Governing the World: Introduction to the International System
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PHIR1026 | Politics and International Relations | 1 | 20 | Spring Malaysia |
- Code
- PHIR1026
- School
- Politics and International Relations
- Level
- 1
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring Malaysia
Summary
The world is governed by a range of laws and organizations. International Law (IL) and International Organizations (IOs) are a key element in international politics today. IL comprises not only the many treaties that states have negotiated with each other, but also the customary law that has built up over centuries to help to regulate state affairs. IOs, such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization, provide information, reduce transaction costs, render commitments more credible, set up focal points for coordination, and enhance reciprocity.
This module offers an introduction to the origins, structure, functions, and effects of International Law and Organizations, both generally, and in specific areas such as the environment, finance, the oceans, and human rights. By illustrating and applying core International Relations concepts and theories, the module also builds linkages with many of the other modules students will undertake in their studies of politics.
Target Students
PHIR students, and other FASS students.cke{visibility:hidden;}
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 14 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 14 weeks
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: 2500 essay
- 50% Exam 1 (1-hour): 1 hour exam
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
By the end of the module, students will be able to:demonstrate core knowledge of International Law and Organizations (to be assessed by coursework);demonstrate a broad understanding of how International Law and Organizations can be analysed and explained in different ways according to different political perspectives (to be assessed by coursework);relate this knowledge to the world they encounter in daily news bulletins (to be practised in class discussion).Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, students should have gained:
a) Knowledge and understanding of:
• contemporary IL and IOs;
• Different theoretical ways to approach them.
b) Intellectual skills, such as:
• the ability to identify, explain, and critique the key argument in a journal article;
• the ability to recognize, assess, and apply a variety of approaches and methods for the study of IL and IOs;
• The ability to engage in academic debate about the role of IL and IOs in the international system.
c) Professional/practical skills, such as:
• evidence gathering and evaluation;
• summarizing and presenting information and ideas orally;
• constructing and clearly expressing an argument in writing;
• Independent learning.
d) Transferable and key skills, such as:
• the ability to extract the main ideas and arguments from a political text and relate them to their own lives and other learning experiences (to be practised in class reading preparation);
• the capacity to engage in a structured and well informed discussion about complex questions (to be practised in class discussions);
• the ability to summarize and critique an academic piece of writing (to be assessed in the summary/review);
• the capacity to research and argue a longer piece of work (to be assessed in the coursework essay);
• The capacity to reflect on the relationship between theory and practice (to be assessed in all assignments).
• Familiarity with academic databases and other forms of electronic research tools.
Conveners
- Ying Chan Ho