International Studies

32 MAJOR COURSES

Introduction to International Relations

This course introduces students to the basic and key concepts, themes, issues and theoretical frameworks in International Relations (IR) discipline. The course familiarises the students with the major global historical events since the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) that shaped today's world. It exposes students to the behaviour and response patterns of the actors in the international system including the states and non-state actors with respect to global issues and events. The course provides students with the basic knowledge and skills that are required to understand and analyse the contemporary global relations.

Introduction to Comparative Politics

This course establishes the importance of and provides a general overview of the comparative method in political science and international politics. Students use concepts like Institutions, Culture, sources of political cleavages like Race, Class, Religion, Ethnicity, Gender, Ideology, Economic System, etc. to compare how multiple States fare on a given issue, or how a single State tackles an issue over time. The focus is also on the peculiar institutional and socio-political developments of the Third World and on the post-Cold-War World.

Introduction to Indian Political System

This course introduces students to the Constitution of India in its structural and operational aspects. The Indian Political System functions upon the basic law which is provided by the Indian Constitution. An understanding derived by the study of the course enables the student to analyze the practice of politics in India.

Modern Indian Political History

This course will highlight the political aspects of modern Indian history. It intends to familiarize students with the nature of colonial rule and the events, issues and ideas that shaped India's nationalist movement.

International Relations Theory

This course seeks to introduce students to the major debates & theories about international relations. It surveys both mainstream theories such as Realism, Liberalism, & Neorealism as well as critical approaches such as Constructivism, Marxism, Feminism and Environmentalism, examining how these theories conceptualize ‘the international’ as a field of study. The modules are designed to familiarize students with the most prevalent terminologies within the field & the works of some of the most well-known scholars in the discipline. Particular attention is devoted to the study of IR in India.

Fundamentals of Statistical Data Analysis

This course introduces the rudiments of data analysis for students of social science. It will incorporate elementary but important methods for gathering and analysing data for answering questions of social, economic, cultural, political, and policy interest. By taking a models approach to understand data mainly from a practitioner’s perspective, this course will give students skills and knowledge to readily understand and analyse quantitative data.

Political Thought

This course introduces students to the political thought of key Western social and political philosophers. The selection offers an opportunity to understand the philosophical underpinnings that underlie the liberal-democratic systems of governance in the contemporary era. After tracing the development of political concepts through Western political thinking and practice since ancient Greece to modern times, students are encouraged to extrapolate from such experience and search for the best ways in which the concepts may be constructively applied to non-Western contexts.

Political Geography

This course aims to provide students with a general introduction of political geography. We will begin by important concepts such as territory, distance and spatial relations in human geography and geography in modern political science. The scope of political geography includes both domestic politics and International Relations. For domestic politics, topics such as voting behaviour, gerrymandering and locality in national politics will be introduced; in the realm of International Politics, we will begin with the controversial geopolitics and its theorists-Sir H. Mackinder, A. Mahan and Haushofer, etc., then move to topics such as clustering and diffusion of values, polity forms and armed conflicts, geoeconomics and great power geopolitics in the modern world. The application of modern technology such as the geographic information system (GIS) and spatial methods in the study of political geography will also be introduced for the course. 

Indian Government and Politics

This course explores the theory and praxis of Indian government and politics, introducing students to the concepts of the state, constitutionalism, the parliamentary system, federalism, local governance, the supreme court, the election commission, and the party system. Furthermore, students will study how class, caste, gender, identity, tribe and religion interact with politics in contemporary India. Students will critically examine majoritarianism, social movements, nationalism, regionalism, secessionism, civil society and ideology in the Indian context. The course will equip students to question dominant narratives on Indian politics and develop their own ideas and opinions.

International Organizations

This course serves as an introduction to the sub-field of International Organizations and has two main objectives. First, by engaging with the theoretical literature on IOs (international organizations), it seeks to generate in students an understanding of the ways in which IOs ameliorate/ fail to ameliorate the problem of collective action in a world characterized by systemic anarchy. Second, by acquainting students with the structure and functioning of select IOs, it seeks to broaden their knowledge of and about those IOs. Learning about India’s position in some of the major IOs existing today is an additional goal of the course.
This course serves as an introduction to the sub-field of International Organizations and has two main objectives. First, by engaging with the theoretical literature on IOs (international organizations), it seeks to generate in students an understanding of the ways in which IOs ameliorate/ fail to ameliorate the problem of collective action in a world characterized by systemic anarchy. Second, by acquainting students with the structure and functioning of select IOs, it seeks to broaden their knowledge of and about those IOs. Learning about India’s position in some of the major IOs existing today is an additional goal of the course.

Research Methods

The course covers the full cycle of conducting a research study in social sciences including design of a research study, data collection, analysis, and reporting. It aims to equip students with the conceptual understanding of current academic debates regarding different qualitative and quantitative research methods pertaining to social science research, and the practical skills to put those methods into practice in a research study. The course is organised in two parts - qualitative and quantitative research methods.
For the qualitative methods, the course covers the principal methods of collecting and analysing qualitative data: interviews, focus groups and participant observation. It analyses the various debates and challenges in qualitative research design with regards to research rigor and meeting the criteria of repeatability, reliability and validity.  It also addresses the challenges and opportunities of using new media, including visual images, social media and Internet research, in social science research and more specifically, in qualitative design. Three widely-used data analysis methods will be taught to students: thematic analysis, content analysis and discourse analysis. In addition, issues pertaining to literature review, research bias, data privacy and protection and ethics in a research study will also be addressed. Students will learn do basis data analysis using NVivo - a tool for analysing qualitative data.
The focus of quantitative section is on the use of statistical thinking to understand the social world. This section will familiarize students with basic tools of quantitative research methods that are adopted in social and political sciences. Topics include data as theory building, measurement validity and reliability, descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency and dispersion), bivariate analysis (correlation, contingency tables,), statistical inference (sampling, hypothesis testing) and introduction to statistical modeling (regression analysis). Additionally, students will learn to do some basic statistical analysis using Stata®, the software commonly used among social scientists.  
This course is a combination of lectures, in-class lab sessions and individual or group classwork. Student performance will be evaluated by their class participation, weekly homework/classwork, a quiz and the final exam.  

Maritime Studies

Surrounded by the vast Indian Ocean, throughout history India has been influenced by the sea. As India’s role in international affairs grows with its comprehensive national power, the strategical perspectives regarding a better use of the sea and more engagement in maritime affairs become more essential among the young generation of the country. To develop awareness, academic interest and perspectives of college level learners, Maritime Studies is collaborated with the National Maritime Foundation to cover important aspects such as strategy, security, economic and legal affairs to enhance general understanding in maritime affairs.

Colonialism, and the Nation-State

This course traces the genealogy of the modern Westphalian sovereign territorial state-system to the advent of European modernity. Students explore the phenomenon of Modernity in Europe and Asia and recognize Colonialism as the means through which such interactions were structured. They are also able to contextualize the peculiar form of the nation-state and the peculiarities of postcolonial states and societies like India and South Asia. By appreciating the current international system as the product of certain specific historical contexts, students better understand what factors impact the foundations of the system. Further, it opens the way to recognizing existing patterns and emerging changes in both erstwhile colonies and postcolonial states, as well as to imagine alternate futures. 

Government and Politics of the United States

As the global hegemon in our unipolar world, the United States is a vital international actor that is intimately involved in a wide range of issues across the globe--from adjudicating the smallest of civil wars in the Arab World to policing the trade of raw materials required for making nuclear weapons. Given the United States’ central role in much of the international relations of the contemporary world, it is crucial for students of International Studies to understand the structure and functioning of the US government. This course is designed to provide students with a broad overview of the government of the United States, including the political institutions, administrative functions, and policymaking processes of this federal nation. Students will also explore the role of the citizenry in the political and policymaking processes, and the consequences of this participation for democracy. The course explores the perspectives of marginalised communities within the United States, including Native Americans, African Americans and Muslims, thus providing students with a critical understanding of US politics. It further introduces students to the United States' foreign policies.

Understanding Peace and Conflict

War and peace are the parennial topics in history, literature, arts and most importantly, world politics. What causes war? What are different types of human conflicts? Who initiates and participates in war? Why are conflicts hard to stop and keep showing up in human history? Only by looking for the answers to the questions above can we know how to manage conflicts and hopefully attain peace. This course is to introduce students to major theories, analytic frameworks and findings in social sciences regarding armed conflicts. We will begin with classic theories regarding wars among nations then cover major theories and tools to manage conflicts between and inside of states.

India's Foreign Relations

This course introduces students to India’s relationships with the outside world. Students will trace the history of India’s foreign policy from Independence up to the twenty-first century, exploring India’s relationships with countries in South Asia, East Asia, West Asia, Africa, Western Europe, and North and South America. The course throws light on India’s economic, nuclear and defence policies; the role of the External Affairs Ministry, the media, the Indian diaspora, universities, think tanks and the private sector; and the road ahead for India as a rising power.

Understanding Modern Chinese Politics

This elective course is to enhance students’ understanding of Chinese political processes, which will be discussed and examined in the context of history and theory. The course is topic-based: for each weekly course module an ongoing essential topic will be covered and discussed. First we are addressing the role of Communist Party of China plays in the Chinese political system, then we will move on to other topics, such as South China Sea disputes, the Belt and Road Initiatives, India-China relations and China’s use of economic statecraft will also be covered. Students will also have the opportunity to gain more knowledge in practice by participating in field visits and through documentaries, music, pop culture and other related media as part of the course.

Non-Traditional Security Studies

This course deals with the sub-field of security studies within the larger discipline of international relations. It traces the historical evolution, the theoretical and conceptual debates, issues in non-traditional security, as well as the politics of securitization. The compulsions and the distinction between the objects of security- state versus people is attended in detail- with a special focus on the Copenhagen School of security as well as feminist and post-colonial critique to security Non-traditional security encompass both human and natural challenges like population, migration, terrorism, cyber security, insurgency, environment, food, water and energy.

Regional Integration and the European Union

This specialised area studies course is designed to equip students with an in-depth empirical understanding, theoretical knowledge and analytical skills necessary to understand and evaluate the regional integration process in world politics. This course has a particular focus on the European Union (EU) evaluating the context and evolution of the supranational Union, its institutions and policies in much detail. It is the objective of this course to survey the major policy areas of the EU and to provide a critical perspective on the degree to which the EU policies are represented in the national policies of member states. The role of inter-governmentalism and the division of competencies and responsibilities among the member states and Brussels will also be examined. The course covers specific case studies in EU politics, for instance, Brexit. This specialised course on Europe prepares students for higher studies/research and specialisation in the discipline of European Studies. The course equips them to undertake not only individual researches but also develops effective interpersonal skills through teamwork, group discussion and debate throughout the course.

Politics of Developing Societies

This course focuses on three major developing regions of the world and seeks to engage students in a critical evaluation of some of the key concepts pertinent to developing societies in Africa, Central Asia, & Latin America. By unpacking the notions of development and underdevelopment, the course aims at generating an appreciation for the complex realities that emerge from these regions. The general discussion on developing societies is complemented with case-studies focusing on particular issues from each region so that students learn to identify and evaluate both the similarities and differences among and within these regions.

Migration and Diaspora

This specialised course is an in-depth study of migration and the associated concepts, theoretical models and their interlinkages from a sociological perspective. The course provides a holistic and critical understanding of the major debates around the social phenomenon of migration, its causes and consequences as well as the typologies and patterns of population mobility. It also explores the development of the concept of diaspora from its very specific origins to the range of theoretical and empirical frameworks it encompasses today. The course updates the students’ conceptual and theoretical understandings about migration as well as diasporic experiences in an ever-changing social system. To contextualise the learnings, the course explores the multifaceted nature of the contemporary global Indian diaspora and their transnationalism in detail.

Law and Politics of Nations

This course is to provide students with the tenet principles and concepts of public international law in the context, theories and practices of international politics. Students are to be introduced to the logics, history and origins of the international legal system, as well as essential concepts such as treaties and jurisdiction, etc. Legal and empirical cases will be used to expose students to topics such as the functions of international court system, legal practices in the multilateral organizations, the compliance with international regimes, the use of force among nation-states, intervention and sanctions, conflict resolution, territorial conflicts and the role that international law can play in the post-armed conflict reconstruction. Case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises will be included in the pedagogy to assist students obtain the skills needed for employment.

Research Methods in IR: Traditions and Innovations

With the introduction of news methods from other social science disciplines, the improvement of data collection, as well as the great increase of computation power, the methodology of International Studies (IS) sees diversification especially in the past few decades. This seminar-based course is to introduce the evolution of IS methodology since the foundation of this discipline in 1919: from normative analysis, to the challenge of behaviourism post-WWII, the introduction of quantitative methods in the 1960s in the United States, the British School and their sociological focus, the wide use of econometric models in major programs post-1990s, and the application of advanced computational skills and algorithms with big data and AI. This seminar-style course will involve FLAME faculty members from the IS discipline as well as experts and academicians from the outside to address on important topics in the evolution of modern IS research methods. Case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises will be included in the pedagogy to assist students obtain the skills needed for employment.

Geopolitics of West Asia

This course offers a thematic approach to the study of West Asian politics. It will cover the major areas of geopolitical research on the region while simultaneously building empirical knowledge about the politics of individual countries.

Advanced International Relations Theory

This course is offered to students with prior exposure to the introductory course on International Relations Theory. The course deals with in-depth level discussions on the main contemporary theoretical perspectives of the IR discipline. The course aims to analyze the key international events and debates in international relations from various theoretical paradigms. The focus is more on reading and debating the classical and key readings related to the IR theories and familiarising with major IR scholars. The course will also offer a comprehensive and critical understanding of mainstream as well as critical theories and situates them in relation to each other in order to examine the potential of theories in the study of international events and relations. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.

Theories and Topics in Comparative politics

In this higher-level course of comparative politics, students are to be introduced to more advanced methods and logics of this sub-discipline including case studies, empirical methods (quantitative and qualitative), and small-N mixed methods, etc. Essential and prevalent topics include democratic practice and governance, democratization and its consolidation, governance in the information age, the adaptation of authoritarianism, comparative perspectives on institutions in modern polities such as executive, legislative, judicial branches, as well as the role that bureaucracy and political parties plays. The course will be more theory- and method-centric with more contemporary cases introduced to the students. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.

International Political Economy

International Political Economy (IPE) explores the overlap of international politics and economy. International politics influences the making of economic policies of individual countries, and vice versa: new modes and technology of production also determine how politics is played among nations as well. Students begin by comparing different logics and assumptions of major theories of IPE: mercantilism, Marxism, and liberalism. Then by exploring different cases and histories students approach essential topics in IPE such as international trade, finance and monetary policies, the Bretton Wood System and free trade agreements, debts and dependence, big economic players and their roles in international politics, as well as the politics and (in)equality of globalization. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.

30 MINOR COURSES

Introduction to International Relations

This course introduces students to the basic and key concepts, themes, issues and theoretical frameworks in International Relations (IR) discipline. The course familiarises the students with the major global historical events since the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) that shaped today's world. It exposes students to the behaviour and response patterns of the actors in the international system including the states and non-state actors with respect to global issues and events. The course provides students with the basic knowledge and skills that are required to understand and analyse the contemporary global relations.

Introduction to Comparative Politics

This course establishes the importance of and provides a general overview of the comparative method in political science and international politics. Students use concepts like Institutions, Culture, sources of political cleavages like Race, Class, Religion, Ethnicity, Gender, Ideology, Economic System, etc to compare how multiple States fare on a given issue, or how a single State tackles an issue over time. The focus is also on the peculiar institutional and socio-political developments of the Third World and on the post Cold-War World.

Introduction to Indian Political System

This course introduces students to the Constitution of India in its structural and operational aspects. The Indian Political System functions upon the basic law which is provided by the Indian Constitution. An understanding derived by the study of the course enables the student to analyze the practice of politics in India.

Modern Indian Political History

This course will highlight the political aspects of modern Indian history. It intends to familiarize students with the nature of colonial rule and the events, issues and ideas that shaped India's nationalist movement.

International Relations Theory

This course seeks to introduce students to the major debates & theories about international relations. It surveys both mainstream theories such as Realism, Liberalism, & Neorealism as well as critical approaches such as Constructivism, Marxism, Feminism and Environmentalism, examining how these theories conceptualize ‘the international’ as a field of study. The modules are designed to familiarize students with the most prevalent terminologies within the field & the works of some of the most well-known scholars in the discipline. Particular attention is devoted to the study of IR in India.

Fundamentals of Statistical Data Analysis

This course introduces the rudiments of data analysis for students of social science. It will incorporate elementary but important methods for gathering and analysing data for answering questions of social, economic, cultural, political, and policy interest. By taking a models approach to understand data mainly from a practitioner’s perspective, this course will give students skills and knowledge to readily understand and analyse quantitative data.

Political Thought

This course introduces students to the political thought of key Western social and political philosophers. The selection offers an opportunity to understand the philosophical underpinnings that underlie the liberal-democratic systems of governance in the contemporary era. After tracing the development of political concepts through Western political thinking and practice since ancient Greece to modern times, students are encouraged to extrapolate from such experience and search for the best ways in which the concepts may be constructively applied to non-Western contexts.

Political Geography

This course aims to provide students with a general introduction of political geography. We will begin by important concepts such as territory, distance and spatial relations in human geography and geography in modern political science. The scope of political geography includes both domestic politics and International Relations. For domestic politics, topics such as voting behaviour, gerrymandering and locality in national politics will be introduced; in the realm of International Politics, we will begin with the controversial geopolitics and its theorists-Sir H. Mackinder, A. Mahan and Haushofer, etc., then move to topics such as clustering and diffusion of values, polity forms and armed conflicts, geoeconomics and great power geopolitics in the modern world. The application of modern technology such as the geographic information system (GIS) and spatial methods in the study of political geography will also be introduced for the course. 

Indian Government and Politics

This course explores the theory and praxis of Indian government and politics, introducing students to the concepts of the state, constitutionalism, the parliamentary system, federalism, local governance, the supreme court, the election commission, and the party system. Furthermore, students will study how class, caste, gender, identity, tribe and religion interact with politics in contemporary India. Students will critically examine majoritarianism, social movements, nationalism, regionalism, secessionism, civil society and ideology in the Indian context. The course will equip students to question dominant narratives on Indian politics and develop their own ideas and opinions.

International Organizations

This course serves as an introduction to the sub-field of International Organizations and has two main objectives. First, by engaging with the theoretical literature on IOs (international organizations), it seeks to generate in students an understanding of the ways in which IOs ameliorate/ fail to ameliorate the problem of collective action in a world characterized by systemic anarchy. Second, by acquainting students with the structure and functioning of select IOs, it seeks to broaden their knowledge of and about those IOs. Learning about India’s position in some of the major IOs existing today is an additional goal of the course.
This course serves as an introduction to the sub-field of International Organizations and has two main objectives. First, by engaging with the theoretical literature on IOs (international organizations), it seeks to generate in students an understanding of the ways in which IOs ameliorate/ fail to ameliorate the problem of collective action in a world characterized by systemic anarchy. Second, by acquainting students with the structure and functioning of select IOs, it seeks to broaden their knowledge of and about those IOs. Learning about India’s position in some of the major IOs existing today is an additional goal of the course.

Research Methods

The course covers the full cycle of conducting a research study in social sciences including design of a research study, data collection, analysis, and reporting. It aims to equip students with the conceptual understanding of current academic debates regarding different qualitative and quantiative research methods pertaining to social science research, and the practical skills to put those methods into practice in a research study. The course is organised in two parts - qualitative and quantitative research methods.
For the qualitative methods, the course covers the principal methods of collecting and analysing qualitative data: interviews, focus groups and participant observation. It analyses the various debates and challenges in qualitative research design with regards to research rigor and meeting the criteria of repeatability, reliability and validity.  It also addresses the challenges and opportunities of using new media, including visual images, social media and Internet research, in social science research and more specifically, in qualitative design. Three widely-used data analysis methods will be taught to students: thematic analysis, content analysis and discourse analysis. In addition, issues pertaining to literature review, research bias, data privacy and protection and ethics in a research study will also be addressed. Students will learn do basis data analysis using NVivo - a tool for analysing qualitative data.             
The focus of quantitative section is on the use of statistical thinking to understand the social world. This section will familiarize students with basic tools of quantitative research methods that are adopted in social and political sciences. Topics include data as theory building, measurement validity and reliability, descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency and dispersion), bivariate analysis (correlation, contingency tables,), statistical inference (sampling, hypothesis testing) and introduction to statistical modeling (regression analysis). Additionally, students will learn to do some basic statistical analysis using Stata®, the software commonly used among social scientists.  
This course is a combination of lectures, in-class lab sessions and individual or group classwork. Student performance will be evaluated by their class participation, weekly homework/classwork, a quiz and the final exam.  

Maritime Studies

Surrounded by the vast Indian Ocean, throughout history India has been influenced by the sea. As India’s role in international affairs grows with its comprehensive national power, the strategical perspectives regarding a better use of the sea and more engagement in maritime affairs become more essential among the young generation of the country. To develop awareness, academic interest and perspectives of college level learners, Maritime Studies is collaborated with the National Maritime Foundation to cover important aspects such as strategy, security, economic and legal affairs to enhance general understanding in maritime affairs.

Colonialism, and the Nation-State

This course traces the genealogy of the modern Westphalian sovereign territorial state-system to the advent of European modernity. Students explore the phenomenon of Modernity in Europe and Asia and recognize Colonialism as the means through which such interactions were structured. They are also able to contextualize the peculiar form of the nation-state and the peculiarities of postcolonial states and societies like India and South Asia. By appreciating the current international system as the product of certain specific historical contexts, students better understand what factors impact the foundations of the system. Further, it opens the way to recognizing existing patterns and emerging changes in both erstwhile colonies and postcolonial states, as well as to imagine alternate futures. 

Government and Politics of the United States

As the global hegemon in our unipolar world, the United States is a vital international actor that is intimately involved in a wide range of issues across the globe--from adjudicating the smallest of civil wars in the Arab World to policing the trade of raw materials required for making nuclear weapons. Given the United States’ central role in much of the international relations of the contemporary world, it is crucial for students of International Studies to understand the structure and functioning of the US government. This course is designed to provide students with a broad overview of the government of the United States, including the political institutions, administrative functions, and policymaking processes of this federal nation. Students will also explore the role of the citizenry in the political and policymaking processes, and the consequences of this participation for democracy. The course explores the perspectives of marginalised communities within the United States, including Native Americans, African Americans and Muslims, thus providing students with a critical understanding of US politics. It further introduces students to the United States' foreign policies.

Understanding Peace and Conflict

War and peace are the perennial topics in history, literature, arts and most importantly, world politics. What causes war? What are different types of human conflicts? Who initiates and participates in war? Why are conflicts hard to stop and keep showing up in human history? Only by looking for the answers to the questions above can we know how to manage conflicts and hopefully attain peace. This course is to introduce students to major theories, analytic frameworks and findings in social sciences regarding armed conflicts. We will begin with classic theories regarding wars among nations then cover major theories and tools to manage conflicts between and inside of states.

India's Foreign Relations

This course introduces students to India’s relationships with the outside world. Students will trace the history of India’s foreign policy from Independence up to the twenty-first century, exploring India’s relationships with countries in South Asia, East Asia, West Asia, Africa, Western Europe, and North and South America. The course throws light on India’s economic, nuclear and defense policies; the role of the External Affairs Ministry, the media, the Indian diaspora, universities, think tanks and the private sector; and the road ahead for India as a rising power.

Understanding Modern Chinese Politics

This elective course is to enhance students’ understanding of Chinese political processes, which will be discussed and examined in the context of history and theory. The course is topic-based: for each weekly course module an ongoing essential topic will be covered and discussed. First, we are addressing the role of Communist Party of China plays in the Chinese political system, then we will move on to other topics, such as South China Sea disputes, the Belt and Road Initiatives, India-China relations and China’s use of economic statecraft will also be covered. Students will also have the opportunity to gain more knowledge in practice by participating in field visits and through documentaries, music, pop culture and other related media as part of the course.

Non-Traditional Security Studies

This course deals with the sub-field of security studies within the larger discipline of international relations. It traces the historical evolution, the theoretical and conceptual debates, issues in non-traditional security, as well as the politics of securitization. The compulsions and the distinction between the objects of security- state versus people is attended in detail- with a special focus on the Copenhagen School of security as well as feminist and post-colonial critique to security Non-traditional security encompass both human and natural challenges like population, migration, terrorism, cyber security, insurgency, environment, food, water and energy.

Regional Integration and the European Union

This specialised area studies course is designed to equip students with an in-depth empirical understanding, theoretical knowledge and analytical skills necessary to understand and evaluate the regional integration process in world politics. This course has a particular focus on the European Union (EU) evaluating the context and evolution of the supranational Union, its institutions and policies in much detail. It is the objective of this course to survey the major policy areas of the EU and to provide a critical perspective on the degree to which the EU policies are represented in the national policies of member states. The role of inter-governmentalism and the division of competencies and responsibilities among the member states and Brussels will also be examined. The course covers specific case studies in EU politics, for instance, Brexit. This specialised course on Europe prepares students for higher studies/research and specialisation in the discipline of European Studies. The course equips them to undertake not only individual researches but also develops effective interpersonal skills through teamwork, group discussion and debate throughout the course.

Politics of Developing Societies

This course focuses on three major developing regions of the world and seeks to engage students in a critical evaluation of some of the key concepts pertinent to developing societies in Africa, Central Asia, & Latin America. By unpacking the notions of development and underdevelopment, the course aims at generating an appreciation for the complex realities that emerge from these regions. The general discussion on developing societies is complemented with case-studies focusing on particular issues from each region so that students learn to identify and evaluate both the similarities and differences among and within these regions.

Migration and Diaspora

This specialised course is an in-depth study of migration and the associated concepts, theoretical models and their interlinkages from a sociological perspective. The course provides a holistic and critical understanding of the major debates around the social phenomenon of migration, its causes and consequences as well as the typologies and patterns of population mobility. It also explores the development of the concept of diaspora from its very specific origins to the range of theoretical and empirical frameworks it encompasses today. The course updates the students’ conceptual and theoretical understandings about migration as well as diasporic experiences in an ever-changing social system. To contextualise the learnings, the course explores the multifaceted nature of the contemporary global Indian diaspora and their transnationalism in detail.

Law and Politics of Nations

This course is to provide students with the tenet principles and concepts of public international law in the context, theories and practices of international politics. Students are to be introduced to the logics, history and origins of the international legal system, as well as essential concepts such as treaties and jurisdiction, etc. Legal and empirical cases will be used to expose students to topics such as the functions of international court system, legal practices in the multilateral organizations, the compliance with international regimes, the use of force among nation-states, intervention and sanctions, conflict resolution, territorial conflicts and the role that international law can play in the post-armed conflict reconstruction. Case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises will be included in the pedagogy to assist students obtain the skills needed for employment.

Geopolitics of West Asia

This course offers a thematic approach to the study of West Asian politics. It will cover the major areas of geopolitical research on the region while simultaneously building empirical knowledge about the politics of individual countries.

Advanced International Relations Theory

This course is offered to students with prior exposure to the introductory course on International Relations Theory. The course deals with in-depth level discussions on the main
contemporary theoretical perspectives of the IR discipline. The course aims to analyze the key international events and debates in international relations from various theoretical paradigms.  The focus is more on reading and debating the classical and key readings related to the IR theories and familiarising with major IR scholars. The course will also offer a comprehensive and critical understanding of mainstream as well as critical theories and situates them in relation to each other in order to examine the potential of theories in the study of international events and relations. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.

Theories and Topics in Comparative politics

In this higher-level course of comparative politics, students are to be introduced to more advanced methods and logics of this sub-discipline including case studies, empirical methods (quantitative and qualitative), and small-N mixed methods, etc. Essential and prevalent topics include democratic practice and governance, democratization and its consolidation, governance in the information age, the adaptation of authoritarianism, comparative perspectives on institutions in modern polities such as executive, legislative, judicial branches, as well as the role that bureaucracy and political parties plays. The course will be more theory- and method-centric with more contemporary cases introduced to the students. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.

International Political Economy

International Political Economy (IPE) explores the overlap of international politics and economy. International politics influences the making of economic policies of individual countries, and vice versa: new modes and technology of production also determine how politics is played among nations as well. Students begin by comparing different logics and assumptions of major theories of IPE: mercantilism, Marxism, and liberalism. Then by exploring different cases and histories students approach essential topics in IPE such as international trade, finance and monetary policies, the Bretton Wood System and free trade agreements, debts and dependence, big economic players and their roles in international politics, as well as the politics and (in)equality of globalization. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.