World History

Department of International Business

& Marketing

NUST Business School

National University of Sciences & Technology

BS ACF
2K15
Course Details

Course Title: World History

Course Code: HU-217 `
Program: BS ACF 2K15 Credit Hours: 2
Sections: A & B
Course Faculty
Aleena Amir

Humanities NBS

Email: [email protected]

Course Description

World History examines the world from a global perspective. It deals with the history of multiple
cultures, nations, and civilizations. It provides narrative and counter narratives to give different
perspective on the study of past times.  World history looks for common patterns that emerge
across all cultures. The subject incorporates a thematic approach, with two major focal points:
integration (how processes of world history have drawn people of the world together) and
difference (how patterns of world history reveal the diversity of the human experience).

Course Objectives

1. To develop understanding among the students of International Business that whythe discipline
of World History is significant in developing their perception of the world around them;
2. Exploring the evolution of the discipline of World History over the past six centuries by
examining our changing understandings of order within the present world;
3. Considering the impact of major historical events on the evolution of academic World History,
including the ongoing impact of globalization;
4. Introduce students to a range of narratives that will help them to examine the behavior of
empires and world powers in different eras of the international systems; and
5. Define and discuss some of the main concepts within the discipline, including war, power,
revolution etc.

Learning Outcomes
1. To introduce students to the core concepts and basic premises and interpretation in the study of
World History;
2. To familiarize students with histories of nations, civilizations, and other groups and the
differences among them;
3. Help the students to get ready for the roles they will inevitably play as citizens of both their
country and the world;

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4. To develop in students the capacity to identify and critically examine arguments and counter-
arguments in discussions of World History; and
5. To sharpen student analytical skills of information-gathering, conceptual definition, and
systematic organization and presentation of ideas. 

Suggested Course Readings

1. The Rise and Fall of Great Powers by Paul Kennedy

2. The Essential World History by William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel
3. The History of the World 1901-2000 J. M. Roberts
4. A History of the Modern World by R.R. Palmer, Joel Colton and Lloyd Kramer

Course Evaluation (Grade Breakup)

Grading will be done as per NBS criteria. The breakup of the grade points is as follows:
(Sample here)
Final Exam                        35%
Mid Semester Exam       25%
Presentation 20%
Class Participation 5%
Quizzes 15%

Course Content (Weekly)

Weekly breakdown is given below

Week Lecture Topic Reading

1 Introduction Chapter 1 (Essential World

a) The need and significance of studying World History vol I)
History
b) From hunter gatherer communities to first
civilizations (Mesopotamia and Egypt)

2 Roman Empire to the Middle Ages Chapters 5, 7 and 12

a) Fall of Roman Empire and the Dark Ages
b) Europe’s emergence from the Dark Ages – High
Middle Ages
c) The Rise of Islam
3 Early Modern History Chapter 14
a) The World in 1500s
b) The Age of Exploration and Expansion: Spanish
and Portugese Overseas Empires

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4 1) The Muslim Empires Chapter 15 and 16
2) Developments in the European Continent
a. Renaissance and Reformation
b. Treaty of Westphalia 1648 and emergence of
Nation-state System
5 The Americas and Society and culture in the West Chapter 20

6 The French Revolution 1789 Corresponding Chapters

a. Causes of French Revolution
b. The Course of French Revolution
c. The rise of Napoleon and his Reforms
7 The beginnings of modernization: Chapter 21
The Industrial Revolution 1765-1783
a. Impact on world economy
b. The growth of nationalism
c. Rivalries for colonial markets

8 States and Societies under Imperialism Chapter 21 (Vol II)

a. Colonial rule and competition in East Asia,
South Asia, Africa and West Asia
b. The Anticolonial Drive
9 MIDTERM EXAM

10 The Contemporary History Corresponding Chapter

a. World in 1900s
b. The WW I (1914-1919) causes and effects
c. The Interwar Period
d. The WW II (1939-1945) causes and effects

11 Post WW II History Corresponding Chapter

a. Decolonization
b. The Cold warand the Bipolar World
c. The Fall of the Berlin Wall
12 Challenges of nation building in Africa and the Chapter 29 (Vol. II)
Middle East

13 Towards the Pacific century and Rise of Asia Chapter 30 (Vol II)

14 Presentations

15 Presentations

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 16 Review of Course

17 FINALTERM EXAM

Course Policies

Class Participation
The students are encouraged and invited to participate actively in class discussion and activities. You
are expected to come to class prepared i.e. read the material and prepare some opinions/questions to
share. It is advised that you discuss your ideas and experiences with regard to how they relate to the
concepts discussed in the class. Please note that your in-class participation will be closely monitored
throughout the semester, think critically!

Attendance:
 If you are absent, please ask a classmate for any missed course material or assignments.
 Class attendance will be taken anytime during the class. Anyone coming afterwards will be
marked absent for that session.
 If you are away on official NUST duty , it is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor
on time with an official notice . Consequently, the student will still be marked as present, but
as “On Duty”. AIESEC events and activities related duties don’t qualify for “On Duty” status
unless instructed by Dean/Principal NBS.
 It is the student’s responsibility to continuously monitor his/her attendance. Do Not ask the
instructor to change/modify the attendance, unless there has been an accidental oversight. In
such an event, the student should inform the instructor of the error (with proof) before the
month ends.

Make-ups:
There will be no make-ups for assignments, presentations and quizzes under any circumstances.

Academic Dishonesty:
You are responsible for knowing and enacting academic conduct that is in line with the University’s
statement entitled “Academic Dishonesty” available at:
http://www.nust.edu.pk/usr/showContents.aspx?mdl=1839

The statement highlights examples of unacceptable behavior which include, but are not limited to,
the following:
 Cheating: Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or
study aids in any academic exercise; copying from another student’s examination; submitting
work prepared in advance for an in-class examination; taking an examination for another
person or conspiring to do so.
 Plagiarism: Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s
own in any academic exercise; failure to attribute direct quotation, paraphrase, or borrowed
facts or information.

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It is expected that all work that is handed will be your own.  Any ideas or content that come from
another source must be properly cited (including any content taken from the Internet, books, articles
and lectures). A handout ‘How to Avoid Plagiarism’ is provided to you along with this course outline.
It is expected from you that all your work (project, assignment and presentations) are referenced
using this handout.

Moreover, TurnItIn will be used as the plagiarism software to evaluate all your submissions. Any acts
of plagiarism and cheating will be dealt strictly and in accordance with the policy in place by the
University.

DO DONT
Come to class on time and having completed Submit assignments, quizzes late. Such assignments
the reading material. and quizzes will not be accepted.
Cause disturbance in class. If you have a question,
Take notes during the lectures.
address it to the lecturer.
Ask questions that are relevant to the topic Walk in and out of class during the lecture as you
being discussed and participate actively in class please. If you have an emergency, let the lecturer
discussions and activities. know.
Let the lecturer know in advance if you need to Come to class without your own copy of reading
miss a class. material assigned for that week.

Constantly check the deadlines that are due. Ask the lecturer to reschedule deadlines.
Constantly monitor the course outline and have
Ask the lecturer to change attendance details.
it with you at all times.

Research topics and news items for

Eat/Drink food in class.
constructive (and respectful) in-class debates.

Do Not forget to write some form of identification

on each document that is due for submission of
Switch off/Put your phones on silent during
any kind. It is not anyone’s responsibility to keep
class.
track of the author of such documents but the
author himself/herself.

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 NUST Business School

Course Code: Course Title

Topic of Report/Assignment

Submitted to;
Faculty Name
Submitted by;
xxx
BBA 2K13 A/B

Date: xx Month, 2017.