Political Science

The course introduces students to the major theoretical traditions and conceptual frameworks used to make sense of international politics, including relations between states and interstate institutions as well as a range of global political processes. It shows how to use theory to make sense of the complex issues, developments, and events. The key objective of the course is to introduce students to the rich diversity of theoretical approaches - from orthodox to critical - within international relations and to offer them key analytical skills to compare and engage with theories and to use theories in their further research and studies. 

The course focuses on issues of post-conflict reconstruction and security - arms proliferation, drug trafficking, mercenaries as well as institutions of transitional justice - International Criminal Court, Truth Commissions, Special courts and tribunals.

Political sociology examines the social origins and dynamics of political phenomena such as the state, nationalism, political mobilization, civil war, and conflict. It focuses in particular on the changing relationship between society and state. This course provides an overview of the major debates in the field, tracing the changing relationship between state and society in the modern era. It provides an introduction to both classical and contemporary issues in political sociology and reviews the leading theoretical and historical approaches in the field. The course explores how the nation-state became the dominant form of political organization and why it persists; why nationalism is such a powerful force; why people get involved in political parties and social movements; how civil wars break out; how governments maintain their legitimacy; the changing nature of warfare and its role in shaping societies and states; and the changing character of politics in the Information Age.
 

Commercial enterprise plays a fundamental role in the age of globalization both domestically and internationally interacting with state authorities as well as agencies of international organizations. Since the 1990s, the rise of multinational corporations in economic scale and political influence has massively empowered their agency in international relations and thus made them indispensable transnational actors and inevitably included in the strategic calculation when geopolitical competition intensified. This course introduces and establishes an understanding of the intricate relationship between commercial enterprise and government at both international and local levels. 

In this course, we will study the political thought of a variety of non-Western political, cultural and religious traditions, particularly the Confucianism and Political Islamism, we will try to explore both the ontological and epistemological dimension of these different theories, also always along with a “history of political thought” approach in mind . One of the essential purposes of this course will be for students to get familiar with the real diversity long existed in this sophisticated political world.

This course consists of two parts: American politics and American diplomacy. 

American politics: America's political tradition, political system, electoral system, political parties, congress, president, and judiciary system, military system, interest groups and mass media and their roles are explained.

American diplomacy: the US diplomatic decision-making mechanism and tradition, before and during the Cold War.

This course examines American politics. It covers key aspects of American political system, the formal (executive, judiciary, and legislative) and informal (bureaucracy, media, interest groups, etc.) branches of government, its creation and development into its present form, the way officials at various branches and levels are selected, the contours of American federalism, how domestic policy is done and some of the main issues that animate its domestic political debates.

This course combines political philosophy and critical thinking and debate in English. It contains six modules: justice, order, prosperity, market, polity and civilization.

Students will learn about classical theories and the development of political philosophy, how to cultivate critical thinking, argumentative strategies and academic presentation ability and to develop incidental and implicit English acquisition in the exploration of academic subjects.

This course offers a holistic exploration of China's engagement in global governance, emphasizing its relationships and interactions with key regions worldwide. Students will examine China's foreign policies and initiatives, focusing on its engagements with Central Asia, Europe, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Through detailed case studies and critical analysis, students will gain insights into the multifaceted nature of China's global initiatives and their impact on regional geopolitics, economic landscapes, and diplomatic relations.