Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Examines aspects of international relations. May be repeated for credit if topics are different. Topics for Fall 2024. Section A1: Technology & War. How do countries make choices between military technologies? How do they use them? What about emerging technologies? Examines the drivers behind countries' development of military technologies, how they operationalize them, and why they sometimes restrict them. Section B1: Financing Development in Africa. Canvases the set of development challenges that the countries in Africa face and the avenues and opportunities for mobilizing the necessary financing in order to meet the region's development goals. Section C1: Global History of Military Occupation. Analyzes the theory and practice of military occupation from the early nineteenth century through the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. Considers political, legal, cultural, and military aspects of occupation through comparative examination of a series of case studies. Section D1: Global Trade & Development. Provides deep understanding into the impact of global trade on socio-economic development, emphasizing the role of global and regional institutions. Special attention is given to the transformative rise of global supply chain trade and its intricate links to development outcomes. Section E1: China and the Political Economy of Global Development. Covers the path and trajectory of China’s international economic engagement and interactions with global economic institutions, with case studies in Africa, Latin America, Asia. Focuses on China’s role in institutions such as the IMF, the G20, and Multilateral Development banks. Topics for Spring 2025. Section A1: Latin America and International Law. It is widely believed that over the past two centuries Latin America has been exceptionally committed to developing and implementing international law. This course interrogates this notion through a range of historical and contemporary topics and controversies. Section B1: Weapons & War in Europe. Examines the politics, history, and technologies surrounding security and defense on the European continent—with an emphasis on weapons procurement. It analyzes the evolution of these policies in EU and among key players, including France, Germany, and UK. Section C1: Africa Development: Policy & Practice. Provides deep understanding of the theories, challenges, opportunities and strategies for promoting development in Africa through structural change that students will encounter in their careers as international relation professions as well as in the broader policy world. Section D1: The Politics of History and Historical Memory. Explores the politics of history. Topics include the legacies of World War II and communism, war crime tribunals and truth commissions, reparations for war crimes and human rights violations, and how the past is commemorated in public spaces. Section E1: Development Financing. Introduces the role of development finance institutions in fostering economic and social development. Examines the operating model for development finance institutions (DFIs) and the changing operating environment with special focus on DFIs operating in Africa. Section F1: Identity, Culture & Practices of Conflict Resolution in Africa. Introduces conflict resolution practices in Africa. The causes of conflicts, the types of disputes in the continent, and their relation to political economy, history, identity, and culture. Explores traditional approaches and modern techniques of peacebuilding and conflict-resolution practices.

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