Political Science

This course provides an understanding of social and political aspects of economic dynamics and functioning as influenced by globalized forces. It is a study of how economies are integrating and disintegrating amidst social and political changes that take place in the global communities.

The course offers a unique and scholarly history of the complexity of the British Empire through its origins, rise, fall, and legacy. Its primary focus is on understanding the experience of and the reasons for these processes including controversies and catastrophes. It includes histories of black women and men in Britain and the experience of what it was like being from the Empire and living in Britain.  Many of the case studies are Africa focused. Within the context of Britain's wider political, social, and cultural history, the course examines from the late 1700s the following: the origins of the second empire; explorers; liberalism and racism; the expansion of colonies of white settlement; the role of missionaries; the scramble for Africa; the Victorians and popular imperialism; the contribution of empire to the First and Second World Wars; fast exit strategies; violent decolonization; race and  immigration; post-colonial dictators and the legacy of white settlers. Case studies include Britain and Zimbabwe; Idi Amin and Uganda;  the Mau Mau insurgency in Kenya; plus British rule in Somaliland and the fallout of the Somali civil war. The thread of racism, the imperialism of industrial capitalism, and the role of key individuals are recurring themes. 

What happens when you suddenly find yourself in the society of unknown rules and most of your previous knowledge is useless? What are the psychological pre-conditions but also consequences of the political changes in the 1990s and how can we account for them in psychological terms? How can we link it to some social issues moving the Czech society now? These are some of the key questions explored in this multidisciplinary course, which employs critical social psychology as its main theoretical source although other theoretical perspectives are also included. The course examines problems related to socialization in the totalitarian regime, demands political changes towards democracy put on individuals in the Czech society, and whether we can find traces of these unique experiences in the present day society. The communist regime was strongly linked with regulated socialization in chosen institutions and forced civil participation, which in fact resulted in people's retreat to private life and on an authentic community participation. The course examines the effects of the totalitarian past on the Czech society as a whole as well as on individuals and presents cultural specifics related to non-violent change of the society from totality to democracy. In addition, it analyzes the concept of the post-totalitarian syndrome in relation to some current issues in the Czech society, including xenophobia and prejudice towards immigrants and other minorities, and explores the changes in gender equality and the transformation of the health and social services, particularly in regard to mental health.

This course examines the forced migration and trends within the European and Mediterranean regions due to territorial conflicts. Topics include the impact of the erosion of Western hegemony, the emergence of a multipolar world, and the growing dominance of the economic system over territory and society.

This course covers international organizations and the laws that govern them. 

International organizations govern many different aspects of contemporary international relations, from global security, trade, environmental issues to human rights. Crucial to these international organizations is the legal framework that gives these organizations power but also limits their authority. At the same time, the activities of these organizations also contribute to establishing customary practices that become the foundation for international norms and law.  

This course covers the historical and theoretical foundations of international organizations and provides a comprehensive understanding of the establishment and activities of international organizations from a legal perspective.  

Students explore the roles, forms, and structures of international organizations and acquire a critical perspective on the limitations of international organizations as well as the legal and practical challenges facing them.  

Students become familiar with the debates associated with five international organizations (the UN, ICC, ASEAN, NATO, and the WTO). 

This course explores the relation between art and activism as a way of engaging critically with issues such as coloniality, gender inequality, xenophobia, and exploitative labour practices. Students study the work of leading practitioners and theorists in the field of politically-engaged art, with a focus on how dialogue and provocation afford a variety of ways of calling power relations into question through participatory practice and/or collaboration as a process of co-creation.

This course covers sports and their impact on Chinese society with special focus on the role of sports in China's search for national identity and internationalization. It provides an in-depth understanding of Chinese society, popular culture, and politics. Students learn how the Chinese have interacted with different peoples from the rest of the world in international games such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup. The course helps examine how different peoples, nations, and governments have responded to sports, how the Chinese turned sports into vehicles for both nationalism and internationalism, how Chinese governments in different stages and periods have linked sports to their political legitimacy, and how sports serve as tools for nation building, expressions of national identity and national honor or personal freedom in China. By examining the role of sports in Chinese society, students gain valuable contextual understanding to better explain culture and politics and better understand China, its society, and its positions in the world.

This course explores Japan’s evolving relationship with the world by examining its historical nation-building, post–World War II reconstruction, and contemporary foreign policy challenges. Through analyses of regional relations, national security issues, and Japan’s growing international role — especially in the context of China and the United States — students gain a deeper understanding of how Japan seeks to maintain autonomy and shape its place in global affairs.

This course interrogates the significance of climate change for International Relations as a discipline and for international relations as a set of global political practices. The course explores the relationship between natural science and international relations, and what this means for making sense of the international politics of the environment. It examines the implications of climate change through several lenses including international theory, international institutions and governance, conflict, negotiations and communications, social movements and protest, inequality and justice, and discourses of crisis. The course seeks to facilitate student independence in exploring the international relations of climate change, as well as transferable writing skills, through the creation of a blog post on one of the security implications of climate change and developing an essay on any single climatic process and its implications for international relations. 

This course covers major issues and historical backgrounds of contemporary East Asian politics, with a particular focus on Northeast Asia.  

Students explore regional politics and the unique development paths and key issues shaping East Asia today. Upon completion of the course, students may be better prepared for careers in East Asia-related fields, including government, diplomacy, defense, the private sector, and academia.  

The course covers a range of topics, including the early 20th-century historical background, postwar decolonization, political transformation and democratization in East Asia, China’s assertive foreign policy and its challenges to the current regional order, the reemergence of nationalism and historical disputes, the US–China rivalry and its regional impact, and territorial disputes in East Asia. 

This course is structured in three parts. First, it introduces the key concepts, structures, and historical backgrounds that underpin contemporary East Asian dynamics. Second, it examines various issues and case studies related to the politics, defense, and diplomacy of South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China, as well as their bilateral and multilateral relations. Third, it explores the future of East Asia in terms of regional power dynamics. Students are expected to develop a foundational yet comprehensive understanding of contemporary East Asian power dynamics, the policies of major countries (South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China), and their historical contexts.  

Additionally, the course addresses the historical roots of current territorial and diplomatic disputes among major East Asian powers, political transformations in East Asian democracies, and China’s assertive challenge to the existing regional order. Through this course, students develop the ability to form their own perspectives on East Asian regional dynamics and political systems, as well as their implications for both East Asia and global politics.