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Mandatory Course 2: International Institutions and Politics

Title
Mandatory Course 2: International Institutions and Politics
Semester
E2022
Master programme in
International Public Administration and Politics * / International Politics and Governance
Type of activity

Course

Teaching language
English
Study regulation
REGISTRATION AND STUDY ADMINISTRATIVE
Registration

Sign up for study activities at STADS Online Student Service within the announced registration period, as you can see on the Study administration homepage. When signing up for study activities, please be aware of potential conflicts between study activities or exam dates.

The planning of activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programs which do not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programs, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

Number of participants
ECTS
10
Responsible for the activity
Kerstin Carlson (carlson@ruc.dk)
Head of study
Sevasti Chatzopoulou (seva@ruc.dk)
Teachers
Study administration
ISE Studyadministration (ise-studyadministration@ruc.dk)
Exam code(s)
U60138
ACADEMIC CONTENT
Overall objective

This course focuses on international institutions and how they shape and are shaped by international politics and governance. Institutions have mandates and competences that impose rules on the actors involved in boundary crossing policy issues – from monetary regulation and trade through public health to foreign and security policy. But institutions can also be shaped by the politics, cooperation, and conflict occurring between these same actors. International Institutions and Politics focuses on both these aspects of international institutions and how they function across levels cross-levels of governance (e.g. across international, national, and subnational levels). Important questions include: Which institutions operate at different levels in selected policy areas with which mandates and competences? How can we understand the opportunities and constraints institutions attempt to impose on national and international actors? And under what circumstances do these same actors opt to establish, change, or tear down institutions rather than operating within the opportunities and constraints they impose?

To enable students to answer such questions, the course introduces theories and concepts from international politics, governance, and law focusing on institutions, their impacts, and how they are themselves impacted by their surroundings. The course includes an introduction to the legal method, enabling students to understand, analyse, and discuss the formal mandates and competences of institutions.

Teaching consists primarily of lectures with continuous discussion and involvement of students in discussions and case work. Typically, each session will focus in depth on a single perspective on an institution or a set of institutions (e.g. a legal perspective on the EU or a politics perspective on NATO). In addition, a full-day interdisciplinary workshop is included with the other two courses of the semester.

Detailed description of content

This course focuses on international institutions and how they shape and are shaped by international politics and governance. Institutions have mandates and competences that impose rules on the actors involved in boundary crossing policy issues – from monetary regulation and trade through public health to foreign and security policy. But institutions can also be shaped by the politics, cooperation, and conflict occurring between these same actors. International Institutions and Politics focuses on both these aspects of international institutions and how they function across levels cross-levels of governance (e.g. across international, national, and subnational levels). Important questions include: Which institutions operate at different levels in selected policy areas with which mandates and competences? How can we understand the opportunities and constraints institutions attempt to impose on national and international actors? And under what circumstances do these same actors opt to establish, change, or tear down institutions rather than operating within the opportunities and constraints they impose? To enable students to answer such questions, the course introduces theories and concepts from international politics, governance, and law focusing on institutions, their impacts, and how they are themselves impacted by their surroundings. The course includes an introduction to the legal method, enabling students to understand, analyse, and discuss the formal mandates and competences of institutions. Teaching consists primarily of lectures with continuous discussion and involvement of students in discussions and case work. Typically, each session will focus in depth on a single perspective on an institution or a set of institutions (e.g. a legal perspective on the EU or a politics perspective on NATO). In addition, a full-day interdisciplinary workshop is included with the other two courses of the semester.

Course material and Reading list

Readings explore the topic of international organizations from an international law and politics perspective. The first weeks focus on theory: politics, world systems, and international organizations law. The course then focuses on specific international organizations such as (for example) the EU, the UN, NATO, the International Criminal Court. Readings will be supplied by the professors for the topic specific to the week and posted on Moodle. Additionally, Jan Klabbers’ textbook International Organizations Law is mandatory and should be purchased by students.

Overall plan and expected work effort

Class teaching: 30 hours. Student presentations, exercises, peer-review, preparation: 195 hours. Examination: 45 hours hours. Total 270 total

Format

Campus

Evaluation and feedback

The activity are evaluated regularly regarding the study board evaluation procedure. The activity responsible will be orientated about a potential evaluation of the activity at semesterstart. Se link to the study board evaluation praxis here https://intra.ruc.dk/nc/for-ansatte/organisering/raadnaevn- og-udvalg/oversigt-over-studienaevn/studienaevn-for-internationale-studier/arbejdet-medkvalitet- i-uddannelserne/

Programme

Please see Moodle.

ASSESSMENT
Overall learning outcomes
  • To identify, analyse, and discuss the legal, institutional, and political aspects of a selected set of important international institutions.

  • To theorise, empirically identify, and evaluate the impact of international institutions and how these institutions are shaped by politics.

  • To systematically approach legal documents using the legal method.

  • To communicate and disseminate complex ideas related to course content in a professional, accessible, and accurate way both orally and in written form.

Form of examination
Individual portfolio exam.

The character limit of the portfolio is maximum 40,800 characters, including spaces. Examples of written products are exercise responses, talking points for presentations, written feedback, reflections, written assignments. The preparation of the products may be subject to time limits.
The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices.

The portfolio is written completely or partially during the course.

The entire portfolio must be handed in at the same time (uploaded to eksamen.ruc.dk). Handing in the portfolio or parts of the portfolio to the supervisor for feedback, cannot replace the upload to eksamen.ruc.dk.

Assessment: 7-point grading scale.
Form of Re-examination
Samme som ordinær eksamen / same form as ordinary exam
Type of examination in special cases
Examination and assessment criteria

Explain the role and development of international institutions

Describe/relate the legal and political dynamics of the operation and development of international institutions

Analyse/apply competing theoretical frameworks on the emergence, functioning and demise of international institutions

Demonstrate the capacity to contextualize the limits and possibilities of global governance.

Exam code(s)
Exam code(s) : U60138
Last changed 28/08/2022

lecture list:

Show lessons for Subclass: 1 Find calendar (1) PDF for print (1)

Monday 12-09-2022 08:15 - 12-09-2022 10:00 in week 37
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 19-09-2022 08:15 - 19-09-2022 10:00 in week 38
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 26-09-2022 08:15 - 26-09-2022 10:00 in week 39
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 03-10-2022 08:15 - 03-10-2022 10:00 in week 40
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 10-10-2022 08:15 - 10-10-2022 10:00 in week 41
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 17-10-2022 08:15 - 17-10-2022 10:00 in week 42
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 24-10-2022 08:15 - 24-10-2022 10:00 in week 43
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 31-10-2022 08:15 - 31-10-2022 10:00 in week 44
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 07-11-2022 08:15 - 07-11-2022 10:00 in week 45
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Thursday 10-11-2022 10:15 - 10-11-2022 12:00 in week 45
Workshop (IPG)

Thursday 10-11-2022 13:15 - 10-11-2022 15:00 in week 45
Workshop (IPG)

Monday 14-11-2022 08:15 - 14-11-2022 10:00 in week 46
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 28-11-2022 08:15 - 28-11-2022 10:00 in week 48
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 05-12-2022 08:15 - 05-12-2022 10:00 in week 49
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Monday 12-12-2022 08:15 - 12-12-2022 10:00 in week 50
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Thursday 15-12-2022 08:15 - 15-12-2022 10:00 in week 50
International Institutions and Politics (IPG)

Wednesday 04-01-2023 10:00 - 04-01-2023 10:00 in week 01
International Institutions and Politics - Exam

Friday 24-02-2023 10:00 - 24-02-2023 10:00 in week 08
International Institutions and Politics - Reexam