GLOBAL NEGOTIATIONS

The course ‘Conflict and Conflict Resolution' [Global Negotiations] is a course of political science. It introduces students of the curriculum "Global Studies" (RIC) to the theory and the conceptual debates on violent conflict and conflict resolution. Based on this theoretical basis, it examines some of the key conflicts of today. It is taught in English.

Students who have attended this course will have learnt the main theories in the field of conflict and conflict resolution and discussed theories such as Social identity Theory, which contribute to our understanding of the origins and the dynamics of violent conflict. They will also have applied these theories to the examination of specific conflict situations, thereby putting into practice their theoretical knowledge.

6 ECTS in History/Political science. Basic knowledge of key concepts of International Relations would be useful. Students who have never attended a class in International Relations or Political Science should consider reading in advance the following brief introduction:

Reus-Smit, Christian. (2020. International Relations. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Part 1: Theories of conflict and conflict resolution
Part 2: Case studies of violent conflict

This seminar aims to introduce Master students to a key thematic area in Political Science and International Relations, i.e. the study of violent conflict. The course consists of two parts with (1) a discussion of key theories of conflict and conflict resolution, and (2) a discussion of case studies involving current and historical conflicts of global relevance. Participants in this course will immerse themselves in the study of the causes and dynamics of violent conflict, the role of different actors and institutions and the prospects and of and the impediments to conflict resolution. The theoretical knowledge gained in part 1 will be put into use to analyse concrete case studies of conflict and conflict resolution. The case studies will be prepared and presented by the students.

Course textbooks:
Demmers, Jolle. 2017. Theories of Violent Conflict. An Introduction. Routledge, London and New York.
Wallensteen, Peter. 2019. Understanding Conflict Resolution. Sage, London,

Introductory Reading:
Kaldor, Mary. 2012. New and Old Wars. Organized Violence in a Global era. Polity Press, Cambridge.

The texts will be available on Moodle. Additional texts will be uploaded for each session and a detailed literature list will be provided for each case study.
Students are expected to read the respective chapter and papers before each session. These can be found in the detailed course syllabus. Students are also expected to prepare a presentation and write a response paper.

Students can choose between two different sets of assessments.

A Continuous assessment
Students, both online and present, who opt for continuous assessment will be evaluated continuously throughout the semester. They are therefore exempt from the final exam.

1. In week 1, they will form a working group with co-students, choose a case study and prepare collectively a panel-style presentation in class. The presentation will be around 45 minutes, allowing for each student to speak for around 5-7 minutes, followed by a questions and answers session. The presentation will be prepared with PowerPoint. It will be uploaded on Moodle for the perusal of all course participants.

2. They will sit a short written interim exam (single choice test) in week 8.

3. They will write a response paper (1000 words) to a question set by the instructor.

If students, who opt for continuous assessment, cannot make a presentation, they can write a take-home essay (2000 words) that will be specified in November.

The final grade will be calculated as follows
- 1/3 Presentation [or take home essay]
- 1/3 Interim exam
- 1/3 Response paper

B Single exam
Students, online or present, who opt for the single exam will write an exam with the following components:
- 1/3 multiple-choice
- 1/3 analytical questions
- 1/3 essay

This exam will count for 100% of the grade.

Lectures, compulsory readings before the sessions and presentations and discussions in class. Emphasis will be given to students' involvement and interactive discussions.

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Students chose whether they will be evaluated continuously throughout the course or whether they want to write a single exam at the end of the course.

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