relations; Post-Soviet Russia and the reconfiguration of Eurasian geopolitics; the European Union and the challenges of a common foreign and security policy.  

This course explores the intricate relationships between media, culture, and public discourse across global contexts. It delves into the concept of the public sphere as a foundational element of democratic societies, examining how media platforms and political actors shape public discourse and influence public opinion. Through a critical examination of both historical perspectives and contemporary challenges, students gain a comprehensive understanding of how global media operates within and impacts the public sphere.

This course introduces students to the forces that made, upheld, and unmade empires in modern global history (c. 1780-present). The course approaches empires in a global historical perspective, looking at them as frameworks of power and resistance, and identifying connections and comparisons. Transformations in world order is a central concern. The course begins with imperial expansion, resistance and independence movements during the global period of revolution and global war in the 1780s. It traces the growth and consolidation of formal and informal empire through conquest and trade in the 19th and 20th centuries in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific, examining how changing conceptions of identity, race, nation, and belonging intersected with modes of political and economic power. The course also examines the impact of European imperial expansion on the empires of Asia and their transition from empire to nation-state in the international society of the 19th and 20th centuries. 

This course examines comparative political theories about political institutions and the characteristics of each type of institution. The main topics covered in the course are the presidential system, the parliamentary cabinet system, and the mixed system, as well as the working mechanisms of various electoral systems and their political impact. 

This course surveys political institutions—the “rules of the game”—in various democracies around the world.  An institution is a set of incentives/constraints that affect actors’ preferences and choices.  In order to investigate political behaviors and outcomes, it is essential to understand the effects of institutions.  

The course first introduces students to scientific approaches to analyzing the consequences of institutions.  Then, we discuss constitutional designs to solve the principal-agent (delegation) problem in representative democracies.  Next, we compare the varying effects of different political institutions, including parliamentarism versus presidentialism, federalism versus unitary government, majoritarian electoral system versus proportional representation, two-party versus multiparty systems, unicameralism versus bicameralism, direct versus representative democracy, and majoritarian versus consociational government. We also consider institutions in dictatorships.  Finally, given the consequences of institutions, we deliberate over the origin or the choice of institutions.    

This course examines the foundations of the modern Human Rights regime, and address important controversies for Human Rights, including, accusations of Western-Centrism; protections for gender and sexuality; and issues of self-determination.

This course introduces a comprehensive reflection on the Palestinian Question, taking into account the unique characteristics of each of its constituent issues, so that students gain clarity on how Palestine has been territorially and demographically constituted over the last two centuries, its place on the world political map before the establishment of Israel in 1948, and the subsequent progressive territorial and demographic transformations.

This course offers a multidimensional introduction to the global poverty challenge, examining how poverty is defined, measured, and addressed within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students explore poverty's intersection with global risks such as education disparities, gender inequality, migration, climate change and skills development among others. The course encourages students to investigate real-world poverty reduction projects by international organizations and features projects by the World Bank, UNESCO, etc. to address poverty in the areas of education and skills development.  

Students should expect to form groups and lead a session at a hypothetical international conference titled: “Global Conference on Poverty Solutions: Linking Practice and Evidence.” Each group will be responsible for organizing a panel discussion session to highlight a project implemented by international organizations to address global poverty among other goals.  Students will also write a policy brief based on international organizations’ projects or research related to poverty reduction. 

This course offers an introduction to the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It covers the Court's role within the broader framework of international justice, its history, legal structure, and organs, the sources of law it applies, and the procedures governing contentious cases and advisory opinions. The course also introduces incidental proceedings, enforcement, and requests for revision of judgments. It involves an analysis of the Court's current docket and of its jurisprudence through the study of landmark cases that have shaped its history and the history of international law more broadly.

This course offers a critical examination of migration policies and governance tools in Western countries, drawing on sociological, political science, and empirical case study approaches. It interrogates the mechanisms of control, dominant discourses, and power dynamics that shape contemporary migration flows. The course focuses on state administrations, associations, international organizations, private actors, and civil society, as well as their interrelations. During the different sessions, it explores the evolution of migration policies and their connections to colonialism, nationalism, and globalization from a comparative perspective. It also provides a broad understanding of contemporary issues—such as securitization, the externalization of borders, the criminalization of solidarity, and the commodification of migration. The course analyzes how stereotypes and discursive frameworks shape public policies and social perceptions, influencing the design and implementation of migration policies, often in ways that reinforce exclusionary practices. It then examines the instruments used to regulate migration, including border technologies (such as AI and biometrics), legal frameworks, outsourcing practices, and the roles of NGOs and private actors. Finally, the course highlights forms of resistance led by migrants, solidarity networks, legal challenges, and sanctuary cities. Firsthand accounts from activists offer insights into grassroots strategies for contesting exclusionary policies and imagining alternative governance models.

This course uncovers the realities of diplomacy in action. Students explore how nations negotiate, respond to crises, and manage relationships behind the scenes. From drafting urgent communiqués in the early hours to navigating the complex rules of protocol, students gain insight into the skills and strategies that shape international affairs—and discover what it truly takes to succeed in the field.

The course teaches what diplomats do and how they do it with an exceptional group of LSE faculty including Professors who have served as the former Deputy Foreign Minister of Mexico, the Chief Economist of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, an advisor to the Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street, a Senior Advisor in the U.S. Department of State, and acting High Commissioner (Ambassador) to India and Pakistan.