Political Science

The full-scale Russian war against Ukraine has a fundamental impact on almost every aspect of societal, political, and economic life in all countries of the post-soviet space. While it is yet too early to fully understand and assess the multiple dimensions of this “Zeitenwende”, this course tries to take stock of some of the repercussions visible so far. These analyses not only focus on the present violent dynamic in the region, but also include still relevant legacies of the shared Soviet past as well as the - intended and unintended – changes which shape the future of the societies, the political systems and the geopolitical orientation of the countries directly or indirectly affected by the war. In order to enable a deeper understanding of these complex developments, scholars from the region are invited as co-teachers to (parts of) the seminar. If possible, they also establish (virtual) contacts between student groups in their countries of origin and the participants of the project seminar. It is the aim of these collaborative efforts to look at the ongoing war and its possible consequences from the perspective of the affected populations. One main focus is on Ukraine, but also some of the neighboring countries, such as Georgia, Armenia, Moldova or Kasachstan are taken into consideration. In addition, voices from Russia and, in particular, from Russians who left their home country because they oppose its current regime, are included. Instead of writing “classical” term papers, the participating students collaborate on different formats, such as blog posts, podcasts or even (brief) documentary videos to share their insights with a broader public.

In the 21st century, the world has witnessed the resurgence of several political movements marked by extremism and far-right worldviews. The result is a concerning trend of global democratic backsliding. In this context, political polarization is becoming the norm, dividing opinions in the public sphere. In this course, students analyze the multiple roots of this contemporary phenomenon and its disparate manifestations around the world today. At the theoretical level, students explore a wide range of concepts, such as populism, polarization, far-right ideologies, extremism, fascism, authoritarianism, and conservatism. Students are exposed to different styles of politicians and political movements, including cases in the United States, Europe (e.g., Ireland), Brazil, India, and the Philippines. Students examine forms of government, street protests, and online activism/harassment, giving particular attention to current attacks against women, queer people, immigrants, ethnic minorities, sexual rights, vaccinations, and freedom of speech. Finally, new modes of resistance are discussed.

This course uses the March 2023 Berlin climate referendum as a starting point for an analysis of German energy policy and (geo)politics. It assesses the influence of (geo)political, technological, environmental and other social factors on the development of the German energy mix since the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951. The class traces the rise and fall of nuclear power before and after German reunification; the consequences of the oil shock and the persistence of oil despite the emergence of biofuels; the construction of natural gas pipelines, including Nord Stream; and the marked divergence of solar and wind capacity in the north and south of the country. Questions include: Should the German federal government have responded to widespread anti-nuclear sentiment by phasing out nuclear power ahead of coal? Are biofuels a sustainable substitute for oil? And is the shift to renewable energy in Berlin constrained by the technology or, as supporters of the climate referendum claimed, by a lack of political will?

This seminar provides students with a greater understanding of the scientific study of the politics of international economic relations, in particular the politics of trade. The course emphasizes seminal as well as cutting-edge academic scholarship on a number of substantive topics, incl. the distributional consequences of trade and domestic sources of trade policy, the design and evolution of global trade governance under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and World Trade Organization, the politics of preferential trade agreements, as well as the relationship between trade, conflict, international investment, migration, and the global environment.

This course takes a sociological approach to study events that get termed, in a contested manner, as revolutions; it focuses on cases from the contemporary Middle East and North Africa region. The first two sessions of the course provide the sociological tools to study social movements. The rest of the course is divided into three parts: first, the socio-political factors that lead to a revolution; second, living in the revolution; and, third, the afterlives of the revolution. Overall, the course ask questions like: What socio-political context pushes people to protest? When do protests get termed a "revolution"? What are the differences in the experiences of the revolution along gender, socio-economic class, migrant-citizen, and racial lines? What type of afterlives do the revolutions take in terms of the discourses about them as well as the socio-political trajectories of the states experiencing them? A basic knowledge on the politics and societies in the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as knowledge of Arabic and French languages, is helpful but not required.

This course seeks to immerse students in a professional work environment. Students have the opportunity to observe and interact with co-workers, and learn how to recognize and respond to cultural differences. Students compare concepts of teamwork and interpersonal interactions in different cultures as experienced on the job. Seminar work helps students apply academic knowledge in a business setting and identify opportunities to create value within the company. Students research a specific topic related to their work placement and present their findings in a final research report.

This course investigates the interconnectedness of poverty, human development as a measure of collective and individual quality of life and social progress, and human rights as an international discourse, legal and political construct. The course combines theoretical approaches to case studies with a historical and comparative perspective. Students learn how to analyze poverty and human development indicators; interrogate and compare different conceptions of rights and their effects in shaping analysis, policies and objectives; and evaluate the roles of social movements, governments and NGOs in social and economic development.

This course has two main objectives: First, to introduce some essential features of American politics such as its political culture, the organization of its political system and political institutions, and the electoral logics that shape the contours of the state and the policies implemented. The second objective is to critically discuss key issues of today's U.S. political debate, such as political and party polarization, rising economic inequalities, and minorities and women rights.

Empirically, this course deconstructs Lebanese political institutions and culture as they relate to collective violence. It models the latter, and draws out possible lessons that can be used to decipher other cases of turbulent consociativity. From a theoretical point of view, Lebanon provides a formidable laboratory in which to interrogate the definitions, categories and theses of classical political science. Civil war, intercommunal tensions, invasion and occupation, annexation, trusteeship and foreign intervention are all notions of political violence observed in situ in Lebanon. More broadly still, Weberian sociology of the state, Gellner's theory of the nation and theories of social movements are profoundly challenged by the Lebanese case. This course proposes a whole new approach to collective violence and to institutional and political sociology, using Lebanon as a case study.