Introduction to International Relations

(Quan hệ Quốc tế)

Instructor: MA. Le Ngoc Thao Nguyen
Location: University of Economics and Law, Room A801 & A310
Time: Wednesday 7:00/ 9:30/ 12:30/ 15:00
E-Mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Instructor availability:
Email is preferred for communication after class. Please title your email with the
format: [UEL]IR - Student’s Name - Student ID - Class - Main purpose of the email
You will be able to speak with the Instructor before and following each class session.
Appointments for additional meeting times may be made following each class session.

COURSE INFORMATION:
Credit: 2 credits
Duration: 30 sessions in 10 weeks (In addition to your classroom time you will be
expected to work on this class for a minimum of 90 hours outside of class.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course examines political, economic, social and cultural connections on a global
scale. Students are introduced to key concepts in world politics, theoretical
perspectives in international relations, and major events that have shaped the
contemporary international system.
Throughout the course, students will engage with multiple current affairs to apply the
Part I: Theoretical foundation (Week 1 --> 3)
This section attempts to establish the theoretical foundations of international politics.
It discusses nation-states and the forces that underlie them, e.g. nationalism and state-
building. Also dealt with are the different levels of analysis which we may use as
vantage points for understanding international relations, in particular the individual,
the nation-state, and the international system.
Part II: How states and non-state actors behave in international system (Week 4 --> 7)
This section turns toward how international actors, including sovereign states,
international organizations, transnational corporations, and non-governmental
organizations, pursue their goals and acquire power and influence. Students will
examine important international processes, including war and the use of force,
alliances, balance of power, international law, international institutions, and morality.
Students will also explore how international institutions, norms and structures of
governance affect international interactions.
Part III: Globalisation & Global challenges (Week 8 --> 10)
This section surveys the process of globalisation, focusing on finance & economics,
as well as discuss current global issues including global warming, food security and
extreme poverty.
textbook knowledge to practice.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Understand fundamental concepts and theories in international relations
2. Explain how historical events and international institutions have shaped the world
as we know it.
3. Identify different regions of the world and important factual information necessary
for analysis of international politics

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Specifically students must:
1. Attend classes regularly
2. Complete all assigned readings before the lecture.
3. Engage actively with the course’s ideas and readings to apply this course’s
concepts to debates about contemporary international affairs.

COURSE ASSESSMENT:
Assignment Specification Grading proportion
Class participation In-class discussions 20% equally
attributed to M & F
Quizzes (Midterm) Week 4 & Week 6 - Content drawn from 30% + 10%
your textbook and the assigned readings
Final Exam A combination of multiple choice & 50% + 10 %
short answer questions
Bonus Complete certain in-class activities
COURSE OUTLINE:
WEE CLASS
CONTENT ESSENTIAL READINGS
K ACTIVITIES
(1) INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE - Knowledge test  Textbook – Chapter 1
& PREVIEW TEST - What do these  https://foreignpolic
- Course approaches images tell
y.com/2018/02/20/i
- Methods your?
- What is International - Discussion on ts-never-been-a-
Relations? reading better-time-to-
- Reading habit & reading culture
study-
international-
relations-trump-
foreign-policy/
(2) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Seminar  Textbook – Chapter 3
THEORIES - Case: Melos
- Realism/Neorealism Dialogue
- The root & development
(3) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Seminar  Textbook – Chapter 4
THEORIES - Case:
- Liberalism/Neoliberalism Comparison of
- Constructivism theories
- Marxism/Leninism
(4) STATES & SOVEREIGNTY QUIZ 1  Textbook - Chapter 5
- Sovereignty  https://www.britan
- Power – Elements of National
nica.com/topic/nati
power
- Great Powers on-state
(5) POWER & GREAT POWER  Textbook – Chapter 2
RELATIONS
- The cause of war
- Changing characters of warfare
(6) WAR/ CONFLICT & PEACE/ Security dilemma  Textbook – Chapter 6
 COOPERATION Skill workshop
- Nature of conflict
- Relative gains & security
dilemma
- Peace-making
(7) NON-STATE ACTORS QUIZ 2  Textbook – Chapter 9
- IGOs
- NGOs
- International Law
INTERNATIONAL
FINANCE & TRADE
- Bretton Woods system  Textbook –Chapter 8
(8) Seminar
- Globalisation of Finance
- TNCs & MNCs
- Free trade
(9) INTERNATIONAL Seminar  Textbook – Chapter 10
POLITICAL ECONOMY
- Fundamental assumptions
- State vs Market
- Liberalism vs Radicalism
(10) GLOBAL CHALLENGES  Textbook - Chapter 11
- Poverty, Inequality &
development
Environmental politics

Each session is divided into 3 parts:

(1) a quick review of the assigned readings
(2) a short lecture by the lecture
(3) seminar/ group discussion

COURSEBOOK & SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

Textbook
Karen Mingst, Essentials of International Relations 8th edition, w.w. Norton
and Company, Inc., New York-London 2018.
Vietnamese
1. Website Nghiên cứu quốc tế tại địa chỉ nghiencuuquocte.org
==> An incredibly useful dictionary for key concepts of International
Relations http://nghiencuuquocte.org/muc-luc-so-tay-thuat-ngu-qhqt/
 2. Hoàng Khắc Nam, Tập bài giảng NHẬP MÔN QUAN HỆ QUỐC TẾ.
Tư liệu Khoa.
3. Tập bài đọc bắt buộc NHẬP MÔN QUAN HỆ QUỐC TẾ. Tư liệu Khoa.
4. Hoàng Khắc Nam, Quyền lực trong quan hệ quốc tế: Lịch sử và vấn đề,
NXB Văn hóa thông tin, Hà Nội, 2011.
5. Paul R. Vioti & Mark V, Kauppi, Lý luận Quan hệ quốc tế, Học viện
Quan hệ quốc tế, Hà Nội 2001.
6. Lý luận Quan hệ quốc tế. Học viện Quan hệ quốc tế, quyển 1. Hà Nội
2007.
7. An ninh và xung đột trong Quan hệ quốc tế. Tập tài liệu biên dịch của
khoa QHQT.
8. Lý luận Quan hệ quốc tế. Học viện Quan hệ quốc tế, quyển 2. Hà Nội
2008.
9. Lý thuyết và phương pháp nghiên cứu quan hệ quốc tế. Tập bài đọc
khoá tập huấn Sapa 8/2011.
10. Nguyễn Quốc Hùng & Hoàng Khắc Nam, Quan hệ quốc tế: Những khía
cạnh lý thuyết và vấn đề, Nxb Chính trị Quốc gia, Hà Nội 2006.
11. David A. Baldwin, Chủ nghĩa Tự do mới và Chủ nghĩa Hiện thực mới:
Cuộc tranh luận đương đại, Khoa Quốc tế học, Trường
ĐHKHXH&NV, Hà Nội 2007.
12. Đoàn Văn Thắng, Quan hệ quốc tế - Các phương pháp tiếp cận, Nxb
Thống kê, Hà Nội 2003.
English
13. Joshua S. Goldstein, International Relations, Longman, New York
2005.
14. Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse & Beth A. Simmons, Handbook of
International Relations, Sage Publications, London 2005.
15. Michael G. Roskin & Nicholas O. Berry. IR: The New World of
International Relations (sixth edition). Pearson, 2005.
16. Jill Steans & Lloyd Pettiford, Introduction to International Relations:
Perspectives and Themes, Pearson 2005.
17. Michael C. Williams, The Realist Tradition and the Limits of
International Relations, Cambridge University Press 2005.
18. David A. Baldwin (editor), Neorealism and Neoliberalism: the
contemporary debate, Columbia University Press, New York 1993.
19. Scott Burchill & Andrew Linklater & Richard Devetak & Jack Donnelly
& Matthew Paterson & Christian Reus-Smit & Jacqui True, Theories of
International Relations, Palgrave Macmillan 2005.
20. Joseph S. Nye, Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction
to Theory and History (fifth edition), Pearson Education, Inc. 2005