International Studies

The 2020s have seen the rise of numerous strategic problems for Australia. There are giant states in fierce competition, such as the United States and China, and emerging giants in India and Indonesia. There are also problems from below, such as climate change, artificial intelligence, cyber security, and terrorism. This course examines the security challenges facing Australia and explores how Australia should approach its region. 

This course provides an in-depth examination of the intersection between trade law and diplomacy in the context of international trade relations. Students will gain an understanding of real-world trade issues and will investigate the role of diplomacy in trade relations as well as the practice of trade laws focusing on the World Trade Organization and its dispute settlement procedure. 

The course provides background case analysis of the previous WTO disputes and covers current and emerging trade issues such as US-China trade dispute, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, Tech Diplomacy, and AI-related trade issues.  

Professor Sangsoo Yoon was a career diplomat working for the Korean Foreign Ministry and his previous post was Consul General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco, USA. During his diplomatic career, Professor Yoon has been heavily involved in multilateral trade negotiation in the World Trade Organization and has unique expertise in WTO dispute settlement procedures.  Professor Yoon will share his first-hand knowledge on trade law and diplomacy and foster dialogue on current trade-related diplomatic issues. 

This course examines foundational international relations theories encompassing realist, liberal-internationalist and constructivist perspectives to ongoing and emerging political dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region. It complements comparative political perspectives on regional governance by applying state-centric and key sub-state based perspectives on understanding how the region ‘matters’ in a global context. Various perspectives on international political economics, foreign policy analysis, international security and regional/international institutions will supplement the theoretical perspectives that underwrite the subject’s conceptual approach.

The extensive independent study field research paper produced by the student is both the centerpiece of the intern's professional engagement and the culmination of the academic achievements of the semester. During the preparatory session, IFE teaches the methodological guidelines and principles to which students are expected to adhere in the development of their written research. Students work individually with a research advisor from their field. The first task is to identify a topic, following guidelines established by IFE for research topic choice. The subject must be tied in a useful and complementary way to the student-intern's responsibilities, as well as to the core concerns of the host organization. The research question should be designed to draw as much as possible on resources available to the intern via the internship (data, documents, interviews, observations, seminars and the like). Students begin to focus on this project after the first 2-3 weeks on the internship. Each internship agreement signed with an organization makes explicit mention of this program requirement, and this is the culminating element of their semester. Once the topic is identified, students meet individually, as regularly as they wish, with their IFE research advisor to generate a research question from the topic, develop an outline, identify sources and research methods, and discuss drafts submitted by the student. The research advisor also helps students prepare for the oral defense of their work which takes place a month before the end of the program and the due date of the paper. The purpose of this exercise is to help students evaluate their progress and diagnose the weak points in their outline and arguments. Rather than an extraneous burden added to the intern's other duties, the field research project grows out of the internship through a useful and rewarding synergy of internship and research. The Field Study and Internship model results in well-trained student-interns fully engaged in mission-driven internships in their field, while exploring a critical problem guided by an experienced research advisor.

This course focuses on the transatlantic Cold War and thus on developments in and interactions between the US, the USSR and Europe from the angles of primarily diplomatic, as well as cultural and technological history.  After completing this course students are able to: summarize the main developments in international politics in the post-World War II world, as well as some of the main themes in international relations theory; plan their own research, i.e. find relevant literature, and work out a thesis on their particular topic; and present the results of their research, both orally and in writing.  Prerequisites include one of the following courses: Ancient Literature and History, Ancient History, Medieval History, Early Modern History, Modern History, or Introduction to Political Theory. Knowledge of modern history (especially post-World War II history) is required for this course. If students have not taken a prerequisite course, they must request permission from the instructor to enroll.

This course explores the complex interactions between international politics and the global economy, encompassing subjects ranging from geopolitics, security, climate change, global financial systems, and the impact of technology on international trade. 

Students will examine the evolving dynamics of international political economies to navigate the complexities of global economic policymaking process, through a thorough engagement with current case studies to understand the impact of economic decisions on global political structures and vice versa. 

This course examines how individuals and groups shape local-global dynamics of international environmental politics, how economic, political, and social processes at multiple domains shape global environmental changes, including climate change, and how challenges of international environmental politics and policy formulations shape solutions to global environmental changes. This course discusses five areas crucial to comprehending the nature and dynamics of global environmental issues and effective policies to deal with them: international political order, international environmental law, human-environment interactions in the context of market and politics, political and societal challenges of sustainability, and dynamics of human values and rules.

The extensive independent study field research paper produced by the student is both the centerpiece of the intern's professional engagement and the culmination of the academic achievements of the semester. During the preparatory session, IFE teaches the methodological guidelines and principles to which students are expected to adhere in the development of their written research. Students work individually with a research advisor from their field. The first task is to identify a topic, following guidelines established by IFE for research topic choice. The subject must be tied in a useful and complementary way to the student-intern's responsibilities, as well as to the core concerns of the host organization. The research question should be designed to draw as much as possible on resources available to the intern via the internship (data, documents, interviews, observations, seminars and the like). Students begin to focus on this project after the first 2-3 weeks on the internship. Each internship agreement signed with an organization makes explicit mention of this program requirement, and this is the culminating element of their semester. Once the topic is identified, students meet individually, as regularly as they wish, with their IFE research advisor to generate a research question from the topic, develop an outline, identify sources and research methods, and discuss drafts submitted by the student. The research advisor also helps students prepare for the oral defense of their work which takes place a month before the end of the program and the due date of the paper. The purpose of this exercise is to help students evaluate their progress and diagnose the weak points in their outline and arguments. Rather than an extraneous burden added to the intern's other duties, the field research project grows out of the internship through a useful and rewarding synergy of internship and research. The Field Study and Internship model results in well-trained student-interns fully engaged in mission-driven internships in their field, while exploring a critical problem guided by an experienced research advisor.

This course examines international nuclear non-proliferation regimes and geopolitical situations as an important part in international peace and security. Via case studies, the course explores the history of nuclear weapon development and the establishment of nuclear non-proliferation regimes as well as nuclear disarmament agreements between the United States and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union) and the UN’s efforts to ban nuclear weapons. 

The course further addresses the history of nuclear weapon development, use, and related, resultant negotiations, treaties, and subsequent political impact upon and by various governing bodies throughout the world. The course situates and reviews cases in the geopolitical context: nuclear development and possession in India, Pakistan, and Israel; the Cuban Missile Crisis; and Iranian nuclear development.  

In addition, the possibility of further nuclear proliferation by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Japan and Taiwan is discussed in relation to geopolitical interests, and North Korea's nuclear tests and South Korea’s nuclear option are debated in the context of North Korea’s nuclear threat and geopolitical strategy. 

This course provides the tools to analyze, as citizens as well as practitioners and workers, international affairs in the contemporary world. It explores international issues, based on research and practice, through economic, strategic, political and social lenses. National and international political issues are of particular interest. Indeed, all actors, should they be public, private, non governmental, etc., face questions related to power, financial means, culture and organization. Hence, this course begins by studying global and transversal issues to lay the foundations for examining regional and national issues. Theories of international relations are used as far as they shed light on the practice of world affairs as well as history, geography, economics, strategy and other social sciences. The course attempts to cover the most important issues, actors and geographical areas pertaining to international affairs.