International (Dis)armament
International (Dis)armament course content:
Synthesis of the main theoretical approaches to armament and disarmament policies in international politics, as well as a presentation of some of the major issues relating to the problems of armament, disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation.
Objectives of the International (Dis)armament course:
The aim of the course is to provide students with the analytical framework and factual informations they need to grasp the major contemporary international issues on armament and disarmament in international politics. At the end of the course and reading seminars, students will be able to:
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Enhance their knowledge of armament and disarmament issues in international politics;
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To shed light on the conditions under which theories on armament and disarmament issues are produced, and the practices these theories generate;
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Improve their ability to deal critically with existing scientific and international law literature on the topics examined in the course;
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Apply practical skills such as analyzing scientific and international legal sources, including in a language other than their first language, and academic writing;
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To develop students’ ability to think autonomously, while equipping them with the skills needed for professional careers in the fields of armaments, disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation.
Prerequisites:
It is strongly recommended that you have attended the 12 sessions of the International Relations course. If this is not the case, the first part of the course will be devoted to the theories of International Relations, which will introduce students to various conceptualizations of the issues of armament, disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation. The second part of the course will put theory into practice by analyzing the major contemporary issues in international politics relating to armament and disarmament.
A good command of the French language is required. In addition, the course includes compulsory readings, and most of these texts are in English. Therefore, a good command of academic English is strongly recommended.
Teaching methods:
12 online courses of 1 hour and 30 minutes each, along with compulsory readings. Before each course, students will be required to read one or two compulsory texts. These texts, read carefully and reflectively, will enable students to better understand the elements presented in class.
The compulsory readings will be available on the Policy Center website or sent by email. They will mainly constitute of academic articles, but may also include non-academic material (political or media discourses, extracts from film productions and other elements of popular culture) that provides useful additional material to the lectures.
The teaching language and evaluations are in French. For reasons that will be discussed during the course, however, most of the compulsory readings are in English. Additional readings in French are available if you have any difficulties understanding the English language.
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on the basis of critical analysis of texts and an essay (1500 words) at the end of the session.
Critical analysis of texts will develop the following elements:
1) What are the author’s background and the context in which he or she wrote the text? (If possible, make the connection with the text’s content)
2) What are the main arguments developed in the text?
3) What is your constructive criticism of this text?
4) To what extent could the text be applied to a contemporary issue?
These works will be graded on a 20-point scale:
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Ability to present the author’s background and writing context in a simple, clear, educational and interesting way: 4 points
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Ability to develop the author’s main arguments: 8 points
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Ability to provide relevant constructive criticism: 4 points
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Ability to make a link with a relevant contemporary issue: 4 points
