2024-2025 / SPOL2226-1

Seminar on international relations

Duration

30h SEM

Number of credits

 Master in political sciences : general, professional focus in European policies - Euro-Mediterranean relations (CATANE (OUT)) (Even years, organized in 2024-2025) 5 crédits 
 Master in political sciences : general, professional focus in European policies - Euro-Mediterranean relations (CATANE (IN)), 1st year (Even years, organized in 2024-2025) 5 crédits 
 Master in political sciences : general, professional focus in international relations (Even years, organized in 2024-2025) 5 crédits 
 Master in political sciences : general (60 ECTS) (Even years, organized in 2024-2025) 5 crédits 
 Master in population and development studies, professional focus North-South cooperation6 crédits 

Lecturer

Sébastian Santander

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The seminar on international relations aims to explore and deepen some contemporary issues on international relations. The seminar is divided in three groups. At the head of each group is an supervisor responsible for a particular theme. Students therefore have the possibility between several themes. The seminar will analyse and deepen several concepts such as: power, rising power, multipolarity, apolarity, multilateralism, world order, foreign policy...

The student will also have the opportunity to expand her/his knowledge on a particular geographical area of her/his choice/ a theme of her/his choice or among those proposed.

The three groups of the seminar are:

  • (1) Towards a reshaping Global Power: Emerging Actors, Strategies, and World Order;
  • (2) US Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World: actors, issues and influences;
  • (3) The secular shift of global power: between European 'decline' and African 'emergence'

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

This seminar gives students the opportunity to delve deeper into a theme of international relations covered in other courses such as Introduction to International Relations, Theories of International Relations, etc.


At the end of this seminar, the student will be able to carry out a research on a particular issue by mobilizing the specific tools of the discipline. The student will also have learned how to communicate the results of her/his research both orally and in writing.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Students need to have some empirical and theoretical knowledge in international relations.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Lectures

Targeted library training

Text readings

Oral presentation, written work and role of discussant.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Further information:

1. The first part of the teaching takes place in the form of very limited ex-cathedra lessons (two or three sessions). The number of courses is limited to one or two sessions.

2. Then, a session will be organized in the library to allow students to familiarize themselves with the research tools.

3. Afterwards, two or three reading sessions will be organized.

4. The last part of the course will be intended for oral presentations by students on a specific theme.

Please note: This is a political science seminar led by the logic of progressive learning. Therefore, the presence and active participation of students are required throughout the semester.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- MyULiège


Further information:

Students will receive a portfolio of required readings at the beginning of the seminar.

Written work / report


Further information:

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam

Written work / report


Additional information:

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam

Written work / report


Additional information:

Class attendance, active participation and oral presentation (30%), and written work (70%)

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

To succeed the seminar it is highly recommended to attend the course.

If the student is 3 times absent, without a valid and official reason, he will not be able to present his paper for the first session. He will have to wait until august to deposit its written work.

The passive knowledge of English is necessary.

Contacts

Holder:

- professor Sebastian Santander, Center for International Relations Studies (CEFIR), B31, niveau 0, Bureau R.71 ; Tel. : 043 66 30 46, sebastian.santander@uliege.be

Assistants:

- Vincent Bricart, CEFIR, B31, niveau 0, Bureau R.73 ; Tel. : 043 66 42 59, v.bricart@uliege.be 

- Alex Arnoldy, CEFIR? B31, niveau 0, Bureau R.73 ; Tel. : 043 66 42 59, Alex.Arnoldy@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs