Political Science

The Internship Workforce course provides students with an overview of working in the United Kingdom. The course looks at the changing organizational structures of work in Britain. It examines the social and economic changes that affect the workplace in the UK. Topics covered include: sociology of work, trade unions, 0ppression at work, generational changes at work, and the future of work. An internship while studying in London provides an opportunity to experience a “hands on” working situation and a different perspective on the workplace and working practises, while developing professional skills.
 

This course provides an overview of international law and its approach to several burning security issues of global scope, including terrorism, forced displacement, cyberwarfare, pandemics, and disinformation. This thematic overview imparts a basic understanding of the international legal landscape surrounding current security policy conversations, while reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of international law. In the process, the course also exposes most branches of international law, including the law regulating armed conflict and the use of force, human rights law, refugee law, and international criminal law.

This course examines the political economy of South Africa; how it evolved into a dominant player in the Southern African region, and a significant actor in world politics. Beginning with a historical account of the emergence of racism and its institutionalization through the creation of the apartheid state in 1948, the course proceeds to discuss the rise of African nationalism, the advent of liberation politics, and the mass democratic movement leading to the first all-race elections in 1994. The central feature of the course is to deepen the understanding of the post­-apartheid state in South Africa by discussing key topics such as nation-building in a racially divided society, a transition to a non-racial democratic society, democratization in a dominant party system, black economic empowerment, redistribution of wealth, and economic development. The course concludes with an examination of South Africa's role in SADC, AU, and BRICS.

This course is divided into two parts. In the first part, it focuses on some key policies of the EU: students look at the economic and monetary policies, justice, and home affairs, the common agricultural policy, environmental and climate policy, trade policy and EU foreign policy.  The second part looks at some current challenges and controversies that the EU is facing. Students consider whether the EU is an efficient and legitimate system, current challenges to the rule of law, Euroscepticism and the increasing domestic contestation. 

This course investigates key debates and unresolved questions within the field of international relations. The beginning of the course is based on a theoretical foundation. Then, it diverges from the conventional structuring around overarching and traditional approaches such as realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Instead, it acquaints students with some of the field's crucial concepts and middle-range theories within the discipline. Each session is dedicated to analyzing a specific question that has sparked significant controversy. The course scrutinizes both the historical and academic context in which each examined notions and propositions arose, determining whether their content has evolved over time, and if so, why. It explores the interrelation between these debates and their utility in comprehending contemporary world politics.

Comparative politics is a subfield of political science that seeks to explain variation in political outcomes, across or within counties. What explain the emergence of the modern state? Why are some countries more democratic than others? What explains regime transitions? What are the conditions under which government represent interests of the voters? Why do some countries have more internal conflict than others? This course discusses how the scientific method is used to answer these questions, paying attention to the strengths and weaknesses of various methodological approaches.