Political Science

This course introduces the debate about the state of democracy in Europe which is crucial to understand changes in today's politics. The course focuses on the most daunting challenges for Europe's democracy. The first part of the course discusses the theoretical foundations and the historical roots of Europe's democracy. The second part focuses on the current challenges including populism, authoritarianism, and technocracy. The last part envisions the future of democracy in Europe.

This course provides a historical and political introduction to modern Afghanistan. While it covers a historical timeline spanning from the late 19th century through 2021, it does not provide an exhaustive historical catalogue of events, but rather a genealogy of the political processes and factors that are pertinent to the evaluation of the processes of state-building and nation-building in Afghanistan through today. Covering the country's modern political history from its genesis during The Great Game and the birth of Afghan nationalism in the early 20th century, up to the occupations by the USSR and United States and their political consequences, the course attempts to identify the most salient patterns and trends about the country's political elites and institutions, as well as the interventions of foreign powers, all of which have affected the transformations of the state in Afghanistan.

The undergraduate research program places students in research opportunites to conduct indpendent research under the supervision of a Chinese University of Hong Kong faculty. Students are expected to spend approximately 15 to 20 hours per week in independent research as well as attend lectures and labs.

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 considers the following questions: to what extent do processes such as the transnationalization of production, world trade, or migration processes impact gender inequalities? What are the emancipatory effects of these processes? In order to be able to answer these questions, the seminar first discusses the theoretical foundations for a gender analysis in globalization research. Different theoretical approaches of gender research –from liberal, Marxist, social constructivist to postcolonial and intersectional approaches –are presented and critically reflected. Along the theoretical discussion, the various approaches to gender as an analysis category are worked out, discussed with regard to their methodological consequences, and tested on the basis of selected topics. Finally, various feminist strategies and approaches to the gender-equitable organization of globalization are presented and examined with regard to their gender implications.