Formation/Cours

The aim is to introduce international relations as an object but also as a framework for analysis, by contextualising its conceptual developments, the involvement of the various actors and the diversity of the issues at stake.

From the attacks by the Islamic State to the organisation of the Olympic Games in 2024, from the question of the reception of refugees to the effects of the war in Ukraine, international issues have become part of our daily lives. This course thus proposes to study international relations in their inter-state, transnational and supranational dimensions.

Although the institutionalisation of a discipline of International relations is often located in the Anglo-Saxon world in 20th century, many aspects of international relations and systems preceded the generalisation of the territorialised nation-state. The course will begin by examining the long process of moving towards the inter-state and globalised system that structures contemporary international relations (city-states, empires, nation-states) and its conceptualisations. Then, it will identify the various actors (States, IOs, NGOs, individuals, etc.) and finally analyse some examples of the major international issues linked to the globalisation of international relations (security, migration, environment, etc.).

Outline

I- INTRODUCTION: HISTORY AND CONCEPTUALISATIONS (3 sessions)

– History of international relations and political systems

– History of IR and theoretical debates: From the era of total wars to the cold war

II- THE “INTERNATIONAL” AND ITS ACTORS IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD (3 sessions)

– The States and the diplomacy

– The global and regional International organisations

– The other key actors in the new international relations

III- CURRENT INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ISSUES (3 sessions)

– International security

– Migration/Environmental Issues

– Globalisation and financial crisis