POL 501 Theories of International Relations (3,0)3
According to the textbooks, the discipline of International Relations has so far gone through four major ‘debates’, i.e. Idealism vs. Realism, the Behaviouralist challenge, the Inter-Paradigm debate, and Post-Positivism. This course provides a discussion of the major approaches to IR, i.e. Realism, Liberalism, International Society, Marxism, Constructivism, Critical Theory, Postmodernism, Feminism and Green Political Theory. While interpreting these approaches within the master narrative of the ‘four debates’, the latter will be subject to critical scrutiny.
POL 502 Political Theory and Analysis (3,0)3
International Relations draws heavily upon the heritage of political theory, which addresses questions like the following: What types of government exist? What is the role of religion in politics? How can one get and keep power? Why is there a state? Why is there social inequality? Another issue discussed is the question whether century- or even millennia-old bodies of texts on politics still have relevance for today or whether they are of merely antiquarian interest. Participants will be asked to make up their own mind after having been introduced to the works of the major political thinkers, from Plato to Habermas.
POL 503 Global Political Economy (3,0)3
Explanation of basic economic concepts and terms important to the field of international political economy; historical treatment of the evaluation of the modern world economy, beginning in the early 19th century; the rise and fall of economic powers over time; examination of the issue of national competitiveness in the global economy; the sources of international economic inequalities and a critical evaluation of modernization and dependency theories.
POL504 Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution (3,0)3
Types of Crisis. Step in crisis management. Crisis Teams and team work. Planning for crisis, decision- making and actions. Conflict management. Applications of negotiation methods, conflict resolution and cooperatives decision-making in issues of public concern; studies in negotiation training, consulting, negotiation process design, conflict analysis, facilitation, consensus-building and mediation; communication and dialogue; problem-solving and negotiation techniques.
POL506 International Politics of the Middle East (3,0)3
A survey of international politics of the Middle East from the treaty of Kuchuk Kaynarcha (1774) to modern times; trade with Asia and Europe; Great Power competition in the Middle East; colonialism; formation of modern states; fundamentalism; the end of the Cold War; regional violence; the role of oil.
POL 507 International Politics of Eurasia (3,0)3
The importance of Eurasia in international relations; analysis of the Eurasian super continent in relation to population, energy resources and economic output; the pivotal role of Eurasia in determining the geopolitical strategies and foreign policies of the USA, Russia, China, the European Union, and Turkey; Europe and Turkey as America's essential geopolitical bridgeheads in Eurasia; the implications in international politics of a wider Europe and an enlarged NATO; the collapse of the USSR and the emergence of modern nationalism in Central Asia; China and the New Great Game.
POL508 Diplomacy and Turkish Foreign Policy (3,0)3
A broad survey of the history and development of international diplomacy as practiced by nation-states, governments, and by public and private groups and institutions; its basic concepts, strategy and tactics; its role in the formation and execution of foreign policy and the development of nongovernmental, transnational relations; formats of diplomatic correspondence; methods and strategies of conducting diplomatic negotiations. The TRNC, Turkish politics and current issues.
POL 509 Research Methods (3,0)3
This course covers both the practical as well as the theoretical aspects of independent research. The practical aspects refer to the basic craftsmanship of research, i.e. data collection, data analysis, literature review, referencing and quoting, and presenting the findings. The theoretical aspects refer to the basic methodological divides revolving around questions of ontology (objectivism vs. subjectivism) and of epistemology (explaining vs. understanding).
POL 510 Cyprus and the Superpowers (3,0)3
Throughout its history, Cyprus has been the pawn of different competing empires and great powers. The inter-communal tensions between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, which led to the emergence of the ‘Cyprus Problem’ and to the island’s political division, can likewise only be fully understood within the context of global power politics, particularly the Cold War. This course will examine how the interests and activities of the USA and the Soviet Union, but also the presence of the Non-Aligned Movement in world politics, interacted with the local dynamics and conflicts in Cyprus.
POL 511 International Law and Order (3,0)3
The nature, theories and sources of international Law. The application of international law in state relations. The relationship between national and international law, state and government recognition, international legal personality, human rights, state responsibility, jurisdiction. International treaties, sovereignty, self-determination territorial rights and international order.
POL 512 Comparative Political Systems (3,0)3
In-depth analysis of the major conceptual and theoretical approaches to comparative political systems; political development and state building; political institutions; patterns and processes of political interaction and participation; patterns of leadership and elite policy; comparisons of political systems in various states; party systems and evolution of party organization; electoral systems and changes in electoral behavior.
POL 516 Critical Theory of International Relations (3,0)3
Critical Theory is one of the new approaches to International Relations which questions the major assumption of more conventional theories, namely the separation between subject and object and the claims of science being value-free. Critical Theory in IR consists of two branches. One is inspired by the Frankfurt School and especially the work of Jürgen Habermas; its main representative in IR is Andrew Linklater, who connects the major schools in IR with different types of rationality. The second strand builds upon the work of Antonio Gramsci; its foremost examples in IR are Robert Cox (problem-solving vs. critical theories, world orders) and Kees van der Pijl (comprehensive concepts of control, the Lockean heartland vs. the Hobbesian contenders).
POL 520 Term Project (non-credit)
A substantial term project in the relevant area of interest between 5000-7000 words submitted after the completion of ten courses (30 credits). Term project is graded on success or fail basis.
POL 521 The Post-Hegemonic Age (3,0)3
Since after World War I, international relations has sought to combine the development of theoretical frameworks with the rapidly changing course of international events: Empire, World War, Cold War and post-1991 US hegemony. Today, oscillating at times uneasily between the enticements of abstraction, and the rush of actuality, IR faces a major opportunity to provide an authoritative conceptualization of, and normative orientation within, international politics. The course will assess the state of IR today by analyzing the struggles and challenges posed by the tensions of the 20th and 21st century.
POL 522 Seminar (non-credit)
A seminar project in the relevant area of interest.
POL 523 Philosophy and International Relations (3,0)3
Philosophy deals with fundamental questions like what exists (ontology), how we can know (epistemology) and what we should do and what we can expect (ethics). A comprehension of cutting-edge approaches to International Relations presupposes a basic grounding in philosophical issues. This course will provide an overview of the thought of major Western philosophers, including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkley, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Russell, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Sartre, Lacan, Barthes, Foucault, Derrida and Habermas.
POL 524 The European Union (3,0)3
This course provides an overview of the history, the major institutions and the contemporary challenges of the European Union. Emphasis will be upon the debate between federalists and functionalists, the foundation of the European Coal and Steel Community, and the latter’s transformation into the European Community and finally the European Union. The Council of Ministers, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Court of Justice, the European Central Bank and the Common Foreign and Security Policy will be dealt with. Finally, there will be a discussion of the Common Agricultural Policy, the attempt to set up a European Constitution, and the Lisbon Treaty.
POL 530 Thesis (non-credit)
The length of the Thesis must not exceed 50,000 words with full supporting bibliography and references. The Thesis must be original and reveal the student’s ability in investigation and analysis and have a practical application in the world of their profession. The Thesis should be on a subject decided upon both by the adviser and the student. The Thesis is required to be defended by the candidate in front of a jury. The Thesis is graded on a success or fail basis.