International Relations, Security and Development

About

This stimulating course will interrogate the various theories, concepts, and issues in international politics.
Theories such as realism and liberalism have offered reliable frameworks for great thinkers to make sense of world affairs for centuries while more recent theories such as social constructivism, poststructuralism, postcolonialism and feminism have expanded what we know about the world especially by offering alternative ways of knowing and practicing international politics.

Issues such as globalisation, interdependence, war and diplomacy, global health crises such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, terrorism, peace and conflict, security, development, migration, climate change and environmental degradation, poverty and starvation, and humanitarian intervention have impacted on human affairs.

In addition to the conceptual and issue-based dimensions discussed above, this course has a practical dimension where students will engage in classroom activities including role-play which will allow you to apply some of the theories to both ‘real-life’ and hypothetical scenarios. This course is taught with both further education (undergraduate and postgraduate) and career pursuits across relevant sectors (such as governmental, and non-governmental organisations) in mind.

Course leader

Dr Akinyemi Oyawale, Dr Mouzayian Khalil

Target group

This course is open to students who are studying or have previously studied Economics at University level. You should attach your most recent transcript or provide a screenshot of your modules from your student portal as evidence when you apply. Students should also meet our standard entry requirements and must be aged 18 or over by the time the Summer School commences and have a good understanding of the English language.

Course aim

The International Relations and Development Course will help you to navigate a diversity of questions from the most basic ones such as the role of social media in terrorism and violent extremism; to what extent our world is globalised; your role in climate change and environmental degradation, etc; to more complex questions such as why and how wars happen and if the world is moving towards a ‘nuclear Armageddon’. The course adopts a very engaging approach which makes theories and concepts accessible to most students, and it will encourage learners to apply these to various complex and everyday issues. In doing so, students will be encouraged to develop critical analytical and evaluative skills that they can apply in both everyday situations and in diverse learning environments.

Fee info