International Studies

This is an introductory course on international migration. The course explores various issues and challenges that come with growing migration today, focusing on multiculturalism, policy issues, racial and ethnic relations, social inequality, identities, xenophobia and nationalism. While taking a global, comparative approach, the course focuses on Japan, along with other industrial countries, such as the US, the UK, and South Korea. Through lectures, discussions, videos, and other class activities (e.g., guest speakers and field visits), the course collectively examine who migrates; why and how immigrants assimilate and integrate, and how states try to control immigration.

The course begins by exploring the historical background of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with the events which led to the creation of the state of Israel. Particular attention is paid to studying the development of the conflict over the course of the 20th century from a domestic, regional as well as international perspective. The impact of various Israeli and Palestinian movements on the conflict is studied as well as the ongoing involvement of regional and international state and non-state actors. The course concludes with an analysis of the conflict in the 21st century, which includes studying what proposals for peace have been put forward and evaluating their merits. The course is organized according to key events, themes as well as case studies.

This course examines the history of East Asia`s international relations and East Asia`s diplomacy towards the United States and the world at large from the 19th century to the advent of the Cold War. More specifically, this course is devoted to answering the question, "How did Korea charter her own path towards establishing a modern conception of national sovereignty throughout the long 19th and 20th centuries?" Topics include a comparison between a Confucian tributary system and a Westphalian system, Japan`s modernization and competing Chinese and Korean responses, Japanese imperialism and the coming of the First and Second World Wars, Japan`s surrender to the Allies and lingering post-colonial questions such as territorial sovereignty over Dokdo, the Korean War and the first two Indochina Wars as the opening "hot wars" of the Cold War, and finally, the future of the Northeast Asian international order after the Cold War.

There are three main objectives in this course. First, it examines how to prepare a theoretical basis to analyze East Asian international relations from the 19th century to the advent of the Cold War and paying special attention to how Korea encountered changes and vicissitudes of fortune as it chartered its own course in the world. Second, it identifies factors which stabilized and disrupted the East Asian international order and how interactions between such factors affected Korea’s responses. Finally, it explores what the future of East Asia’s international order will look like and how Korea’s diplomacy should act as a pivot between East Asia and the United States.

This course analyzes the role that religious forces play in international society today. It provides an overview of major world religions then discusses the role of religions in conflicts and peace.

This course introduces theories and practices of International Organizations. The first part of the course deals with theories pertaining to international relations and international law on international organizations. The second part of the course focuses on the United Nations (UN) and other organizations. This course is primarily a discussion course; prior knowledge of international law, international relations, human rights, and environment is recommended. 

Co-sponsored by the Korea Foundation, this course is designed to provide a valuable learning experience on how South Korea has been conducting its regional and functional public diplomacy with a focus on its key issues and prospects. It further explores South Korea’s attractive points in its foreign and security policy implementation process as a part of conducting its public diplomacy. Various public diplomacy strategies will be discussed, such as how Korea can shape the perceptions of other countries on itself through appeal and attraction, determined by a country’s policies, culture, and values. This course provides both theoretical and practical views on South Korea’s public diplomacies in various aspects and in diverse regions across the world. In addition to several GSIS faculty members, former ambassadors and high-level executives who were at the forefront of Korea’s diplomacy have been invited as instructors for this course.