International Studies

This course examines the forced migration and trends within the European and Mediterranean regions due to territorial conflicts. Topics include the impact of the erosion of Western hegemony, the emergence of a multipolar world, and the growing dominance of the economic system over territory and society.

This course introduces the field of international development cooperation, with a focus on understanding its historical evolution, key actors, and policy frameworks. Students explore how global development agendas have changed over time and examine the roles played by bilateral donors, multilateral organizations, and civil society in shaping development practices. Special attention will be given to the case of South Korea, which has undergone a unique transition from aid recipient to donor. Through this lens, the course will analyze Korea’s development cooperation policies, its institutional actors such as KOICA and EDCF, and the country’s strategic priorities in the global development arena. 

This course examines multilateralism, global governance, and regional integration as an important area of study within international relations. It focuses on global governance system such as the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations (WHO,UNHCR,IAEA), and regional organizations such as European Union (EU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), NATO, OSCE, ARF and other inter-regional cooperation mechanism (APEC, ASEM, FEALAC). 

The course explores how the UN and regional organizations can survive and develop in today's world after the second term of US President Trump has started in January 2025 with 'America First' foreign policy. 

The course also considers the first year of President Trump and impact of Canadian PM's proposal of 'Middle Power Coalition' as a third way of protecting multilateral and regional organizations. 

Topics include History and theory of global governance and multilateral regimes, Structure and function of the United Nations, Peace and security, Human rights and development, Regional integration/expansion in Europe and Asia-Pacific, Inter-Regional cooperation mechanisms. 

This course covers international organizations and the laws that govern them. 

International organizations govern many different aspects of contemporary international relations, from global security, trade, environmental issues to human rights. Crucial to these international organizations is the legal framework that gives these organizations power but also limits their authority. At the same time, the activities of these organizations also contribute to establishing customary practices that become the foundation for international norms and law.  

This course covers the historical and theoretical foundations of international organizations and provides a comprehensive understanding of the establishment and activities of international organizations from a legal perspective.  

Students explore the roles, forms, and structures of international organizations and acquire a critical perspective on the limitations of international organizations as well as the legal and practical challenges facing them.  

Students become familiar with the debates associated with five international organizations (the UN, ICC, ASEAN, NATO, and the WTO). 

This course introduces the basic principles of the sociological approach to the study of international reality: concepts of structure, interaction, subjectivity and social action. Topics include the main processes of international social transformation, especially globalization, information society, new forms of human mobility, international public opinion and transnational social movements.

This course introduces critical issues and dynamics of international relations in South East Asia(SEA) and Oceania since the end of World War II.  

Students explore regionalism and regional cooperation in SEA and identify how the ASEAN and its individual members have dealt with various issues and managed regional order and stability. In addition, this course seeks to understand how SEA and Oceania copes with great power competition. 

The course examines the following topics: Regionalism in SEA and ASEAN; ASEAN and US-China Competition; Oceania and China's Rise; ASEAN and Australia/New Zealand. Topics include Is SEA a coherent region? What are key cultural, political, economic, or geostrategic patterns and variations that exist across the region?; How does ASEAN compare with earlier efforts at regionalization? How stable/rigid are regional norms and institutions in SEA?; How do the great powers influence regional affairs in SEA? How do the great powers influence regional affairs in SEA?; International Conflict in Southeast Asia; What are cross-border security threats in SEA? How have SEA nations and ASEAN dealt with such security threats? How do SEA nations cope with environmental challenges?; and China’s Rise and Australia’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. 

This course interrogates the significance of climate change for International Relations as a discipline and for international relations as a set of global political practices. The course explores the relationship between natural science and international relations, and what this means for making sense of the international politics of the environment. It examines the implications of climate change through several lenses including international theory, international institutions and governance, conflict, negotiations and communications, social movements and protest, inequality and justice, and discourses of crisis. The course seeks to facilitate student independence in exploring the international relations of climate change, as well as transferable writing skills, through the creation of a blog post on one of the security implications of climate change and developing an essay on any single climatic process and its implications for international relations. 

This course introduces the nature and function of international, universal, and regional organizations, and the political, economic and social reality in which they are framed. Students learn legal terminology in the field of international organizations and study legal sources (statutory, jurisprudential and doctrinal) to be able to identify the characteristic features of an international organization, understand the scope of its legal status in domestic legal systems and in the international legal system, and recognize its distinct nature.

This course examines nationality and immigration law within the Spanish legal system and the means of acquiring, retaining, losing, and recovering Spanish nationality and the administrative status of non-nationals. Topics include the rise in international migratory movements, its impact on Spain as a migration destination, and the legal framework of the rights of both citizens and non-citizens in Spain.

This course introduces knowledge on contemporary international society and students analyze it through the study of the international system’s main actors, its structures and processes, its breaches and the main subject areas in the present global agenda (underdevelopment, environment, globalization, etc.). Topics include the importance of Law as a system of regulating social relationships, the ethical values and principles of different legal professions, and legal research methods and techniques.