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Master of International Relations

  • Outline
  • Admission Criteria
  • General Guideline
  • Course List

Faculty: Faculty of Security & Strategic Studies (FSSS)

Department: Department of International Relations

Program: Master of International Relations

Course Outline

Vision of the Program:

The ultimate vision of this program is to enhance the student's capacity for political analysis by a thorough grounding in International Relations Theory and the insistence on balance between theory and applications.

 

Program Objectives:

The M.S.S program ensures that a student has a comprehensive grasp in historical and contemporary patterns of world politics, theoretical analysis, thematic discussions as these are the core for understanding in International Relations. The courses are designed in a way that will open a window of opportunity for the students to acquire knowledge of advanced level and enter in the careers of their respective choices. Our International Relations MA is an opportunity to explore in depth the topics of globalization, ethics and human rights, the international political economy, war, political violence and security through the contending perspectives of politics and international relations, philosophy and social theory.

Hence, the five-fold objectives of this program are:

  •  (Firstly), Disseminating advanced level of knowledge in International Relations theory and application;
  •  (Secondly), to provide advanced research knowledge to the participants of this program to undertake policy-oriented research and to share the findings of the research among the wider audience;
  • (Thirdly), to create a vibrant professional body that works in a co-operative manner for the greater pursuit of national interest and security;
  • (Fourth), Make sure students have enough grip on International Relations in case students decides to pursue PhD in IR
  • (Finally), Make sure student is passionate about learning and applying IR in his/her career and for betterment of the country.

Applied only for students, completed undergraduation from BUP.

1st Semester

Objectives

  • The objective of the course to sensitize students to differences in the nature of knowledge claims (epistemology) and fundamental assumptions about social/international reality (ontology) as well as political and ethical implications of different theoretical approaches in IR.

Outcomes

  • • Explain and use key concepts in the study of international relations. • Assess and utilize key theories in the analysis of international and trans-national relations. • Understand the scope and limits of various IR theories. • Develop interpretations of past and contemporary events in international relations making use of the latest theoretical developments in the field. • Recognize the normative dimensions of different forms of social explanation as applied to world politics. • Demonstrate knowledge of the key texts in the contemporary literature on IR theory and question theoretical arguments presented to them.

References

  • Robert Jackson, Georg Sørensen, and Jørgen Møller, Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches, Oxford University Press, Seventh Edition, 2018
  • Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki, and Steve Smith, International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity, Oxford University Press, Fourth Edition, 2016

Objectives

  • This comprehensive course is empirical in focus and intends to give an overview of the current economic, political and security dynamics of regional affairs to the Masters level students. The primary objective of the course is to look at the key challenges as well as the opportunities in the region today. It discusses the influence of Asia-Pacific upon global economy, politics and security and the repercussions of global trends upon the regional developments. The course also gives insights into the present priorities and policies of the main regional actors from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.

Outcomes

  • To understand the historical evolution and development of the international relations of the Asia Pacific from the end of WWII to the present day
  • To understand the range of key issues which steer and define the dynamics of the Asia Pacific today
  • To gain in-depth knowledge of Asia-Pacific security challenges and approaches to keep them manageable
  • To obtain improved analytical and presentational skills through critical reading, understanding and writing.

References

  • Chandra, S. Ghoshal, B. (2018) The Indo-Pacific Axis: Peace and Prosperity or Conflict? (Routledge)
  • Ali, S. Mahmud (2017) US-Chinese Strategic Triangles: Examining Indo-Pacific Insecurity (Springer)
  • Yeo, Andrew (2019) Asia's Regional Architecture: Alliances and Institutions in the Pacific Century (California: Stanford University Press)
  • Miller, T. (2017) China's Asian Dream: Empire Building Along the New Silk Road (Zed Books Ltd.)
  • Goh, E. (2016) Rising China's Influence in Developing Asia (Oxford: Oxford University Press)
  • Tewari, Sharad & Khanijo, Roshan (2016) The Indo Pacific Region: Security Dynamics and Challenges (Vij Books India Pvt. Ltd.)
  • Sutter, R.G. (2015) The United States and Asia: Regional Dynamics and Twenty First Century Relations (London: Rowman and Littlefield)
  • Liu, H. & Hsiung, James C. (2015) The Xi Jinping Era: His Comprehensive Strategy Toward the China Dream (CN Times Books)
  • Malik, Mohan (2014) Maritime Security in the Indo-Pacific: Perspectives From China, India, and the United States (Rowman and Littlefied Publishers Limited)
  • Yahuda, M. (ed.) (2011) The International Politics of the Asia Pacific: Third and Revised Edition (London: Routledge)
  • Ganguly, S., Scobell, A., and Chinyong Liow, J. (eds) (2010) The Routledge Handbook of Asian Security Studies (London: Routledge)
  • Friedman, E. & Gilley, B. (2008) Asia's Giants: Comparing China and India (Palgrave Macmillan)

Objectives

  • Due to the multidimensional security issues, terrorism and counterterrorism course through its multidisciplinary approach is intended to understand terrorism from historical, conceptual, geographical and organizational frameworks and study further counterterrorism strategies. In between two parts of the course, terrorism and counterterrorism, the first part starts with defining and theorizing terrorism which includes definitional paradox, historical evolution of terrorism and its rationales or causes. The other part explicitly explores counter-terrorism responses as well as policies focusing intelligence and national security issues, US strategy in South Asia for countering terrorism as a part of global war on terror and Bangladesh’s recent strategy for countering terrorism.

Outcomes

  • 1. Recall, use the working definition of terrorism and will be able to critically explain the historical evolution of terrorism as an outcome of political violence. 2. Identify and explain causes, characteristics of terrorism in different waves by looking at the socio-economic and political context of the then time. 3. Understand ideologies, strategies and tactics used by some contemporary terrorist groups. 4. Critically evaluate as well as analyze the national security challenges imposed by the contemporary terrorist activities and the counter-terrorism responses.

References

  • Schmid, A. (1992). The response problem as a definition problem. Terrorism and Political Violence, 4(4), pp.7-13.
  • Kydd, A. and Walter, B. (2006). The Strategies of Terrorism. International Security, 31(1), pp.4980.
  • WEINBERG, L., PEDAHZUR, A. and HIRSCH-HOEFLER, S. (2004). The Challenges of Conceptualizing Terrorism. Terrorism and Political Violence, 16(4), pp.777-794.
  • Rosenfeld, J. (2011). Terrorism, identity and legitimacy. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, pp.14- 24.
  • Gofas, A. (2012). “'Old' vs. 'New' Terrorism: What's in a Name?” Uluslararası İlişkiler, Volume 8, No 32. p. 17-32.

Objectives

  • • Develop a basic understanding of the historical debates and competing perspectives inside U.S. foreign policy, paying particular attention to the diverse array of actors that shape the foreign policy process • Integrate theory and practice through examining current policy arenas and historical cases • Encourage critical thinking about contemporary policy debates, including the ability to analyze key issues in U.S. foreign policy and offer practical solutions • Develop an awareness of the cultural, historical, and institutional perspectives that shape the formulation of U.S. foreign policy; cultivate the ability to identify, critically analyze, and trace distinguishing features that have characterized U.S. foreign policy throughout its history, including describing the social, political, and economic forces that influence behavior • Improve professional skills including clear and effective oral presentation, written argumentation, and policy memo formulation

Outcomes

  • • Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary US Foreign and Security policy and related events; • Evaluate policies in accordance with relevant theoretical, conceptual and policy literature • Locate policy decisions and outcomes in the wider context of global and international political affairs

References

  • US AFFAIRS
  • Bruce W. Jentleson, American Foreign Policy: THE DYNAMICS OF CHOICE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., Fifth Edition, 2013
  • Inderjeet Parmar, Linda B. Miller, Mark Ledwidge, Obama and the World: New Directions in US Foreign Policy, Routledge, 2nd Edition, 2014
  • Walter Russell Mead, Richard C. Leone, Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World, Penguin Random House, 1st Edition, 2012

Objectives

  • To encourage the interchange of varying perspectives on arms control and disarmament through an understanding of the key strategic, political, legal, ethical and humanitarian issues associated with these practices
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of arms control strategies and discuss alternative policy options
  • To enhance students’ capabilities to apply their knowledge and analysis of arms control and disarmament in both a written and verbal context

Outcomes

  • • Develop transferable analytic and research skills. • Analyze the relevance of arms control and disarmament in maintaining international security. • Find out the links between theoretical concepts and practical application.

References

  • Paolo Foradori , Giampiero Giacomello, Alessandro Pascolini, Arms Control and Disarmament: 50 Years of Experience in Nuclear Education, Palgrave Macmillan, 1st Edition, 2018
  • Jozef Goldblat, Arms Control: The New Guide to Negotiations and Agreements, Sage Publishing, 2nd Edition, 2002
  • Hedley Bull, The control of the arms race: Disarmament and arms control in the missile age, Praeger, 2nd Edition, 1965

2nd Semester

Objectives

  • 1. To apprise the students about the geography, culture and life styles of the common people of Southeast Asia

Outcomes

  • • Understand the pattern of the political structure, language, culture and foreign policy behavior of the countries of Southeast Asia. • Explain the geopolitical importance of this region. • Recognize why extra regional powers have interest to involve with the countries of this region.

References

  • International relations in Southeast Asia: the struggle for autonomy
  • The ASEAN Miracle: A Catalyst for Peace

Objectives

  • Students will focus on how European integration affects both social and political structures and processes.
  • It will mainly include knowledge of ‘European governance,’ its theoretical perspectives and ‘and its social relation and structure.
  • It is also significant for students to understand a clear idea about the political, economic and societal perspectives, why it matters to the world.

Outcomes

  • Discuss the politics and policies of the European Union, using evidence from contemporary sources to construct coherent arguments in writing and in person which show critical thought and reflection.
  • Compare, evaluate and explain to others in writing and in person the political institutions, party systems, interest group politics of European countries.
  • Understand the defining characteristics of different regional organizations
  • Compare EU-level policy debates with other countries and at the global level

References

  • Europe in 12 Lessons
  • Official website of the European Union
  • European Union priorities for 2019-2024
  • A new strategic agenda for the EU 2019-2024
  • Foreign and Security Policy

Objectives

  • • Gain an understanding of the key issues in maritime policy and international business and logistics. • Understand the importance of the environment and geography to the maritime policy and business worlds. • Have the ability to use and understand mathematical and statistical tools relevant to the maritime policy and management fields.

Outcomes

  • • Acquire the ability to analyze and develop new and innovative solutions to emerging challenges in the maritime world. • Think critically about the key issues in the maritime policy field and transportation industry.

References

  • Mario Soares, Ocean Our Future, Cambridge University Press, 1997.
  • Elisabeth Mann Borgese, The Oceanic Circle – Governing the Seas as a Resource, United Nations University Press, Tokyo, 1998.
  • Kenneth Gale Hawks, Maritime Security, Cornell Maritime Press, Maryland, 1989
  • Elisabeth Mann Borgese, Ocean Governance and the United Nations, Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, Dalhousie University Press, Halifax, 1996.

Objectives

  • To enable students to critically analyze contemporary mechanisms for the legal regulation of armed conflict and genocide, including the war (if that’s what it is) on terrorism.
  • To make students understand how to critically approach in the study on international law
  • To make students able to assess the actions of those who make war and genocide, and their accountability under the law

Outcomes

  • Students will be enabled to critically analyze contemporary mechanisms for the legal regulation of armed conflict and genocide, including the war (if that’s what it is) on terrorism
  • Students will understand how to critically approach in the study on international law
  • Students will be able to assess the actions of those who make war and genocide, and their accountability under the law

References

  • Constraints on the Waging of War: An Introduction to International Humanitarian Law
  • The Anatomy of the Nuremberg Trials

Objectives

  • No objective found!

Outcomes

  • No outcome found!

References

  • No reference found!

Objectives

  • No objective found!

Outcomes

  • No outcome found!

References

  • No reference found!

Objectives

  • • Demonstrate awareness of social movements on a state, national, and global level • Distinguish between different types of social movements • Identify stages of social movements • Discuss theoretical perspectives on social movements, like resource mobilization, framing, and new social movement theory • Discuss theoretical perspectives on social revolution, types, nature • Explain how technology, social institutions, population, and the environment can bring about social change • Discuss the importance of modernization in relation to social change

Outcomes

  • • Define what a social movement is. • Explain, with historical examples, when and why social movements occur, who joins movements, movement organization, what movements do, and why they decline. • Define and apply social movement theory to explaining the history of various movements and resulting social change. • •Understand how social change and social movements relate. • •How has society changed what effects has it had on movement organization, stability and membership. • •Defend an explanation for why social movements succeed using either political opportunity or resource mobilization in a debate format oral presentation. • Able to argue and defend a variety of explanations for why social movements succeed or fail as well as synthesize competing theoretical positions.

References

  • David S. Meyer, Nancy Whittier, Belinda Robnett. Social Movements - Identity, Culture and the State. Oxford University Press, 2002.
  • Kesselman, M., Krieger, Joel, Joseph W. A. 2007 Introduction to Comparative Politics: Political Challenges and Changing Agendas, Boston, Wadsworth Cengage Learning
  • Alejandro Colás. International Civil Society: Social Movements in World Politics. Polity, 2002.
  • Robert K. Schaeffer. Social Movements and Global Social Change. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.
  • Black, George, 1981 Triumph of the People: The Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua, London, Zed Press.