International Studies

This course offers students an introduction to two key dimensions of globalization: international trade and international finance. The course covers both theoretical and empirical contributions and often refers to current policy issues in both international trade and macroeconomics. Using theoretical and empirical tools, students consider a wide range of topics such as: gains of specialization; effect of trade on inequality; market power effects on international trade; consequences of trade policy; international financial flows; relation between exchange rates and monetary policy; globalization impacts on macroeconomics policies; euro currency area; and international financial crises. Prerequisite for this course is a first year economics course. The course uses basic mathematical tools that are common in any economics course.

This course examines Japanese political economy. It provides an overall understanding of political economy in Japan. The course covers diverse topics of contemporary Japan through the lens of political economy including the developmental state and Japan Inc., the politics of industrial policy, the bubble economy and lost decade, the Japanese financial Big Bang, the political economy of globalization and Japanese reform, types of economic recovery or recession after the 2008 global crash and 2011 quake, Abenomics and recent symptoms of recession, and Japanese foreign policy and new initiatives, etc. This course is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on the developmental state of Japan; the second part covers the Japanese “lost decade” and the future of its economy; and the third part outlines Japan’s foreign policy. 

This course introduces international law with a focus on the basic theory of contemporary international legal system. Course topics include: the relation between international laws and domestic laws, international legal personality, territorial sovereignty, law of sea, law of air and outer space, international environmental law, international organization, law of war, and humanitarian law. The course teaches international law by use of original legal materials such as international treaties and cases of International Court of Justice (ICJ) and by course discussion and mock court.

This course provides an introduction to the basics of international relations. Students conduct an independent analysis of the realities of international relations using some basic methods of observing international relations phenomena, and form a basic judgment of the direction of international relations. Students read basic theoretical works on international relations and give corresponding comments.

This is an introductory course in the field of IR. It provides an overview of the plurality of the discipline, from foreign policy and institutionalism to postmodern and feminist approaches. It focuses on four aspects: theory, topics, reflexive practice, and research. The theories and topics are the backbone of the course, discussing different theoretical approaches and related themes every week through readings and presentations. Reflexive practice comes in the form of a simulation game, in which direct experiences are connected to the theoretical and empirical content of the course. In the research part, students learn how to apply IR theory meaningfully to concrete case studies.