Recommended Optional Courses in the Summer Semester
2PL391 Politics and Economics of Climate Change
What will our economic and political system look like by the end of the century if we are to avert climate collapse? The course offers an introduction to the social science perspective on climate change. The problem starts with current market failures and proposed instruments to address them. Introducing them worldwide, however, faces many bottlenecks of the asymmetric political landscape, domestic obstacles, and corporate interests. As an answer to these challenges, various schools of sustainability are forming. And the discussion among them will likely have a central influence on the shape of our social and economic institutions in the near future.
2PL392 Corporate Social Responsibility: Theory and Practice
Do you know which kinds of moral issues we might face when shopping, or providing customers, other businesses or organizations with goods and services when dealing with employees, utilizing natural resources, or doing many other things? Do you care about the environment? Are you curious about these issues or you do not mind? Regardless of your personal preferences you might be interested in various ideas and approaches influencing decisions and behavior of people, businesses, organizations, governments and other stakeholders which every day form the world we live in. Join us to discuss what we and others are responsible for while analyzing good and bad practices of multinational giants as well as of each of us. Let’s discuss how the concepts of corporate social responsibility, ethical businesses or creating shared value work in theory – and in practice!
2PL395 Conflict Resolution Simulations
We are confronted with conflicts almost every day. While each conflict is specific and distinct from other conflicts, those of particular nature are endowed with common features, crucial to an efficient approach to their resolution. In this class we will, while going through various simulations, playing games, and discussing what we did and how it worked, develop simple and easily applicable models of the most common conflicting situations, suitable for any environment, working under any circumstances, regardless of any specifics of the particular conflict. Through that effort we will also develop a deeper understanding of various approaches to conflict resolution, strengthen abilities to plan and perform conflict resolution process, to communicate in conflicts, to work with personal, psychological and other dimensions of conflict and to apply appropriate moves, steps, tactics and strategies to resolve it. And while doing that we will discover the realm of conflicts through new insights and from a different perspective than classes on conflict resolution often do.
2SM308 Model United Nations
Are you interested in the United Nations, do you want to learn different negotiation strategies, try to use them in role plays and experience a lot of fun, would you like to meet interesting UN experts and students from different countries? Then you should register the „Model UN“ course! It is an introductory course where you will learn about the UN system, foreign policy interests of the states, multilateral diplomacy, as well as other relevant topics such as negotiations and resolution procedures. You will develop your research, analytic, as well as international communication skills.
2SM309 Migration in International Relations
Keen on migration or not that excited (yet)? Either way, this course aims at you! In Migration in IR, we’ll discuss various interesting aspects of migration, such as refugees, brain drain, media coverage, human rights and many more. We’ll look at current events in a broader context so that you get a better idea about why the migration crisis is such a hot topic these days and learn useful facts and diverse opinions. The course is in English and thus both Czech and exchange students are more than welcome.
2SM315 Military Technologies and International Security Challenges
How much power stands behind military technologies in international politics? How do military technologies influence political decisions, and how do they explain links that remain in between the lines? What are current global security challenges, and what role is played by military technologies as an initiator of technological progress? What challenges emerge with robotization and artificial intelligence? How to understand cyberspace as a new battlefield? You will get the answer to these and other questions in the subject 2SM315 Military technologies and international security challenges.
2SM316 European Union and Latin America (intensive course)
This course will survey the scope and dimensions of Latin American foreign policy towards the European Union. Its objective is to provide students with a substantive grounding in the history, theoretical approaches, and central issues in Latin American foreign policy towards the European Union.
2SM610 Asia in International Relations
Asia has made a huge leap forward. It is not any more shackled by European colonialism or divided by the Cold War. With the rise of China, India or Indonesia, Asia is emerging as a new power centre on the world stage. With more than half of the world population and accelerating integration and cooperation, its economic power will only grow. Still, this remarkable success is hindered by deeply-rooted grievances and distrust among states, frequently escalating into violent conflicts. At the same time, many countries across the continent are faced with state-building issues, terrorism or divided by religious and ethnic conflicts. Lectures focus both on theoretical aspects and foreign affairs of Asian countries on the background of key milestones of the 20th century, whereas seminars are devoted to current foreign policy issues and challenges.
2SM450 Global South in International Relations
Global South has been a byword for underdevelopment, instability and political marginalisation in international relations. Many countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia are faced with pressing issues ranging from problematic statehood, weak institutions and omnipresent corruption, over the fragile economy and unequal distribution of wealth, to civil wars and other conflicts arising from ethnic or religious issues. At the same time, quite a few Global South countries such as Brazil, India, China or South Africa have made a clean break with their colonial past and are emerging as new powers that have more say in international relations. Leading scholars agree that Global South countries, with their enormous share of the world population and increasing economic power, have a great potential to grow and even change the existing international order in the future. Lectures focus both on theoretical aspects and foreign affairs of developing countries in the 20th century, whereas seminars are devoted to current issues and challenges.
2SM618 Contemporary Diplomatic Practice
The subject aims at giving students knowledge of existing Foreign Service system and diplomatic activities, its functioning and practicing basic skills necessary for working in the Foreign Service. Another objective of the course is to support the development of skills of a contemporary diplomat.
2SM658 China in International Politics and Diplomacy
The aim of the course is to introduce China and its role as a power in contemporary international relations, including its specific political system, foreign policy and diplomacy. The course is intended to give students a solid understanding of the characteristics of China’s engagement with the world as it expands its influence. At the end of the course, students will have a clearer grasp of the issues generated by China’s rise and increasing geopolitical and geo-economic power. The course includes an analysis of China’s approach to international politics and also its relations with neighbouring countries in Asia. Other issues covered include relations with the US and Europe, the South China Sea dispute, China’s global hunt for energy, and the Belt and Road Initiative.
2SM634 Iran in the International System: Past and Present (intensive course)
The aim of the course is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Iranian role as an international actor, with particular focus on the relations with the once-close ally, then greatest enemy: the United States. The purpose will be pursued through a historical/comparative approach: on the one hand, the course will trace back the history of Iranian foreign policy and relations with Washington since the pre-revolutionary period up to the present time. On the other, it will try to draw parallels between American and EU policy towards Iran, especially with regard to the nuclear issue.
2SM642 Geopolitics of Energy in the 21st Century
The course aims at providing students with an understanding of key paradigms of current geopolitics of energy, from the viewpoint of different actors (producers, transit countries, consumers, specialised international organisations). Global and regional chessboards are introduced for individual energy commodities, both for the traditional ones (oil, gas, coal, nuclear) and new ones (renewables and energy efficiency), including their cross-sectoral interference. In particular, the implications of new technologies, energy policy paradigms (including implications of the recent fight against climate change) and new trade patterns will be extensively discussed with students.
2SM643 International Security from the Perspective of New Technologies
International security is changing rapidly. New actors enter the game, who are using new tools, developing new technologies and breaching traditional concepts by their behaviour. The ability to understand the area of new emerging and disruptive technologies brings a new perspective on international security and opens many vital questions connected to changes in the international environment that are inevitable in the near future.