Near East Studies

This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of human rights in the Middle East and North Africa from theoretical and practical perspectives. The course gives an overview of the state of international human rights discourse and looks at the implementation of human rights law in the regions of the Middle East and North Africa. The theoretical perspective both engage the international human rights system and also consider debates around the universality of rights and the relationship between Islam and human rights.

Jerusalem's glory rests not only in the archeological sites and ancient monuments which shed light on its past, but also in the multiple dynamic religious groups whether of Jewish, Christian, Islamic, or other origin, which flourish in it today. This unique course tours the city, meeting representatives of these religious groups, visiting their communities, and thus understanding the complex but also amazing fabric of this exquisite city. 

Over the past century Israel has transformed from an agricultural colony, to a welfare state, and on to a globally integrated "market economy” characterized by great income disparities. What lies behind this transformation? How did egalitarianism give rise to inequality? What are the implications of a constant state of conflict on a country's economy? How does being an island of democracy surrounded by non-democratic regimes effect the development of a country's international economic relations? This course explores how different issues have affected the Israeli economy, including periods of economic growth or stagnation, the governments' domination of capital and credit markets in the 1970's and 1980's, the stabilization program of 1985, the implications of peace processes, and the wave of Russian immigration in the 1990's. The course concludes with an overview of the international economic relations between Israel and The European Union, The USA, and the global economic institutions (GATT and WTO, IMF and the World Bank, and the OECD).

The course introduces the normative structure and theoretical foundations of Public International Law (PIL), alongside its institutional and procedural aspects. It also looks at the interplay between Public International Law and domestic legal systems, and between Public International Law and international relations, legal philosophy, and political science. A particular focus of the course is the relevance of Public International Law to the issues and challenges confronting the State of Israel. The course discusses core issues in Public International Law and their significance to the State of Israel, in light and based upon the unique needs and history of Israel.

The course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by consent of the instructor. The course examines the political and the social conditions of contemporary Iran. Iran is one of the major players in the contemporary geopolitical situation and has a long history as a hegemonic power. It is also characterized by a vibrant civil society, a fact that is not usually acknowledged. Hence the focus of the course is on both political and social aspects. The course focuses on the historical, political, and social situation of contemporary Iran; the patterns of interaction between Iran and the various local political entities (Empires, nation-states, regional organizations); the interaction between Iran and Europe, North America, and Africa; and the influence of international factors on Iranian domestic and foreign policy. Special attention is placed on the interaction with other regional forces and the international and global dynamics affecting the region as a whole. A special section of the course is devoted to the historiographic and political debate concerning Iran, its future, and its role in international politics. The course is designed primarily to familiarize students with the pivotal events and processes of the political history of contemporary Iran and its foreign and domestic policies. Special attention is placed on Iran’s diplomacy and international relations.

This course provides an overview of empirical, analytical, and theoretical knowledge on the interaction between Islam and the notions of state and power. The course combines historical, sociological, and anthropological approaches in order to provide students with a concrete knowledge of Islam as a religion and as a matrix of a series of political thoughts that are both sophisticated and different from Western European and North American models. Through practical and empirical case studies, the course engages an advanced reflection on the theoretical models and systematic political rationalities carried by ideologies driven by the values and history of Islam.

This course addresses international issues regarding the foreign policies of France and the United States in the Middle East, a zone defined by international organizations as including North Africa and Iran but excluding Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The course includes an interactive dimension which allows students to refine their understanding of the actors and challenges of this subject and to sharpen their critical thinking skills with the reading of various selected texts, including academic works, autobiographies of the stakeholders, and press articles.