International Studies

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.

In this internship, students work closely with their host organization for up to 12 hours per week over the course of a semester. Final assessment is comprised of a mentor evaluation, a self-evaluation/reflection, and an organizational report.

This course surveys and analyzes the interaction between Europe and America since 1945 in the fields of politics, economics, and culture. Special emphasis is placed on the roles of the United States, Germany, and the European Union. The first part has a time-line approach, discussing cooperation and divergence of  interests before, during, and after the Cold War and after 9/11. During the second part, the course focus on issues of common concern for the U.S. and Europe today and on challenges facing the transatlantic partnership during the era of globalization with its challenges to the common values of the “West.” Current events are discussed whenever they become relevant. The course includes a guest speaker and a visit to the German Foreign Ministry for a talk on German-American relations.

The course first offers students an introduction to the discipline of International Relations to understand some of the key questions that scholars and policy makers have focused on, and how the field has been transformed as the world has changed around them. It then studies a series of pressing contemporary issues, including war, security, development, human rights, and terrorism. These cases and questions are analyzed through different theories including realism, liberalism, constructivism, Marxism, and feminism.