Undergraduate Course Descriptions

Fall 2025

IAFF 1001: First-Year Experience

First-Year Experience is designed to assist Elliott School students in their transition to college, exploration of academic interests and professional development, and building community. Course content will be delivered through a variety of mediums including readings, interactive learning experiences, self-reflection, and academic planning. Restricted to students in the Elliott School.

IAFF 1005: Introduction to International Affairs

What is the global order that is being made and remade before our very eyes? This course provides the concepts, tools, and historical context for understanding the causes and consequences of different kinds of global orders. Section I opens by asking a set of questions regarding global order. What, exactly, is global order? How do global orders come into existence and fade away? Who is order for? What are the forms of inequality, and relations of superiority and inferiority, that define global order? Section II uses these questions (and our answers) to take an extended, historical, look at the evolution of today’s global order: starting with imperialism, colonialism, and slavery; moving to the rise of nationalism, world war, and the development of global institutions; exploring the connections between World War Two and global institution-building, re-globalization of the world, the Cold War, and decolonization; examining the end of the Cold War and rise of the post-Cold War order; and contemplating the current moment. We conclude by dipping our toe into the global order that you are about to inherit.

IAFF 2094: Europe in Transition

Attributes: Europe & Eurasia, Group A (EEEA) Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Europe & Eurasia: Regional Foundation (ERFD)

This course provides students with an understanding of European domestic and foreign affairs in the current context of strategic power competition. The course offers analysis of key European actors and issues: France and Germany as European powers, the UK and Brexit, European Union institutions and integration, threats to European democracy, the rise of national populism, issues of migration and identity, NATO and the U.S.'s role in Europe, Russian warfare and influence in Europe, Chinese influence in Europe, energy and climate policies. What is the European Union’s and NATO’s role in an increasingly competitive and globalized environment? How does the Trump Administration impact Transatlantic relations? In Europe today, what are the major issues of conflict and contention? Within the European Union, what are the competing visions? Students will leave the course possessing a broad comprehension of Europe’s most important domestic policies, foreign affairs and security policies and will be able to follow, understand and analyze European affairs.

IAFF 2101: Qualitative Methods in IA

Attributes: Research Methods (ESRM)

This course is an introduction to qualitative research methods—conceptualization, design and data collection procedures. The course will discuss the objectives of research, kinds of philosophical assumptions and the importance of social inquiry. We will cover some of the key themes including framing and conceptualizing a research project, developing a research question, designing a strategy for answering a research question, distinguishing among various qualitative methodologies, and challenges of conducting research. The course will cover the broader issues and principles– such as the definition and formation of concepts after data analysis, and the selection of cases, and ethical considerations in research. Students will undertake a pilot research study as part of the course.

IAFF 2102: Quantitative Methods in International Affairs

Attributes: Research Methods (ESRM)

Quantitative research skills are highly valued in the workplace. This course will teach you the basics of research, including how to formulate a research question and determine the appropriate methodologies to use to answer that question, along with how to use quantitative research methods to explore topics in international affairs. As a result of taking this course, you will be able to make informed assessments of data you find in the news and other publications. You will also be able to carry out basic quantitative research yourself. These skills will enable you to conduct independent research while at GW and make you more competitive in your job search and future work. There are no prerequisites for this course.

IAFF 2190W: Global Organizations

Attributes: Int’l Development (EFCE), Int’l Politics (EFCH)

Economic development is concerned with public and private policies related to issues that promote human well-being (e.g. education, human rights, women’s rights, jobs, health). This course is premised on the idea that organizations are the primary vehicles through which such policies are formulated and implemented. Operating in the global public, private, and civil society sectors global organizations conduct their work across multiple national boundaries. While some have a home base in a particular nation state, their distinguishing characteristic is having a “meta-national” orientation in their purpose and activities. The course will focus on the role of three types of global organizations: international governmental organizations (IGO), international non-governmental organizations (INGO), and multinational corporations (MNC) in global governance. We will utilize the notion of “basic goods” to frame the concerns which animate the interdependence among them. The basic goods approach captures the substantive arenas of the global governance work carried out by global organizations to achieve their common goal of promoting peace and creating conditions for human flourishing.

IAFF 2190W: Politics & Culture in the Middle East

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Middle East, Group A (EMEA) Middle East: Regional Foundation (ERFE)

Politics and Cultures of the Middle East is a multi-disciplinary WID course that introduces students to major political and cultural events and trends in this diverse and complex region. Thematic readings and case studies of regional states will focus on historical developments of the recent past to contextualize many present realities; examine sociological trends, with emphasis on identity, kinship, faith, and communal development; and explore colonial legacies, nationalism, modernization, and political change. This class operates as a seminar and places considerable attention on the careful reading and creative interpretation of texts. Attendance is mandatory, and active participation in discussions means critical thinking and not simply textual summaries. This is an intense course with a heavy reading load, but for students truly interested in the region, the topics will be more than stimulating – and the outcome of the course rewarding.

IAFF 3172: Conflict & Conflict Resolution

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Int’l & Comp. Politics: Advanced Fundamental (ESIP)

Fragility, conflict, and violence affect dozens of countries – leaving over 1 billion of the world’s population at particular risk of further socio-economic and political upheaval. This course is designed to provide students with a timely understanding of the drivers of conflict, and the intricacies of conflict resolution – combining theory and practice from an international development practitioner’s lens. This course explores different modalities of conflict analysis and approaches to conflict resolution. Our class will examine leading practical approaches for conflict resolution interventions at varying conflict stages and explore barriers to and mechanisms for resolving conflict. Students will explore these dynamics and theories using real world conflicts and industry- leading tools for practical assignments. The final class will allow students and opportunity present policy briefs that outline recommendations for policymakers and practitioners in the field. A final paper will also allow students a unique opportunity to examine a conflict of their selection, and to examine opportunities and barriers for peace.

IAFF 3180: Air Power & International Politics

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course is an introduction to the use of airpower as an element of national power. Starting with the original air power theorists, the course walks through significant milestones in the evolution in airpower theory, the use of airpower both for war and events short of war, air power's contribution to deterrence, airpower as a diplomatic and humanitarian tool, the ethics of airpower employment, and finishes with a review of the airpower debates occurring today. Students will complete the course with an understanding of the implications of airpower for a nation's ability to deter, coerce, or compel.

IAFF 3182: Contemporary Uses of Military Power

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

The course will examine how military power has been used successfully and unsuccessfully in the recent past, currently, and how it might be used in the future. The course’s case studies will include U.S. policy during the first and second Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, and the special operations attack on Osama Bin Laden. The course will also examine the current Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars. Future possible future military contingencies to be studied will involve the Iranian nuclear program and a Chinese military attack on Taiwan. The course would be useful for those interested in government service and in private sector work and non-governmental organizations that relate to the use of military force.

IAFF 3183: Globalization & Sustainable Development

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG) Int’l Politics (EFCH)

Some questions addressed in this course include: What is globalization? What is sustainable development? What does the history of humankind teach us about our use or misuse of natural resources, including water resources? What is the nexus between globalization and sound natural resource management? How is climate change affecting sustainable development and what are we doing about it? What drives the relentless process of globalization and how does this process in turn affect economic development, poverty and sustainability? The overall goal is to understand key concepts (e.g. carrying capacity and others) related to natural resource management as well as the linkages between globalization and sustainable development.

IAFF 3185: Russian Politics & Society War

Attributes: Europe & Eurasia, Group A (EEEA), Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI), Europe & Eurasia Regional Foundation (ERFD)

This class explores in real time how Russia is being transformed by its own full-scale war against Ukraine. The Russian regime has proven more resilient than was expected by Western pundits in terms of its stability, support from the population, ability to withstand the effects of sanctions, and attempts at bypassing international isolation. This class will explore what social sciences and IR tell us about Russia’s transformations both domestically and on the international scene. We will also look at the consequences of the war in Europe, the shifting US foreign policy toward Russia, and the attitudes of the Global South, and discuss how new digital tools such as open-source intelligence (OSINT) help us in breaking through the new Iron Curtain. We will adjust the class depending on the evolution of the conflict and the potentiality of a cease-fire.

IAFF 3186: Comparative Politics Southeast Asia

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Asia, Group A (EASA) Asia Regional Foundation (ERFC) Asian Studies-Psc/Geog (EAPG)

Southeast Asia is perhaps the world’s most diverse region politically, including single-party dominant regimes (Singapore, Vietnam), military dictatorships (Myanmar), communist (Vietnam, Laos) and non-communist governments, multi-party democracies (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines) and constitutional monarchies (Thailand). Most of the world’s great religious traditions (Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism and Islam) play important roles in shaping politics in these countries. This course analyzes the contemporary politics of the major countries of the region, against the backdrop of: pre-European systems of rule; European colonial subjugation; nationalism and anti-colonial resistance; and the processes by which formerly colonized territories achieved independence. Topics include: Islam and nationalism; the military in politics; monarchies and militaries; and women leading and influencing. Each student chooses one of the topics from the second half of the course for more in-depth study.

IAFF 3186: Women in Asia

Attributes: Asia, Group A (EASA) Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Gender in IA (EFCJ) Asia: Regional Foundation (ERFC)

This course examines the social, cultural, political, and economic roles of women in Asia in a comparative context, both in terms of historical development (from the mid-19th century to the present) and within different Asian societies. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the class will investigate the place of women in the family and in society, their relationships with one another and with men, and their relationship to politics and the state. By doing so, it will seek to identify major social and institutional constraints on Asian women for expanding their role in their respective societies and to explore both ideas and specific measures to narrow the existing gender gaps in these societies. Emphasis will be placed on China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, but other countries in Southeast and South Asia will also be examined.

IAFF 3187: Democracy Under Siege in Latin America

Attributes: Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Latin America, Group B (ELAB) Latin America: Regional Foundation (ERFB)

Over the past decade, democracies across Latin America have faced mounting challenges—from entrenched authoritarianism in Venezuela and Nicaragua to acute constitutional crises in Peru and Ecuador and accelerating erosion in El Salvador and beyond. These developments have led many scholars and observers to warn of a possible third, enduring "counter-wave" of autocratization in the region. Public attitudes reflect the turbulence. Support for democracy dropped from 63% in 2010 to 48% in 2022, before modestly rebounding to 52% in 2024. Meanwhile, indifference to regime type rose from 16% to 28% over the same period, then declined slightly to 25% by 2024. In 2018, a striking 72% of Latin Americans expressed dissatisfaction with the way democracy was functioning—a figure that, while still high, fell to 65% by 2024. These numbers suggest glimmers of hope amidst deep concern. This course explores the root causes and consequences of democratic backsliding in Latin America. Why have certain democracies proven more vulnerable than others? How do economic shocks, institutional fragility, and social polarization contribute to democratic erosion? What are the broader implications for the region—and for global democracy? This course offers students a rigorous, conceptually grounded understanding of the region’s political trajectory. The first half of the semester introduces key theoretical frameworks to analyze democratic decline and resilience. The second half applies these frameworks to in-depth case studies across Latin America, allowing students to critically engage with contemporary events and anticipate future trends.

IAFF 3187: Political Economy of Latin America

Attributes: Comp Pol, Econ, Soc Syc (EFCA), Intl Development (EFCE), Intl Economics (EFCF), Latin America Group A (ELAA), RegFound LatAm (ERFB), Intl&Comp Politics (ESIP)

This advanced upper-level seminar will focus on the politics of economic policymaking in Latin America, raising the following questions. We will begin with a comprehensive review of Latin America’s successes and failures with “big policymaking ideas” from import-substitution industrialization and the Washington Consensus, to a post-neoliberal emphasis on ‘growth with equity.’ What were the political reasons for adopting each new development model? What were the political and economic obstacles to prosperity? In order to shed light on these issues, students will also compare and contrast country cases of development throughout the region over time, from heterodox experiments in Argentina and Brazil and market-oriented strategies in Chile and Mexico in the 20th century to commodity boom models of economic growth and the re-emergence of state capitalism in the early 21st century. We will also turn outside the region to East Asia to examine the strengths and weaknesses of cross-national comparative development strategies.

IAFF 3187: Security in the Americas

Attributes: Latin America: Regional Foundation (ERFB) , Conflict Resolution (EFCB) , Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI), Latin America, Group A (ELAA)

Traditional international relations theories on security tend to focus on external threats and conflicts. Since the 20th century, wars between Latin American states and with states in other regions of the world have become quite rare and those that have occurred were relatively short and bloodless. And yet, 20th century Latin America was rife with internal conflicts and civils wars, and today, the region is ignominiously known as the murder capital of the world due to its remarkably high homicide rates. This course will analyze the concept of security in relation to contemporary Latin America and investigate how security and insecurity is framed and experienced by different actors. We will explore the origins of the current insecurity crisis in Latin America and investigate the various security threats in the region, including criminal, state, corporate, and environmental, as well as focus on specific groups who are predominantly under threat. We will also analyze state responses to high levels of crime and violence with an emphasis on the important role played by the police and the military. Finally, we will examine how non-state actors, such as citizen groups and businesses, have responded to this crisis. The role of the United States will lurk throughout the background of all these units.

IAFF 3188: Political Economy of the Middle East

Attributes: CPESS Conc (EFCA), Intl Dev Conc (EFCE), Intl Pol Conc (EFCH), Middle East Conc Grp A (EMEA), RegFound MdEast (ERFE), International Politics (ESIP)

This course will introduce students to the political foundations of the regional economy of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA). Our approach is first to understand the global economy as a tightly integrated system in which transnational forces impose significant constraints on regions and states. There can be no such thing as an ‘Egyptian economy’ or a ‘Lebanese economy’ that exists independently of global forces like credit rating agencies, transnational agribusiness firms, commodities traders, etc. Once we comprehend that these forces permeate and shape states’ political economies we can then investigate this system in detail from two different angles: 1) how the economy of the MENA region is shaped by encounters with these external actors - colonizing governments, transnational firms, international financial institutions, development agencies, etc. and 2) how the MENA region has in turn impacted the global economy, for example how the region’s agricultural exports subsidize European consumption; how its oil exports influence the US economy; the role of Gulf petrodollars in shaping the world’s financial markets and patterns of Global South indebtedness, etc. We will examine the legacy and ongoing impact on the MENA of Western development and reconstruction agencies and their discourses, with special attention to the MENA’s ecology, its agrarian/rural zones, and how war has shaped patterns of economic and political development. Other important regional actors that will receive attention include MENA militaries, national oil companies, sovereign wealth funds and labor movements. This course will focus on critical (or heterodox) political economy approaches but include overviews of mainstream/orthodox approaches in order to provide an understanding of the evolution of theories and practices of economic development as applied to the MENA.

IAFF 3189: Women & Leadership in Africa

Attributes: Africa, Group A (EAFA), Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Gender in IA (EFCJ), Africa: Regional Foundation (ERFA)

This course will endeavor to provide a general understanding of leadership in an African context, through the lens of women. The course will begin with an overview of leadership and gender roles within traditional African cultures and move forward to examine modern social perceptions of women’s leadership. It will examine various paths and pitfalls of leadership in multiple contexts. The course will highlight the lived experiences of select women leaders on and of the African continent at the local, national and global levels. We will utilize a combination of scholarly sources, contemporary media sources, as well as international legal frameworks and declarations on women and gender equality. This course is an introduction to various issues affecting women leaders on and of the African continent. This course is not a comprehensive overview of all issues facing women leaders on or of the African continent. The African continent is quite vast, with many cultures, ethnic groups, and a deep history. It is not possible to cover all contemporary issues facing women leaders on or of the African continent.

IAFF 3190: Climate Change & Social Change

Attributes: Comp Pol, Econ, Soc Syc (EFCA), Intl Development (EFCE), Intl Environmntl Studies (EFCG)

While the earth's natural systems are being transformed by climate change, political movements for and against social change in the areas of equity, justice, and environmental relations are expanding across the globe. This course will prepare you to understand and engage with crucial issues at the intersection of these two trends through analysis of current events and literature from both the natural and social sciences. You will apply what you learn in class to carry out a research project on a social issue related to climate change of your choice.

IAFF 3190/4191W: International Conflict & Politics Research Seminar

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA); Conflict Resolution (EFCB); Int’l Politics (EFCH); Security Policy (EFCI); Research Methods (ESRM)

This course provides a structured forum for students to explore and research issues related to international affairs and conflicts, domestic or international. Students will be guided through conducting an in-depth study of a research topic of their choice, collecting and analyzing reporting data, and working in small groups, with the goal of participating at the GW Research Showcase. In this research seminar, students will be given an opportunity to integrate their knowledge, skills, and practical experience gained at the Elliott School. Note: This course will satisfy a WID requirement. Registration is restricted to juniors and seniors. GPA must be a minimum of 3.4 at the time of registration.

IAFF 3190: Intro to Intelligence

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course examines the conceptual, historical, legal, and ethical foundations of national intelligence and the organizational structures and functions of the US Intelligence Community (IC). Executive Branch management of intelligence, congressional oversight, intelligence collection and analysis, counterintelligence, and covert action are addressed. Students will explore current issues in intelligence and national security, including intelligence failures and reform, through the readings, class discussion, and guest lecturers. This course is suitable for students with a general background in international affairs and some familiarity with international security and US national security. The focus will be on the US IC, given the availability of scholarly literature and practitioners, but whenever possible we will consider the experiences and perspectives of other national services. The course should be of interest to students seeking to improve their understanding of intelligence and its role in national and international security and to those considering careers in these fields.

IAFF 3190: Climate Change, AI, Energy

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB), Int’l Development (EFCE), Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG), Int’l Politics (EFCH)

This course will examine international negotiations hosted by the UNFCCC to address climate change, with a focus on COP30, which will take place in Brazil at the end of 2025. Since President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and international efforts to address climate change, the course will examine how we can overcome the key obstacles to mitigating climate change. Drawing on research from GW experts, we will pay special attention to how the planet can transition away from the current reliance on fossil fuels. One of the key drivers for increasing energy demand will come from the explosive growth in using Artificial Intelligence. The course will take a holistic approach to linking all these threats and opportunities.

IAFF 3190: Climate Change & Developing Countries

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG)

There is now incontrovertible evidence that developing economies, and especially their poorest citizens, are already suffering significant adverse impacts from climate change. These countries, however, differ in their shares of global emissions of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change with some, such as China and India, among the largest emitters while others, such as small island states, contribute little. Given this context, this course will examine how developing economies can best adapt to the effects of climate change and mitigate their emissions of greenhouse gases while sustaining long-term development. The focus of this course will be on two broad questions. First, what strategies should different groups of developing economies adopt in balancing adaptation and mitigation policies and what role should advanced economies play in this regard? Second, how should policies to address climate change fit within the overall development strategies of developing economies? A mix of country cases, and analytical and empirical studies will be used in addressing these questions.

IAFF 3190: Cybersecurity Policy

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

This course examines the origins, evolution, and current dynamics of U.S. cybersecurity policies and programs, with an eye toward future directions. Students will delve into how civilian, military, intelligence, and private sector actors shape the national cybersecurity landscape. Drawing from law, political science, computer science, and ethics, the course analyzes the interactions among these sectors in crafting strategies for cyber defense, cyber resilience, and strategic deterrence. The course also situates U.S. cybersecurity policy within a global context—examining international cyber threats, geopolitical impact, cooperation and conflict in cyberspace, and the growing influence of non-state actors. Through case studies and key policy debates, students will learn to critically assess cyber policy proposals, the emergence of AI and quantum technologies, legal and ethical frameworks, and national security implications. No prior technical background is required.

IAFF 3190: Arctic Affairs

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA); Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC); Int’l Politics (EFCH)

In recent years, accelerating climate change and renewed strategic interests have positioned the Arctic region at the forefront of many countries’ foreign policy agendas. This comprehensive course examines a wide array of political, socio-economic, and environmental challenges shaping the Arctic and its global significance. The course is structured into two main sections. The first explores circumpolar issues, actors, and institutions, providing a broad understanding of governance frameworks and regional dynamics. The second provides a comprehensive overview of the national policies of Arctic Council member states—Canada, Finland, Greenland (Kingdom of Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States—as well as the Arctic strategies of non-Arctic states and entities, including China and the European Union. The course will feature guest lectures by U.S. government officials, diplomats, Indigenous scholars, and Arctic policy experts, giving you a unique opportunity to discuss contemporary public policy and governance problems and position the changing Arctic on the chessboard of international affairs.

IAFF 3190: Populist Authoritarianism

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Int’l & Comp. Politics: Advanced Fundamental (ESIP)

This course is designed for students interested in Government, International Studies, and other fields who want to learn about the dual, and sometimes overlapping, phenomena of populism and authoritarianism. Populist political leaders seek or exercise power based on broad mass support from followers whom they promise to rescue from enemies who oppress or exploit them. Populist authoritarians draw on claims of broad mass support to legitimize actions that undermine the rule of law, threaten the independence of state institutions, and consolidate their power. This course will discuss various forms of populism from a world-historical perspective. We seek to understand what explains the rise of these forces, the consequences for civic culture and democracy, and alternative strategic policy responses to mitigate the risks of populist authoritarian politicians and parties. The course is divided into six sections: Part 1: What is Populism? Part 2: Regime Types; Part 3: Case Studies: Turkey, Tunisia, Israel; Part 4: Demand-Side Explanations; Part 5: Supply-Side Explanations; Part 6: Consequences and Policy Reform

IAFF 3190: Refugee & Migrant Crisis

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

An unprecedented number of people -- 65 million -- are displaced in the world today. How did this happen and what can be done about it? The course will first examine the refugee regime in historical perspective. Where exactly do most migrants and refugees come from? Who bears the burden of protecting them? When have levels of displacement spiked in the past? And how have states and international organizations responded to past crises? After situating today's refugee and migrant crisis in historical context, the course will focus on the response to refugees and migrants from key actors like the UN, NGOs, and state governments. What are their mandates and how do they assist people on the move? Are their tools and approaches fit to purpose for the displacement crises today? Under what conditions do these institutions succeed, and what challenges do they face along the way? What are their greatest unintended effects? This section of the class will focus on organizational theory and the role of institutions in the refugee and migrant crisis.

IAFF 3190: Issues Contemporary Diplomacy & National Security

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course is a historically oriented class which evaluates the current administration's national security grand strategy, primarily as expressed in official documents, speeches, and Congressional testimony. It broadly compares and contrasts the contemporary U.S. approach with the perspective of other recent administrations, and with competing scholarly observations about the U.S. role in the world over the last 70 years. The course is structured such that the readings, lectures, and assignments prepare students to hold professional positions requiring the ability to concisely and clearly assess U.S. defense and foreign policies, and to situate these policies within broader historical trends. Some consideration is also given to how the U.S. government organizes and staffs senior national security roles.

IAFF 3190W: Masculinities in International Affairs

Attributes: Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI), Gender in IA (EFCJ)

Students will examine key thematic issues related to international diplomacy, development, and security from a gender and masculinities perspective. We will critically examine the diverse experiences, roles, relationships and responsibilities of men and boys in international affairs and development sectors. These contexts will include pre-conflict normative discourses on gender and masculinities as well as masculinities in war and conflict, violent masculinities, militarized masculinities, diplomatic masculinities, and peaceful masculinities. The major thrust of the course is to examine how the gendered social order influences men’s actions and behaviours and how men perceive themselves, other men, women, diverse gender identities, and socio-political contexts. The course will use an intersectionality lens to explore relationships between multiple dimensions of social relations and gender inequalities, including race, ethnicity, class, geographic location, nationality, and sexual orientation. Students will be equipped with both theoretical and practical understandings of masculinities and their relevance to international affairs, development, and security sectors.

IAFF 3193W: Dean's Scholars Seminar.

For Elliott School students who have applied and been accepted to the ESIA Dean's Scholars Program. This 3-credit course counts as a Writing in the Disciplines (WID) course because of the extensive research and writing students will do throughout the semester. Consequently, the class reinforces students' data analysis and writing skills as they complete their final research paper. Students will each also present their final research product at the Dean's Scholars Annual Symposium. Additionally, students in the program will be supported in revising and submitting their applications for conferences and fellowships identified throughout the previous year. The Dean's Scholars faculty and students' faculty mentors will guide them through the different activities undertaken throughout the semester.

IAFF 3196: Internship Professional Development Seminar

This course is designed to help you get the most out of your internship experience, both professionally and personally, while preparing you for future career opportunities. We will focus equally on maximizing your present role and developing your longer term career aspirations. A key part of this course is the idea that in order to be effective in international affairs, you need to understand yourself—your motivations, strengths, and career goals. This self-awareness will make you more impactful in your work and help you create positive change in the world. We'll also focus on refining essential skills like collaboration, communication, and teamwork, all of which are crucial to succeeding in professional environments. Throughout the course, we’ll leverage your internship as a way to explore these ideas and skills in action. By the end of the semester, you'll have a better sense of how to develop your career and what steps to take next, with a clearer plan for future job applications and long-term growth in the international affairs field. We will also talk through tactical tips, tricks and tools to help with applications, networking, interviews, salary negotiations and more! NOTE: To be eligible for this course, your internship must 1) be directly related to international affairs and 2) involve a minimum of 15 hours per week, for a total of at least 180 hours during the semester.

IAFF 3202: Space Policy

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course is an examination of the origins, evolution, current status, and future prospects of U.S. space policies and programs. It will cover the U.S. government’s civilian, military, and national security space programs and the space activities of the U.S. private sector, and the interactions among these four sectors of U.S. space activity. This examination will be cast in the context of the space activities of other countries, and of international cooperation and competition in space. The goal of the course is to give the student an exposure to the policy debates and decisions that have shaped U.S. efforts in space to date, and to the policy issues that must be addressed in order to determine the future goals, content, pace, and organization of U.S. space activities, both public and private.

IAFF 3205: Holocaust Memory

Attributes:Europe & Eurasia, Group B (EEEB) Comp. Political, Economic, & Social Systems (EFCA) Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Int'l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Middle East, Group B (EMEB)

This course will cover the sources, construction, development, nature, uses and misuses of the memory, or public consciousness, of the Holocaust. The impact of Holocaust memory on contemporary responses to other genocides and to crimes against humanity. The increasing efforts to use, misuse, abuse, minimize, deny or attack the Holocaust for political, diplomatic, strategic, ideological, antisemitic or other purposes. The effectiveness—or lack of effectiveness--of Holocaust memory in teaching the Holocaust’s contemporary “lessons,” especially the vow of “Never again!” The roles of Holocaust memory, and of Holocaust denial or minimization, in international affairs. The psychological, national and diplomatic role of Holocaust memory in Israeli consciousness and behavior. The effects on Holocaust memory of factors that affect public memory of the event, such as the passage of time, political and ideological attitudes, and the global resurgence of antisemitism. This course uses a cross-disciplinary approach, drawing on the fields of politics, society, ethics, literature, history, film, individual testimony, group psychology, social psychology, individual psychology and international affairs.

IAFF 3210W: Migration, Gender, Development

Attributes: Attributes: Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Gender in IA (EFCJ)

Migration occurs in response to opportunity as well as to hardship, crisis, or need. However, debates continue regarding whether, and if so, which migrants might benefit from a move from one location to another. Research has found that different forms of migration can be both positive and negative for those involved. Well-established studies have long explored how migrant workforces affect household, community, national, and international socioeconomic systems. Particularly since the 1990s, the literature also has shown how gender and related aspects of inequality are components of migration and development. Scholarship has explored how aspects of identity and inequality can affect decisions of whether to migrate; which household members might do so; where to migrate; and how to navigate receiving and sending nations’ policies and experiences. Students in this course will learn to effectively synthesize and discuss questions about research on migration, development, and gender. Students will examine and communicate on these topics and on the policies and programs that operate in response.

IAFF 3305: Global Energy Security

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course will give students an understanding of significant factors and policies in achieving energy security at the country and regional levels. The course uses energy security conceptual models such as the Intl Energy Agency’s Model of Short-term Security and Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre’s 4s to examine security frameworks of energy importing and exporting countries. Students will learn about the supply chains of crude oil, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, electric power, energy markets, and physical/cyber threats that can affect a country’s energy security. The impacts of the U.S. Shale Oil and Gas Revolution, the COVID-19 pandemic, OPEC+, the Russian-Ukrainian War, and the Hamas-Israel War on energy security will be discussed throughout the semester. Students can explore security topics in group debates and their country or regional interests through a course paper or security report

IAFF 3352: Israel & Palestine Peacebuilding

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Middle East, Group A (EMEA) Middle East: Regional Foundation (ERFE)

Why does the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persist, after peace efforts by heads of state, civil society organizations and ordinary citizens? What strategies can be effective in future attempts at resolution? This course provides detailed analysis of the historical origins of the conflict and of Palestinian/Israeli peace and conflict resolution efforts at all levels - state, civil society, and grassroots. Drawing on conceptual frameworks from Conflict Resolution theory and practice, the course employs a dual-narrative approach in examining a range of cross-conflict peace initiatives, including official and unofficial negotiations, political campaigns, social movements, interfaith and intergroup dialogue, peace education, media, human rights advocacy and nonviolent direct action. Students will be challenged to conduct research on the core issues at the heart of the impasse, and to assess the contributions of peace and conflict resolution initiatives to any potential future resolution. Course materials will include film, literature, media, and online resources as well as conversations with practitioners and scholars of the field.

IAFF 3356: Global Energy Trade Price & Risk Management

Attributes: Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course entails a deep dive into the physical and financial energy markets associated with pricing, trading, and hedging crude oil, refined petroleum projects, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, NGLs, energy transition minerals, and electricity. The course is open to students pursuing degrees in international affairs, business and public policy. Students will learn how to buy and sell energy commodities in the physical markets and how energy derivatives (futures, options, and swaps) influence global energy prices, flows, and risk management. Students will learn about energy supply chains, supply and demand, the terminology used to buy/sell physical energy commodities, and how to use energy derivatives to hedge and speculate on price movement. The instructor will also cover how the Russia-Ukraine War, Hamas-Israel War, and energy policies and actions by the US, EU, UK, and OPEC+ BRIC countries influence global energy markets energy investments. Students will explore their country or regional interests through a Group presentation and separate paper or market report.

IAFF 3752W: Equitable Development in Southeast Asia

Attributes: Asia, Group A (EASA) Comp. Political Economic Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Regional Foundations: Asia (ERFC)

In recent decades, many Southeast Asians have experienced improved health, expanded opportunities for education, a wider range of job opportunities, and a rising standard of living. However, as in other parts of the world, these benefits have not been evenly realized across or within countries. In this multidisciplinary course, we will begin with an overview of Southeast Asia and a consideration of what equitable development means. We will then examine various global and domestic factors (political, economic, and social) that have exacerbated or reduced inequities. We will also look at the specific roles of foreign and domestic governments, international development organizations, and citizen organizations in shaping development policies and outcomes. While we will talk about all countries in Southeast Asia, the course will be organized around case studies of key development concerns in certain countries. Students will produce an equitable development analysis of a particular country in Southeast Asia, and class sessions will include debates, panel presentations, and group work.

IAFF 3753: International Relations of South Asia

Attributes: Asia, Group A (EASA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Asia: Regional Foundation (ERFC) Int’l & Comp. Politics: Advanced Fundamental (ESIP)

Have you ever wondered why India is simultaneously a rising global power and a struggling developing country? How India supports Russia in the Ukraine conflict and still be close to the United States? How Pakistan can successfully be partners with China and the US at the same time? This course will introduce you to South Asia as a dynamic, yet deeply divided and contradictory region. It contains the world’s largest democracy and major power with a new religious-cultural nationalism (India), two of the world’s nuclear states (India and Pakistan), two epicenters of violent extremism (Afghanistan and Pakistan), one post-conflict society recovering from a meltdown (Sri Lanka), and one growing economy with a collapsing democracy in crisis (Bangladesh). Focusing on these five countries, we will consider the unique mix of hyper-nationalism, new geo-economics, nuclear politics, challenges of India-China rivalry in the Indian Ocean, and the impact of these factors regionally and beyond.

IAFF 4192: Applied Research on Africa

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA), Int’l Development (EFCE), Int’l Economics (EFCF), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI), Africa, Group A (EAFA), Research Methods (ESRM)

Examine how public opinion data can be used to study key policy issues in Africa. Conduct original research with Afrobarometer data that develops data analysis skills, writing and teamwork. Students will experience an introduction to survey research by reviewing research methods that compare quantitative and qualitative research. They will also learn questionnaire design and development and sampling designs. Students will review policy briefs and academic articles that use public opinion data which will in turn shape their own approach to analysis and writing. As part of the final project, students will work in teams to conduct data analysis and craft compelling narratives in the form of a policy brief.

IAFF 4192: Conflict & Stabilization Applied Research

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA); Conflict Resolution (EFCB); Int’l Development (EFCE); Int’l Politics (EFCH); Security Policy (EFCI)

Do you want to jump start your career by carrying out research that is targeted for the U.S. State Department? This special seminar course involves conducting applied research in teams that is focused on the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict & Stabilization Operations. Each team will be assigned to address a topic that members of this bureau have previously identified as important for their work. Teams will locate and analyze data from various sources in order to compile the findings and recommendations. The course will be taught by the bureau's former Chief Data Officer and Director of the Office of Advanced Analytics.

Summer 2025

IAFF 3172: Conflict & Conflict Resolution

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Int’l/Comparative Politics Adv. Fund. (ESIP)

This course is designed to familiarize students with the interdisciplinary field of conflict analysis and resolution, providing an overview of core concepts of contemporary theory and practice. The course will examine frameworks for analyzing the origins and processes of social conflict, and leading practical approaches to the conduct and evaluation of conflict resolution interventions. Our study will focus on intergroup and international levels of analysis, highlighting collective struggles over ideology and power, sovereignty and self-determination, while highlighting the roles of culture, identity, power, relational dynamics and social structure. The first half of the course emphasizes conflict analysis; the second half emphasizes approaches to conflict resolution.

IAFF 3183: Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption

Attributes: EFCA (CPESS) EFCE (Intl Dev) EFCI (Sec Pol)

This course explores the pivotal intersection of legal frameworks and anti-corruption strategies in shaping sustainable international development. Students will examine how weak legal institutions and pervasive corruption undermine national security, hinder market growth, and stall democratic progress. Drawing on insights from foreign policy, national security, and development assistance experts, the course unpacks the multifaceted impacts of corruption while investigating innovative strategies that embed anti-corruption measures within robust development frameworks. Through real-world case studies, students will analyze scenarios where corruption both obstructs progress and destabilizes fragile societies. The curriculum emphasizes the critical role of a strong rule of law in fortifying democratic institutions and enabling successful democratic transitions in developing nations. Participants will gain practical skills and tools for designing effective foreign assistance programs tailored to diverse geopolitical contexts. The course culminates in a research project, allowing students to critically assess the interplay between legal systems, governance, and anti-corruption efforts in a country of their choice.

IAFF 3185: Perspectives from Geneva

Attributes: ESRM (Research Methods), EFCH (Intl Politics), EFCE (Intl Dev)

This program will involve five intensive pre-departure discussion sessions dedicated to key themes that inform the study of international organizations. Additionally, during these sessions, students will workshop their respective research agendas and be coached in the research method of semi-structured interviews. As part of the program preparation and practice, students will conduct semi-structured interviews with senior officials at the IMF and World Bank here in DC. Before arrival in Geneva, and in collaboration with the program professor, students will be expected to have secured interviews with the best-candidate individuals serving various international organizations, and corresponding areas of global governance, located in Geneva.

IAFF 3187: Government & Politics-Latin America

Attributes: ESIP (Intl and Comp Pol), EFCA (CPESS), ERFB (Reg Fdn Lat Am), ELAA (Lat Am Group A)

In this class, we will explore the factors that support and challenge the quality of democracy in Latin America. We will focus specifically on the similarities and differences in political/ economic/ and social development, immigration trends, drug trafficking, Indigenous protest, corruption, and environmental degradation between Latin American countries.

IAFF 3188: State & Society in Egypt

Attributes: EFCA (CPESS), EFCC (Contemp CS), EMEA (Middle East Grp A)

This course will focus on state institutions in Egypt and their engagement with Egyptian society. There will be a special focus on religious and legal institutions since those are fairly accessible but often less understood; they also fall within the expertise of the instructors. In looking at Egyptian legal institutions, the course will examine the role played by those institutions in shaping and being shaped by existing social structures. The course's examination of religious institutions in Egypt will offer insight into their role in Egyptian society and the relationship among legal, religious, and political structures in Egypt. This understanding will be bolstered by a general overview of the development of Islamic law from its classical formulations to the present day.

IAFF 3189: Comparative Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa

Attributes: Africa Group A (EAFA), Comp Pol, Econ, Soc Syc (EFCA), Intl Development (EFCE), RegFound Africa (ERFA), Intl&Comp Politics (ESIP)

This course examines the comparative politics of Sub-Saharan Africa. The primary questions that will motivate the class are: Why are some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa more stable than others? Why are some more democratic than others? Why is the average citizen more prosperous in some African countries than others? How do these outcomes in African states compare to those on other continents, and why?

IAFF 3190W: Political Violence

Attributes: Security Policy (EFCI), Comp Pol, Econ, Soc Syc (EFCA)

Why do people inflict violence against one another in the name of politics? Political violence – such as election-related violence, insurgency, civil war, terrorism, and genocide – varies in frequency, form, and severity across different contexts and time. Our central goal will be to try to understand why political violence occurs in the first place, and why it varies in these ways. To do so, we will read, discuss, and write about the causes of political violence, and ask what that has to do with “the other side of the coin”: the political order that we more commonly find ourselves in. We will read both classic and cutting-edge works on these topics, with the aim of training students to produce their own original research on political violence.

IAFF 3190: Fundamentals of Intelligence

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

Spring 2025

IAFF 1001: First-Year Experience

IAFF 1005: Introduction to International Affairs

International Affairs refers to the study of (violent and non-violent) interactions among governments, international governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as multinational corporations. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the field, exploring key actors, institutions, and the pivotal issues that shape global politics today. The course is divided into three key sections. It begins with an introduction to the major theories and concepts that help us understand the origins, form, and consequences of conflict and cooperation among states in both security and economic affairs. The second section delves into the international economy, trade policies, globalization, and the challenges and benefits of economic interdependence. Finally, the course surveys pressing global issues, including climate change, pandemic diseases, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and cybersecurity. Through lectures, case studies, and guest speakers, students will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges of promoting cooperation in a world where competition, conflict, and disorder often prevail. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the foundational knowledge to understand the dynamics of global affairs and the tools necessary to analyze contemporary international issues including current inter-state flashpoints.

IAFF 2091: East Asia-Past and Present

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Asia, Group A (EASA) Asia Regional Foundation (ERFC)

The Course provides a broad survey of East Asia, focusing on China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. There is emphasis on modern history and salient contemporary political, economic, security and cultural-intellectual issues and developments

IAFF 2092: Russia & Eastern Europe:Intro

Attributes: Europe & Eurasia Regional Foundation (ERFD), Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Europe & Eurasia, Group A (EEEA)

This course is a broad, multi-disciplinary introduction to the lands, peoples, history, and contemporary politics of the vast area stretching from East Central Europe in the west to the Siberian Pacific shores in the East, an area that includes all the states of the former Soviet Union and the former Soviet bloc. The course aims to ground you in the historical (and geographic/demographic) context that shapes the present reality in the region, and then explore selected social, political, economic, and cultural issues emerging out of that context. Selected guest lecturers will give you an idea of the variety of ways professors at GW approach studying this part of the contemporary world, and possibly suggest further courses you could take later.

IAFF 2093: Africa: Challenges & Prospects

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Africa, Group A (EAFA) Africa Regional Foundation (ERFA)

This course is designed to provide a broad understanding of the challenges and prospects of contemporary Africa. It focuses on topics and issues, in addition to a selection of countries and regions. Following a brief background of Africa’s geography and history, it treats topical subjects such as, politics, economics, development, health, education, international relations, conflict, terrorism, HIV/AIDS, ethnicity, refugees, human rights, and religion.

IAFF 2094 Europe in Transition

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Europe & Eurasia, Group A (EEEA) Europe & Eurasia Regional Foundation (ERFD)

This course provides students with an understanding of European domestic and foreign affairs in the current context of strategic power competition. The course offers analysis of key European actors and issues: Russian warfare in Europe, Brexit, France and Germany as European powers, the rise of national populism, threats to European democracy, climate change and energy security, issues of migration and identity, NATO and the U.S.'s role in Europe, increasing divisions between Western and Eastern Europe, and China. What is the European Union’s and NATO’s role in an increasingly competitive and globalized environment? How did the Trump Administration impact Transatlantic relations and what can we expect for the West under the Biden Administration? In Europe today, what are the major issues of conflict and contention? Within the European Union, what are the competing visions? Students will leave the course possessing a broad comprehension of Europe’s most important domestic and foreign affairs.

IAFF 2095: The Middle East in International Affairs

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Middle East (ERCE) Middle East Regional Foundations (ERFE) Middle East, Group A (EMEA)

Why isn't the Middle East democratic? How have authoritarian regimes been able to stay in power for so long? What role does the US play in the region - and how effective is its foreign policy there? This course will introduce you to the politics and society of the Middle East from the revolutions and uprisings of 2010-11 to the present day. You will learn about the most crucial challenges facing the region in the 2020s. The course is suitable for students with no prior background in the study of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as for students who wish to expand their understanding of this vital region in global politics.

IAFF 2101: Qualitative Methods in International Affairs

Attributes: Research Methods (ESRM)

IAFF 2190: Philosophy of the Environment

Attributes: Int’l Development (EFCE); Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG)

We look at three "fixes" for improving our relationship to the natural environment: the technological fix, the economic fix and the cultural fix. We discover that technology alone - that is, without guidance over distribution and scale, will not improve our relationship. We discover that our orthodox economic thinking is also not enough. So to find a better economic solution, we look at a heterodox and radical economic conception that is culturally sensitive. We then examine another set of cultures, those of the First People of the Americas and their relationship to the environment. The purpose is to give us real choices that will influence how we look at technology, the economy, the environment and our cultures and the relationships between these.

IAFF 2190: Nuclear Security

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

Thirty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and over three decades after the end of the Cold War, we find ourselves in a world in which nuclear weapons are still with us. Why do we have nuclear weapons? Why do some countries seek nuclear weapons and how do they get them? How are nuclear weapons used, both in times of peace and in times of conflict? How are nuclear weapons and nuclear power related? How is the spread of nuclear weapons controlled? Will we ever live in a world free of nuclear weapons? What is deterrence and what role do nuclear weapons play? Would the war in Ukraine have been prevented had Ukraine been a NATO state or kept Soviet-era nuclear weapons? This course is designed to provide students with a basic orientation to the technologies, policies, and politics to answer these and other questions.

IAFF 2190W: Arab Politics

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Middle East, Group A (EMEA) Middle East Regional Foundation (ERFE)

Arab Politics asks students to rethink many aspects of comparative politics of the Arab Middle East (and its neighbors) that they have perhaps previously viewed as static or dull. The course makes use of readings geared to certain special topics in the region's politics and will build on students' exposure to more rudimentary materials utilized in introductory politics and regional studies courses. Also, exposure to pressing questions and various theoretical approaches involved in the study of politics in the Arab Middle East will give students the ability to contextualize popular press and other materials related to the region.

This course will satisfy a WID requirement.

IAFF 2190W: Terrorism & Counterterrorism Policy

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

The course will provide an introduction to terrorism as a major topic for US foreign policy. The class will examine the evolution of modern terrorism as a threat to the United States, and the nature of U.S. policy responses to it. After evaluating the events leading to the 9/11 attacks and the US government response, the focus of the class will be on a series of discrete policy problems: Countering the narrative of violent extremism; countering the rise of right-wing and online extremism; problems of effective organization in the intelligence community; the use of drones; countering terrorist finance; countering terrorism travel; the protection of privacy and civil liberties; dealing with past abuses relating to rendition, detentions and interrogations; future threats post-withdrawal from Afghanistan and from ISIS. There will be a heavy emphasis on writing, with several short writing assignments.

This course will satisfy a WID requirement.

IAFF 2190W: Turkey and Its Neighbors

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systema (EFCA), Conflict Resolution (EFCB), Int’l Development (EFCE), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI), Middle East, Group A (EMEA), Middle East Regional Foundation (ERFE)

This course focuses on modern Turkey and its current relationship with the Greater Middle East and North Africa, the Caucasus, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, Central Asia, and the United States. It will reinforce ideas and concepts that impact Turkey's domestic, regional, and international dynamics. The course will also analyze the driving factors behind Turkey’s interest in expanding its world soft and hard power while at the same time grappling with its multiple identities. The first part of the course will focus on Turkey’s evolving domestic dynamic while the second part will focus on Turkey’s changing foreign and defense policy as well as its international security and relations challenges.

This course will satisfy a WID requirement.

IAFF 3172: Conflict & Conflict Resolution

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Int’l/Comparative Politics Adv. Fund. (ESIP)

IAFF 3179: Space in International Affairs

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course will address international space policy issues facing the United States and other space powers, placing them within the larger context of technological advances and a changing strategic environment. The course will briefly examine the space environment, the policy foundations of U.S. space policy, and the current international space legal regime. The course will then address current international issues on the equitable, peaceful, and open use of space and space-enabled capabilities. The challenges and opportunities for international space cooperation, along with the evolving space security environment, will be examined as it relates to great power competition in space.

IAFF 3180: Global Electricity Markets

Attributes: Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course teaches students about the structure and operation of the power grid and electricity markets. The class will discuss electric grid models, infrastructure, costs, operation, and environmental aspects of power technologies in developing countries and the US, EU, and G7 nations. Students will learn about electric energy, capacity, ancillary markets, and how electricity is priced in different models. The role of electric transmission and the challenges of integrating renewables and carbon pricing into the grid will also be covered. Retail electric utility regulation and buying and selling renewable power will also be covered. Students can explore their country or regional interests through a course paper.

IAFF 3180: Globalization and National Security

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course examines the phenomenon of globalization, its drivers, and its implications on U.S. national security in the 21st century. Globalization has revolutionized and accelerated the way goods, services, information, and ideas are sourced, produced, delivered, and circulated worldwide. This course analyzes the different socio-economic drivers of globalization and concludes with an evaluation of national and international strategies to address the national security challenges posed by globalization.

IAFF 3183: International Energy & Environmental Regulations

Attributes: Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Environ. Studies (EFCG) Int’l Politics (EFCH)

This course will cover how energy and environmental regulations and deregulation affect international affairs, the global economy, investments in energy infrastructure, and environmental protection. It will also compare regulatory changes due to the Russia-Ukraine War and heightened competition between the US and China. Students will learn how regulations are developed through rulemaking and enforced. Contemporary examples will be used extensively in this class. Topics will include, but not be limited to, President Biden’s final regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Federal Power Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Social Cost of Carbon. The course will explore the EU’s approach to regulation, REMIT regulation on natural gas and electricity, and regulatory initiatives to reform the electricity markets. The course will also explore regulatory developments in Mexico, Africa, China, India, etc., and other related topics. Students can pursue their interests in group presentations, course papers, or regulatory memos.

IAFF 3186: Asian Order & Community-Building

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Asia, Group A (EASA) Regional Foundations: Asia (ERFC)

This course analyzes major aspects of international relations of Asia, by specifically focusing on both the evolution and the current state of regional order and patterns of intra-regional interaction in terms of both cooperation and competition. After reviewing key concepts and critical historical developments, the course first focuses on major regional actors, such as China, Japan, ASEAN, and India, and assesses their respective policy preferences and approaches toward regional order, governance and community- building. It then examines existing regional institutions and coordination networks, both formal and informal, in various issue areas, including trade and finance, human rights, environment, and popular culture production. One unique feature of this course is that students will have a rare opportunity to interact with prominent guest lecturers who will share their expertise and experience regarding concrete regional actors and contemporary policy issues. Students will undertake focused research to write a major paper on their chosen subject pertaining to some aspect of emerging order and community-building in Asia.

IAFF 3186: Comparative Politics of SE Asia

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Asia, Group A (EASA) Asia Regional Foundation (ERFC) Asian Studies-Psc/Geog (EAPG)

Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, is perhaps the world’s most diverse region politically, including single-party dominant regimes, military dictatorships, communist and non-communist governments, multi-party democracies and constitutional monarchies. Most of the world’s great religious traditions play important roles in shaping politics in these countries and the intersection of religion and politics is an important focus here. This course analyzes major aspects of the comparative politics of the major countries of Southeast Asia. It places contemporary politics against the backdrop of: rule during the classical kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia; the period of European colonial subjugation; nationalism and anti-colonial resistance; and the process by which formerly colonized territories achieved independence in the mid-20th century CE. Contemporary thematic topics include: Islam and nationalism; the military in politics; monarchies and militaries; democracy in retreat; state control of civil society and media; and women leading and influencing.

IAFF 3186: Politics of Korean Unification

Attributes: Asia Regional Foundation (ERFC)

This course examines the ways in which the governments and people of the Korean peninsula have dealt with circumstances of national division and put forth visions and policies to reverse that predicament. It is intended for those who wish to enhance their understanding of the various interpretations and formulas of Korean unification, as well as the political and historical contexts that have shaped them. Along with drawing attention to the numerous obstacles to reconciliation that have persisted, both domestic and international, it will examine the instances of integration and cooperation that have taken place, despite continued separation.

IAFF 3187: Contemp Issues of US-Mexico Relations

Attributes: Int’l Development (EFCE); Int’l Politics (EFCH); Latin America, Group A (ELAA)

This course examines the current drivers of the US-Mexico relationship and uses concrete issues and recent junctures of the relationship to explore and understand both the policy and decision-making processes as well as the outcomes. It will provide students with a holistic understanding of the multifaceted agenda that makes this relationship so unique for US foreign and domestic policy. The course will also place the US-Mexico relationship in a larger geostrategic context -North American, hemispheric and global. This is not a "history of US-Mexico relations" course, though some readings on key defining moments will be required for context. The course will entail issue-driven policy simulation exercises in the latter portion of the semester in order to ensure that students understand both the issues but also the praxis and actual decision-making processes of this vastly complex relationship.

IAFF 3187: Cuba in the Global Arena

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA), Int’l Politics (EFCH); Latin America, Group A (ELAA), Latin America: Regional Foundation (ERFB)

This course focuses on understanding the evolution of Cuba’s foreign policy and uses it as a case study to answer three questions of relevance far beyond the island: the strategies small states use to maximize international influence, the role of foreign policy in ensuring regime survival, and the obstacles and opportunities for democratic transitions in contested international environments. To achieve its goals, the course pays particular attention to the intersection of foreign and domestic policy, how the domestic arena creates demands for external action, and how changes in the international scenario open or close political opportunities at home. The course is divided into three modules. The first focuses on the historical analysis of Cuba’s international insertion and how the island’s political evolution has been shaped by changes in the global arena, from independence in 1902 to the present. The second block analyzes the formal and real stakeholders of Cuba’s international strategy and the regime’s foreign policy-making. Finally, the third module examines Cuba's relations with a number of critical actors - the United States, China, Russia, Venezuela, etc. - discussing the interests and objectives with each of them, the strategy implemented by the regime, and the balance of successes and frustrations in each case. The course will include guest lecturers who will provide expert perspectives on Cuban politics and foreign relations. Students’ progress will be measured by class presentations, two short papers and participation in a class simulation.

IAFF 3187: Latin American Migration

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA); Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC); Int’l Development (EFCE); Int’l Economics (EFCF); Int’l Politics (EFCH); Latin America, Group A (ELAA)

The aim of this course is to understand the push and pull factor that has contributed to human mobility (migration) that has transformed the Americas. The class is divided in two parts: immigration and emigration from Latin American and Latin America migration to the United States. The readings in this class will draw principally from the research of geographers, historians, economists, anthropologists, demographers, and other related fields. We will be interested in studying the migration shifts that have occurred in Latin America and the theories that help explain them. The themes that will be addressed are the history of migration within Latin America and to North America, the impact of this migration on both sending and receiving countries, and the various policy strategies and issues concerning migration. In order to capture the social and cultural consequences of modern mass migration, films and novels will be used to supplement the themes of the course.

IAFF 3188: Israeli Society and Politics

Attributes: Security Policy (EFCI), Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA), Conflict Resolution (EFCB), Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC), Middle East, Group B (EMEA), Middle East: Regional Foundation (ERFE)

What are the roots of the crisis of governance that in 2023 provoked the largest protest movement in Israeli history? Why does Israel hold elections more than any country with a comparable system? How have Israelis responded socially and politically to the current war? This course will provide a detailed portrait of contemporary Israeli society and politics, tracing the evolution of ethnic, ideological, religious, and socioeconomic divisions – Arab/Jewish, Religious/Secular, Right/Left, Center/Periphery among others - and their expression in parliamentary politics and social movements. The course will equip students to link today’s political parties and blocs with social constituencies and defining issues, highlighting the complex social dynamics underlying chronic political instability and their implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and regional diplomacy. The course will conclude with a role-play simulation of Israeli parliamentary politics in which students will represent coalition and opposition parties debating controversial legislation.

IAFF 3188: Partition Transfer Mod Middle East

Attributes: Middle East, Group B (EMEA), Middle East: Regional Foundation (ERFE)

Partition—the physical division of territory along ethno-religious lines into separate nation-states—is often presented as a successful political "solution" to ethnic conflict. In the twentieth century, at least three new political entities—the Irish Free State (1921), the Dominions (later Republics) of India and Pakistan (1947), and the State of Israel (1948)—emerged as a result of partition. Most notably, partition dreams and anxieties not only shaped the history of the Middle East after WWII but continue to loom large in contemporary discussions about its future. But where did this idea come from? How should we define partition, and what distinguishes it from older forms of imperial reform and control? To what extent did it respond to the increasing demands for self-determination and rising anti-colonial sentiments? How is it connected, if at all, with a longer history of British imperial intervention in the Near and Middle Easts since the nineteenth century? To what extent did partition emerge as an attempt to “answer” some of the notorious “social questions” of the previous century, including the so-called Eastern Question, the Irish Question, and the Jewish Question?

The over-arching goal of this advanced-level graduate seminar is to begin answering these questions, putting Middle Eastern partitions in a comparative and trans-local framework. Focusing on the history of political theories and their dissemination, the seminar aims to explore and contextualize the historical specificity of these twentieth-century British imperial partitions and to locate them in several historical contexts. I hope that students will walk away from the course with a better understanding of the history of partition politics and will be able to form their personal opinions on the subject based on fact while being reflective practitioners of history.

IAFF 3189: Africa in the Global Economy

Attributes: Int’l Development (EFCE) Int'l Economics (EFCF) Int'l Politics (EFCH) Africa, Group A (EAFA) Africa: Regional Foundation (ERFA)

This course will examine the significant changes underway in Africa and its economies that are transforming its relationship to the rest of the world. The course will consider the impact of specific issues and integrate them into the kind of coherent narrative that policy makers and private sector leaders employ to understand and address critical trends. Issues covered will include Africa’s commercial integration, the impact of climate change and the green economy, the changing nature of health, rapid urbanism and demographic change, digital transformation and challenges and opportunities in finance.

IAFF 3189: Security Challenges in Africa

Attributes: Africa, Group A (EAFA); Int’l Politics (EFCH); Security Policy (EFCI); Africa: Regional Foundation (ERFA)

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the diversity of security challenges that face African states. From climate and demographic changes to persistent electoral violence to the more acute and significant challenges posed by insurgencies and terrorist organizations, many African countries struggle to provide physical, material, and human security to their citizens. This course will explore the root and proximate causes of insecurity and the variety of interventions that national governments and the international community have crafted in response.

IAFF 3190: Arms Control and Nonproliferation

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) and Security Policy (EFCI)

The international security landscape has gone through significant changes in the past few years. Traditional ways of addressing challenges to international security are undergoing review, to either adopt new approaches or adjust existing approaches to combat new potential arms races and increases in proliferation. This course will discuss those new challenges and the opportunities that the international community should undertake at this time of change.

IAFF 3190: Counterintelligence: Concepts and Practices

Attributes: International Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This is a basic/foundational course covering Counterintelligence (CI) concepts and practices used in supporting CI investigations, operations, and analysis. As a world power, the United States is a top priority for hostile foreign intelligence activities and CI is an important function for U.S. national security. Through this course students will gain an understanding of CI as well as practical experience in applying CI tradecraft in assessing a potential intelligence threat through a final Capstone Exercise. The course is divided into three parts: Part I looks at What Intelligence Is. The class will explore why nation-states conduct intelligence operations and what are the key components of these operations as well as motivations behind the willingness of individuals to work as recruited agents for foreign intelligence operatives. Part II looks at What CI Is. The class will focus on important CI concepts and the practices (tradecraft) used in operations, investigations, and analysis. Part III is a Capstone Exercise. Groups of students will have the opportunity to apply what they've learned and discovered through a hypothetical intelligence threat scenario. Each group will be required to address what is happening, what they think the threat is, and what they would recommend as next investigative/operational steps to take in order to address this situation.

IAFF 3190: Congress and National Security Enterprise

Attributes: Int’l Comp Politics Adv. Fund.(ESIP), Int'l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the national security enterprise focusing on the interaction of the executive and legislative branches in the realm of U.S. military policy and budget. Students will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of the roles of the branches of government in national security policy making. Through case studies, the course will show how various stakeholders participate in the US domestic defense policy, budget, and the joint/ interagency processes; understand the congressional processes and oversight responsibilities to US national security policy; and recognize the individual equities and interests of the key national security stakeholders that can potentially be synchronized to further the national security enterprise.

IAFF 3190 Global Mental Health Policy

Attributes: Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Global Public Health (EFCD) Int’l Development (EFCE)

This course will provide an introduction to the field of global mental health. Global mental health is a field that leverages research, care, and policy to drive solutions for reducing inequities and disparities in mental health services in low-resource settings around the world. This course will introduce students to the global burden of mental health conditions around the world. We will example the social determinants of mental health from a global perspective. Strategies to reduce the global burden include task-sharing mental health services to non-specialists such as community health workers. Cultural adaptation of mental health measurement tools and interventions will be discussed. Students will be introduced to key resources in global mental health distributed by the World Health Organization, Unicef, and other global organizations. Solutions to the untreated global burden of mental health conditions will be explored based on multidisciplinary approaches.

IAFF 3190 International Business & Modern Slavery

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA), Int’l Development (EFCE),

Int'l Economics (EFCF), Int'l Politics (EFCH)

This class will explore the global scourge of modern slavery and the role and responsibility of international business for prevention in their business operations. Once almost exclusively tackled by governments, international organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), corporations are taking an increasingly active role in combating human trafficking and unfair labor practices. Increased government regulation around the world has moved this issue onto the agendas of corporate boardrooms. Throughout the course, we will examine root causes of modern slavery and the impact of globalization. We will understand the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and their impact on corporate behavior. We will explore international NGO advocacy groups’ efforts to improve human rights performance by corporations and assess the evolving role of government regulations to encourage and enforce corporate accountability for modern slavery in supply chains.

IAFF 3190: International Environmental Policy

Attributes: Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG) Int'l Politics (EFCH)

This course focuses on the decision-making processes and actors involved with the design and implementation of international policy relating to climate change, biodiversity conservation, and other pressing environmental challenges. Through lectures, class discussions, case studies and negotiation simulations we will explore why transboundary and global environmental challenges exist and what the international community has done to address them. We will focus in particular on how national governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, scientists, and private sector actors shape the formulation and implementation of international environmental policy. Students will learn about major issues and concepts in international environmental governance and acquire skills in designing, analyzing, and communicating policy interventions.

IAFF 3190: Introduction to Intelligence

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

IAFF 3190: Law and Diplomacy

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

This course provides an overview of the nation’s approach to protecting its interests through law and diplomacy. We will explore the dynamic interaction between domestic security policies and global challenges, examining key issues such as military force, intelligence operations, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism efforts. The course will be grounded in the U.S. Constitution and relevant statutes like the National Security Act, War Powers Resolution, and others, while integrating policy and current affairs to broaden the discussion. This course is intended to develop an understanding of the uses of law and diplomacy in national security and foreign policy. This course instructs students on the sources of law that comprise American diplomacy and foreign policy, scope and limitations, how diplomacy relates to other instruments of national power, and the legal parameters under which diplomats operate. It also explains the interaction of international law within the US domestic legal framework. Specific case studies this year include the role of finance in foreign policy, international sanctioning, international incidents, and specific bilateral agreements by which to effect foreign policy goals. Former and current State Department and DOD officials will guest lecture on a variety of topics. This will be a intensive reading course, emphasizing critical reading, analysis, and group discussion. The assigned readings will include conceptual, legal, and historical materials to provide a framework for examining bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, domestic and legal mechanisms to execute diplomatic objectives, and the contexts in which foreign affairs are conducted. You will not be expected to memorize dates and names, but to understand issues conceptually and historically. This course should help students begin to think about how to better utilize legal and diplomatic tools to effect foreign policy.

IAFF 3190: LGBTIQ Issues in International Affairs

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic, & Social Systems (EFCA) Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Intl Dev Conc (EFCE) Int'l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Gender in IA (EFCJ)

Sexual and gender diversity have existed throughout human history, around the world. So why do the rights and the very existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) people continue to be contested, within and across states and societies? This course, taught by a practitioner with twelve years of experience advancing LGBTIQ people’s human rights worldwide, seeks to address four primary questions. Why have states and societies developed systems of exclusion and persecution of LGBTIQ people, and who benefits from this? How are LGBTIQ people around the world, and the general public, impacted by exclusion and persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics? How can the international human rights, development, and security frameworks be leveraged to address these harms? And how can transnational activists most effectively respond to “culture war” tactics deployed by groups opposing LGBTIQ equality, including the claim that LGBTIQ rights are a Western imposition? Students will leave the course prepared to contribute to global LGBTIQ research, advocacy, and movement building.

IAFF 3190: National Security Policymaking

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

The world today is characterized by complex challenges that require careful examination, deliberate decision-making, and—at times—rapid action. Emerging and unforeseen threats require nuanced responses coordinated across the whole-of-government. The national security policymaking process is simply described by Presidential directive, but requires a government workforce that knows how to navigate that process, and articulate complex challenges to support senior-level decision-making. This is a practical course that will prepare students to work in the nation’s national security agencies by teaching how to effectively write, brief, and collaborate across the interagency.Students will study the roles, responsibilities, and authorities of key national security agencies. Students will learn about the processes that convene the interagency to examine complex issues, make difficult decisions, and implement coordinated activities across the government. The instructor will supplement reading and writing assignments with current and former senior government officials, who will speak to the policymaking process from first-hand experience. Over the course of the semester, students will participate in a series of real-world simulations that test what they have learned and identify areas for further discussion. Students will role-play various national security agencies through the policymaking process, with an issue of increasing complexity and senior-level interest. Students will develop briefing books, practice preparing seniors, and role-play senior officials in interagency meetings. The capstone for the simulations will be a “snap” Principals Committee meeting, in which students exercise a government-wide response to an unexpected crisis.

IAFF 3190 Oil: Industry, Economy, Society

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Intl Dev Conc (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Politics (EFCH)

This course takes a multidisciplinary approach (primarily political economy and management) to oil and its effects on business, nation-states, conflict, and the world economy. The first half of the course adopts a top-down viewpoint, examining the global oil environment. The second half is more bottom-up, using cases to grapple with industry issues. In addition to the specific objectives below, the course uses oil as a vehicle for applying and deepening understanding of intentional-economics and business concepts. As by far the largest global industry, oil reflects and influences broader sociopolitical issues and developments, facilitating its pedagogic use. The course is conducted in a mixture of seminar and lecture formats, and active participation is expected.

IAFF 3190: Populist Authoritarianism

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Int’l/Comparative Politics Adv. Fund. (ESIP)

This course is designed for students interested in International Affairs, Political Science, leadership styles, and the new phenomenon of illiberalism. The seminar style course offers an in-depth examination of the dual, and sometimes overlapping, phenomena of populism and authoritarianism. Populist political leaders seek or exercise power based on broad mass support from followers who they promise to rescue from threats and enemies who supposedly oppress or exploit them. Populist authoritarians draw on populist discourse and govern in a distinctively authoritarian manner. These latter leaders, who have recently been presented as proponents of illiberal or fascist ideas, use their claims to broad mass support to legitimize actions that undermine the rule of law, threaten the independence of state institutions, and consolidate their power. From a world-historical perspective, this course will discuss various forms of populism, including its transnational dimensions, to understand what explains the rise of these political forces, the consequences for civic culture and democracy, alternative strategic policy responses to mitigate the risks of prominent populist leaders and parties, and the implications for international politics.

IAFF 3190: Social Dimensions of Climate Change

Attributes: Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC), Int’l Development (EFCE), Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG), Gender (EFCJ)

This course offers an in-depth exploration of the social dimensions of climate change, examining how global inequality and social norms shape both the causes and impacts of this crisis. While climate change refers to long-term shifts in weather patterns, it is driven by social factors and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations—those least responsible for its causes. Students will delve into key concepts such as climate justice, the green economy, just transitions, environmental feminism, coloniality, and intersectionality, learning how these frameworks can help explain and improve societal responses to climate change. Additionally, the course will explore international agreements, national policies, and best practices that aim to mitigate the negative impacts on vulnerable communities. Case studies will provide practical insights into creating inclusive policies that promote social inclusion and sustainable development. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the tools to design and implement policies that address climate injustices and contribute to a fairer, more sustainable future. Key questions include: How can inclusive policies help mitigate climate change? What mechanisms exist to address climate injustice? How do social norms influence climate action?

IAFF 3192: Dean's Scholars Workshop

This is the required second course in the Dean’s Scholars sequence. The goal of this course is to support students in refining their projects in preparation for their summer field research. We will deepen our understanding of the methods introduced in the IAFF 2101 course and develop research instruments to practice using these methods. Students working on projects that involve human subjects research will complete and submit their IRB applications and required documents. All students will develop their research instruments, data collection strategy, and begin preparing for data analysis. Students will maintain communication with their faculty advisors and the professor and engage in peer review sessions. Guest speakers who offer advice on professional development as well as the process of conducting research. We will also prepare for fellowship applications and work on abstracts for future conference presentations. Students will leave for summer research prepared with a detailed plan for data collection and analysis.

IAFF 3196: Internship Professional Development Seminar

The purpose of this course is to help you maximize what you gain both experientially and intellectually from your internship. Our explicit focus is on your professional development and increasing your career opportunities through strengthening your leadership capacities and other professional competencies. Reflection on your internship experiences will be integral to this process. A fundamental assumption for this course is that to be an effective international affairs practitioner, you will also need to look inward, and critically interrogate your vocation to work in international affairs so that, through this self-awareness, you will improve your efficacy in making a positive impact in the world. Moreover, we will also consider our relationships with individuals with whom we work, and enhance concrete skills that strengthen our abilities to collaborate with others. The course is structured around these key topics and how your internship experience informs and is informed by them. NOTE: Your internship must be 1) directly and clearly related to international affairs and 2) a minimum of 15 hrs/wk and at least 180 hours total over the course of the semester in which you are enrolled in this course.

IAFF 3352: Israeli-Palestinian Peacebuilding

Attributes: Middle East, Group A (EMEA), Conflict Resolution (EFCB), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI), Middle East: Regional Foundation (ERFE)

What are the roots of the current war in the Middle East? Why does the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persist, despite peace efforts by heads of state, civil society organizations and ordinary citizens? What strategies can be effective in future attempts at conflict resolution? This course provides detailed analysis of the historical origins of the conflict and of Palestinian/Israeli peace and conflict resolution efforts at all levels - state, civil society, and grassroots. Drawing on conceptual frameworks from Conflict Resolution theory and practice, the course employs a dual-narrative approach in examining Israeli and Palestinian historical perspectives on the conflict and on negotiations and peacebuilding initiatives at state, civil society and grassroots levels. Students will be challenged to conduct research on the core issues at the heart of the impasse, and to assess the contributions of peace and conflict resolution initiatives to any potential future resolution. Course materials will include film, literature, media, and online resources as well as conversations with practitioners and scholars of the field.

IAFF 3501: International Development Theory

Attributes: Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Global Public Health (EFCD) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Anthropology/Geography (ESAG)

This course will critically examine the history, theories, policies, and practices of development from an anthropological perspective. The course will analyze some of the fundamental assumptions that have informed the emergence of different types of development and its practices, including how recipients and issues of development are constituted and constructed. The first part of the course will review the history of development since the end of World War II to current times, critically examining what has shaped development practices and targets. The second part will focus on specific cases to highlight important issues and features of development interventions, such as global health, the environment and climate change, war and post-conflict, democracy and human rights, and concepts of gender.

IAFF 3502: Strategic Management and Qualitative Methods in International Affairs

Attributes: (EAFA), Comp. Politics, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA), Conflict Resolution (EFCB), Global Public Health (EFCD), Int’l Development (EFCE), Int’l Economics (EFCF), Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Research Methods (ESRM)

This course introduces students to basic tools of strategic management and qualitative methods in international affairs. The course also provides an introduction to Africa and its political and socio-economic issues. With applications to real policies and programs in Africa, students will learn the basics of strategic thinking, management, and analysis using specific tools, including, for example, SWOT analysis, stakeholder analysis, and theories of change. They will also learn to select and apply the appropriate qualitative methods for gathering and prioritizing information to inform these analyses. The course will situate strategic management within human relations, competing interests, and motivation and commitment. The course helps to answer the question: Now that you’ve learned about issues and contexts in international affairs, what are the first (and second) things you need to do if you want to take action about them?

IAFF 3513: Human Rights and Ethics

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Int’l Development (EFCE) Anthropology/Geography (ESAG)

“Human rights” as a value is widely supported across the American political spectrum, so much so that fundamental questions about what the term actually means are seldom discussed, either by elected officials or in the popular media. This course examines the theoretical and empirical basis of human rights from a multi-disciplinary perspective. We will examine how rights have been conceptualized, envisioned, imagined, promoted, and asserted by philosophers, political scientists, anthropologists, and other scholars, as well as how rights have been conceptualized and practiced in different societies. The starting point of this course is that all of the above questions cannot be separated from ethics. We will analyze the historical, cultural, and theoretical basis of human rights as a relatively recent political movement, value system, and ideology. In doing so, we will necessarily reflect on the tensions between individual rights and collective cultural values, the culture of rights, and claims to culture as a right.

IAFF 3632 Global Gender Policy

Attributes: Security Policy (EFCI), Int’l Development (EFCE), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Gender in IA (EFCJ)

This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to examining the development of global policy approaches aimed at achieving gender equality. It provides grounding in the concept of gender equality and the creation of legal and normative approaches to tackling inequality, focused primarily on law and policy produced by the UN system. Critical and emerging policy approaches such as intersectionality-based policy development will also be covered. This course provides an overview of the lineage of global approaches to advancing gender equality and women’s rights. It will equip participants with an understanding of the relevance of gender equality to key international policy issues and concerns. It will examine the success and failures of attempts to advance gender equality policy implementation, including through comparison across different countries and thematic areas of global policy. The course will address the following questions: Can we really change the world or is that an unrealistic ambition? When we talk about gender and inclusion are we talking specifically about women? Can men be feminists and activists on gender equality issues? Do you have to agree with all feminist theories to take this course?

IAFF 3633: Gender, Conflict and Security

Attributes:Conflict Resolution (EFCB), Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC), Security Policy (EFCI), Int’l Development (EFCE), Gender in IA (EFCJ)

This course begins with an overview of the gender and security agenda. We will assess key factors and actors that shape gender and security dynamics, drawing on feminist, masculinities, and gender scholarship. We will also analyze the development of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) movement—one of the pillars of the gender and security agenda in the 21 st century. The core of the course is an issue-by-issue examination of current security problems, with a focus on the gender dimensions of these issues. This includes both traditional security issues (armed conflict, extremism and terrorism, the roles of women and LGBTQ+ people in military organizations) and human security concerns (development, environmental challenges, humanitarian emergencies and pandemics, human rights and governance). The course concludes with an assessment of policy priorities and prospects for the 2020s and beyond.

IAFF 4192: National Security Crisis Simulation

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

When an international crisis strikes, it’s best to be prepared. This course illuminates how the national security interagency apparatus really works, especially when the United States and its allies are under stress and (sometimes literally) under fire. This course involves a semester-length simulation of the national security decision-making process, with students role-playing members of the US National Security Council. The hands-on exercise will bombard you with various inputs—intelligence reports, presidential demands, news accounts, etc.—in an ever-shifting Middle East crisis. Like every crisis in that region, this one has global implications, involving competing military, economic, and political dimensions and multiple international powers. Students exercise their interpersonal and bureaucratic skills to build consensus on a way forward. Readings, lectures, and a scenario-specific supplementary bibliography provide detailed insight into US national security agencies and the real-world dynamics at play. The practical tools you learn to employ in this course can be applied to any crisis in the real world, and will help prepare you for important elements of the US Foreign Service oral examination.

IAFF 4192: Peacebuilding Applied Research

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB), Int’l Development (EFCE), Research Methods (ESRM)

This course engages students in applied peace research and practice. Through collaborative projects, course instruction, and seminar-style lectures from guest speakers from around the peacebuilding ecosystem, students will learn alongside peace practitioners, community leaders, and international organizations to address real-world conflict challenges. The course emphasizes the development of research and practical skills tailored to the needs of the peacebuilding field, including mixed methods, participatory action research, program strategy and execution and impact evaluation. Students will gain experience in designing and conducting research and programming that informs policy and practice, with the goal of contributing to sustainable peace outcomes.

Fall 2024

IAFF 1001: First Year Experience

First-Year Experience assists students in developing their personal, academic, and career goals. Restricted to students in the Elliott School.

IAFF 1005: Introduction to International Affairs

IAFF 2094: Europe in Transition

Attributes: Europe & Eurasia, Group A (EEEA) Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Europe & Eurasia: Regional Foundation (ERFD)

This course provides students with an understanding of European domestic and foreign affairs in the current context of strategic power competition. The course offers analysis of key European actors and issues: Russian warfare in Europe, Brexit, France and Germany as European powers, the rise of national populism, threats to European democracy, climate change and energy security, issues of migration and identity, NATO and the U.S.'s role in Europe, increasing divisions between Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and China in Europe. What is the European Union’s and NATO’s role in an increasingly competitive and globalized environment? How did the Trump Administration impact Transatlantic relations and how are U.S.-Europe relations evolving under the Biden Administration? In Europe today, what are the major issues of conflict and contention? Within the European Union, what are the competing visions? Students will leave the course possessing a broad comprehension of Europe’s most important domestic foreign affairs and security policies and will be able to follow, understand and analyze European affairs.

IAFF 2101: Qualitative Methods in International Affairs

Attributes: Research Methods (ESRM)

IAFF 2102: Quantitative Methods in International Affairs

Attributes: Research Methods (ESRM)

IAFF 2190W North Africa & the World

Attributes: Africa, Group A (EAFA) Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Middle East, Group A (EMEA)

Africa: Regional Foundation (ERFA) Middle East: Regional Foundation (ERFE)

One less than a handful of courses offered at higher education in the United States, this unique WID course provides area familiarization of North Africa (Al-Maghreb) with a focus on issues that are most relevant to understanding and analyzing a sub-region of the Greater Middle East that has a potential to greatly impact U.S. national security interests. The first phase of the course will focus on domestic cultural, political, economic, and social dynamics of the countries in this subregion-- Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, and Egypt—thematically and comparatively. Hence the heavy focus on comparative analysis. The second phase of the course will assess how domestic issues impact on regional and international politics especially as a result of constantly changing regional and international contexts and structures. This course will be divided into four blocks. Each involving separate topics and issues relevant to how states in North Africa interact with one another on one hand and with the world at large on the other. The conceptual framework driving this approach emphasizes the significance and implications of domestic politics on regional and global dynamics. At the domestic level, topics include society and culture; ethnic, religious, and national tensions; conflict and reconciliation; security and stability challenges; development strategies; gender inclusion; political Islam; prospects for regional integration and development; and prospects for liberal democracy given the ongoing political ferment especially after the Arab popular uprisings of 2011 and the current protest movement—The Hirak- in shaping the future of North Africa as a geopolitical and geostrategic region. At the regional level, topics include the Western Sahara problem; the Trans-Sahel security belt; and Irregular migration, and at the international level, the course will delve into the role of great powers such as Russia, China, the U.S., and about rising new powers such as Turkey and Egypt.

IAFF 2190W: Politics & Cultures of the Middle East

IAFF 2202W: US-Asia Critical Issues

Attributes: Asia, Group A (EASA)

Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Int’l & Comp. Politics: Advanced Fundamental (ESIP)

Amid contemporary US-China rivalry, this course assesses the relevant background, status and outlook of U.S. relations with and policy toward Asia. It treats pertinent contemporary Asian issues involving the rise of China, Taiwan, the Korean peninsula, Japan’s future, territorial disputes along the rim of eastern and southeastern Asia, crises and conflicts in South Asia, economic globalization, climate change, energy security, regional multilateralism and terrorism. The issues are assessed with a focus on U.S. relations with large Asian powers—China, Japan, India and Russia.

IAFF 2444: International Law

Daily, we are engaged in transactions or observe events that occur in the context of transnational rules. On a micro level, the quiet victory of bustling international trade facilitates our access to a multitude of products with speed and reliability. At a macro level, we see how nations attempt to organize themselves and negotiate political events and consequences on matters ranging from the prosecution of war crimes to the avoidance of calamities related to environmental impact, mass migration, or nuclear war. This course will give an overview of the legal and policy frameworks of international law by exploring its nature, history, actors, institutions, and doctrine, as well as to understand legislation, supervision, dispute resolution, and enforcement. Through readings, lectures, and in-class discussion, students will be introduced to and become conversant in the overall structure and central principles in the field of international law which will serve as a foundation for future study and work in our small and interconnected world.

IAFF 3190: Intro to Intelligence

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

IAFF 3172: Conflict & Conflict Resolution

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Int’l & Comp. Politics: Advanced Fundamental (ESIP)

IAFF 3180: Airpower and International Politics

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

IAFF 3180: Global Energy Trading, Pricing & Risk Management

Attributes: Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course entails a deep dive into the physical and financial energy markets associated with pricing, trading, and hedging crude oil, refined petroleum projects, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, NGLs coal, energy transition minerals, and electricity. The course is open to students pursuing degrees in international affairs and business. Students will learn how to buy and sell energy commodities in the physical markets and how energy derivatives (futures, options, and swaps) influence global energy prices, flows, and risk management. Students will learn about energy supply chains, supply and demand, the terminology used to buy/sell physical energy commodities, and how to use energy derivatives to hedge and speculate on price movement. The instructor will also cover how the Russia-Ukraine War, Hamas-Israel War, and energy policies and actions by the US, EU, UK, and OPEC+ BRIC countries influence global energy markets energy investments. Students will explore their country or regional interests through a
Group presentation and separate paper or market report.

IAFF 3180: Global Energy Security

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

This course will give students an understanding of significant factors and policies in achieving energy security at the country and regional levels. The course uses energy security conceptual models such as the IEA’s Model of Short-term Security to examine security frameworks of energy importing and exporting countries. Students will learn about the supply chains of crude oil, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, electric power, energy markets, and physical/cyber threats that can affect a country’s energy security. The impacts of the U.S. Shale Oil and Gas Revolution, the COVID-19 pandemic, OPEC+, the Russian-Ukrainian War, and the Hamas-Israel War on energy security will be discussed throughout the semester. Students can explore security topics in group debates and their country or regional interests through a course paper or security report

IAFF 3182: Contemporary Uses of Military Power

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB), Int’l Politics (EFCH), Security Policy (EFCI)

IAFF 3183: Globalization and Sustainable Development

IAFF 3185: Nationalism in Eurasia

Attributes: Europe & Eurasia, Group A (EEEA) Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Europe & Eurasia: Regional Foundation (ERFD)

This is a class on the causes and the political effects of nationalism in Europe. The first part of the course is designed to provide you with an understanding of the most prominent explanations of the emergence and spread of nationalism, and the background knowledge and tools with which to evaluate them. We will study the transition from Empires to nation-states. We will also focus on developments in the "periphery of Europe." The second part of the course focuses on the effects of nation-building on state policies toward non-core groups and diasporas, patterns of political violence, and political identities. The third part of the course deals with contemporary challenges: populism, nativism, immigrant incorporation, the prospects of a European supranational identity, and contemporary self-determination movements. We will cover cases across Europe and different time periods. Students will learn how to formulate research questions, develop arguments, and evaluate hypotheses.

IAFF 3186: Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia

Attributes: Asian Studies - PSC/GEOG (EAPG) Asia, Group A (EASA) Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Development (EFCE) Asia: Regional Foundation (ERFC) Int’l Politics (ESIP)

Southeast Asia is perhaps the world’s most diverse region politically, including single-party dominant regimes (Singapore, Vietnam), military dictatorships (Myanmar), communist (Vietnam, Laos) and non-communist governments, multi-party democracies (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines) and constitutional monarchies (Thailand). Most of the world’s great religious traditions (Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism and Islam) play important roles in shaping politics in these countries. This course analyzes the contemporary politics of the major countries of the region, against the backdrop of: pre-European systems of rule; European colonial subjugation; nationalism and anti-colonial resistance; and the processes by which formerly colonized territories achieved independence. Topics include: Islam and nationalism; the military in politics; monarchies and militaries; and women leading and influencing. Students enjoy the opportunity to choose which work they submit for the second half of the semester, involving either a thematic essay or a longer analytical research/policy position paper on topics of students’ choosing.

IAFF 3186: Economic Lessons from East Asia

Attributes: Asia, Group A (EASA) Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Asia: Regional Foundation (ERFC)

This new course reviews the economies of East Asia, analyzes their records and considers their futures. The underlying questions: what caused their success records, and what do they bode for the world? Principal economies covered are China-mainland, Japan, and South Korea. Additional economies are China-Taiwan, China-Hong Kong, North Korea, and Mongolia. In addition to different economies’ historical records, the course assesses as much as possible lessons in four political-economic dimensions. First is macro-related, such as: growth and investment strategies, overall demand management, price inflation, agricultural and industrial strategies, and productivity measures. Second are welfare concerns like: demographics and employment, poverty reduction and social unrest. Third is leadership, e.g.: government, market forces, budget systems, finance, infrastructure, and corruption. Fourth is international: foreign trade, investment, technology, financial flows, and national security factors. Some economies receive more intense coverage than others. The professor has worked in or on all seven economies.

IAFF 3186: Women in Asia

Attributes: Asia, Group A (EASA) Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Gender in IA (EFCJ) Asia: Regional Foundation (ERFC)

IAFF 3187: Democracy in Latin America

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Latin America, Group B (ELAB) Latin America: Regional Foundation (ERFB)

This seminar offers a long-term perspective on current discussions of democracy in Latin America. It traces the journey of democracy in the region, analyzing its advances and setbacks over the last two hundred years. It is divided chronologically into three main periods, beginning with the rise of democratic ideas and practices between the nineteenth century and the 1930s, followed by the post-Depression and Cold War years, and ending with the democratization process that began in the 1970s, up to current discussions of democratic backsliding. Throughout these periods, the seminar addresses issues of race, ethnicity, gender, populism (old and new), dictatorships, inequality, and human rights (defined in broad, social terms). The seminar aims to situate Latin America within global conversations about democracy.

IAFF 3187: Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Latin America

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Latin America, Group A (ELAA) Latin America: Regional Foundation (ERFB)

This course analyzes the geopolitics and geoeconomics of Latin America. At the intersection of both lies the use of geopolitics to promote economic goals and of economic means to promote geopolitical objectives. Both seek to alter the balance of power and influence of the countries in the international arena. How has this interaction evolved in a context in which domestic politics underwent turmoil and the international arena drastic changes? How have Latin American nations sought to redefine their insertion, role, and influence in the ever-changing shape international system, from the years of the Cold War to the one of Globalization and the heyday of multilateralism to the era of Retrenchment and bilateralism. What are the implications for the future? The course will be based on lectures, student presentations, guest speakers, and research work. By the end of the semester students would have a solid grasp of facts and concepts, be able to analyze and forecast trends, and develop critical analytical skills.

IAFF 3187: History of Latin America II

Attributes: Latin America, Group B (ELAB) Latin America: Regional Foundation (ERFB) Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA)

This course examines the major developments in Latin America from the wars of independence (1810-1825) to the present. It analyzes the main characteristics of the region and focuses on the events that have impacted the politics, social processes, and economies of individual countries. In this way, the course addresses the tension between analyzing common themes in Latin American history and paying particular attention to selected countries. Specific topics - such as independence, caudillos, state formation, and the politics of human rights - are analyzed as regional themes or through a cluster of cases. The study of individual countries includes Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Uruguay, addressing aspects/moments that have shaped their history, such as Peronism, slavery and race relations, violence, revolutions, gender, and relations with the United States.

IAFF 3188: Iran - US Relations

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Middle East, Group A (EMEA)

Since a CIA-backed coup in 1953 against a popular Iranian prime minister, Iran and the US have had a love-hate relationship. Animosity has only grown since the 1979 revolution and has had a negative impact not just on the peoples of the two countries but on the entire Middle East and beyond. The course will cover the reasons for this estrangement, missed opportunities for improvement, the breakthrough on the nuclear issue under the Obama administration, the deterioration and reversion to hostility under the Trump administration and the outlook for the future.

IAFF 3188: Political Economy of the Middle East

Attributes: CPESS Conc (EFCA), Intl Dev Conc (EFCE), Intl Pol Conc (EFCH), Middle East Conc Grp A (EMEA), RegFound MdEast (ERFE), International Politics (ESIP)

This course will introduce students to the political foundations of the region’s economy. Wewill examine how the economy of the MENA has been shaped by encounters with external actors (foreign traders, colonizing governments, transnational firms, international financial institutions, development agencies, etc.) but also how the region has impacted the global economy, with a special focus on the Gulf states and their role in shaping global financial markets. We will examine the legacy and ongoing impact of Western development and reconstruction agencies and their discourses, with special attention to the region's agrarian zones as well as zones transformed by imperial wars. Other important regional actors such as militaries, oil companies, sovereign wealth funds and labor movements will also be examined. This course will introduce students to mainstream political economy approaches concurrently with their critiques, in order to provide an understanding of the evolution of theories and practices of economic development and their political origins.

IAFF 3190: Climate Change and Developing Countries

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG)

Developing countries, and especially their poorest citizens, are already suffering significant adverse impacts from climate change. These countries also differ in their shares of global emissions of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change with some, such as China and India, among the largest emitters while others, such as small island states, contribute little. Given this context, this course will examine how developing countries can best adapt to the effects of climate change and mitigate their emissions of greenhouse gases while sustaining long-term development. The focus of this course will be on two broad questions. First, what strategies should different groups of developing countries adopt in balancing adaptation and mitigation policies and how can advanced economies help? Second, how should policies to address climate change fit within developing countries’ overall development strategies? A mix of country cases, and analytical and empirical studies will be used in answering these questions.

IAFF 3190: COP Process For Fighting Climate Change

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Environmental Studies (EFCG) Int’l Politics (EFCH)

This course will examine the work of the annual United Nations conference meeting to fight climate change. This year COP29 is taking place in Azerbaijan in November 2024. The course will examine the development of the COP process, the negotiations that go into the annual treaties, efforts to influence the negotiations, and the role of the COP conferences which typically bring together tens of thousands of climate change negotiators and activists. Using a variety of simulations and active discussions, the course will give students insights into defining and mobilizing the most effective ways to address climate change.

IAFF 3190 Gender and Security

Attributes: CPESS (EFCA), Int'l Dev (EFCE), Int'l Pol (EFCH), Sec Pol (EFCI), Gender in Int'l Affairs (EFCJ), Int'l Politics (ESIP)

This course begins with an overview of the gender and security agenda. We examine key concepts that frame and explain gender inequalities, we assess key factors and actors that shape gender and security dynamics, and we analyze the evolution of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) movement. The core of the course is an issue-by-issue examination of the gender dimensions of contemporary security problems. This includes both traditional security issues (armed conflict and peace operations, extremism and terrorism, the roles of women and LGBTQ+ people in military organizations) and human security concerns (development, environmental challenges, humanitarian emergencies and pandemics, human rights and governance). The course concludes with a review of the drivers of gender and security problems, the obstacles to addressing these challenges, and strategies for advancing gender and security priorities, including the adoption of feminist foreign policies.

IAFF 3190: Issues of Contemporary Diplomacy & National Security

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

IAFF 3190: Refugee and Migrant Crisis

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

IAFF 3193W: Dean's Scholars Seminar.

IAFF 3196: Internship Professional Development Seminar

IAFF 3202: Space Policy

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

IAFF 3204: Outer Space and International Security

Attributes: Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI)

Ukraine's extensive use of commercial satellite imagery and Starlink communications satellites to thwart Russia's invasion has highlighted the vital role of space technologies in modern conflict. Although the idea of a “space war” might seem to belong in a science fiction novel rather than a national security strategy, space technologies have been used for national security purposes since the beginning of the Space Age in 1957. Space systems are critical for global communications, intelligence gathering, conventional military operations and nuclear operations, which makes satellites high-value targets in a conflict. Consequently, China, Russia, the United States, and India have all developed weapons designed to destroy satellites in orbit, leading to anxieties about a space arms race. Since satellites have become so intertwined with the global economy, the security dimensions of space infrastructure have profound consequences for civil society and the private sector. This course will use a global perspective to explore the international security dimensions of space activities from the Cold War to today.

IAFF 3205: Holocaust Memory

IAFF 3210W: Migration, Gender, and Development

Attributes: Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Gender in IA (EFCJ)

The relationship between migration and international development can be both positive and negative for the migrants and nations involved. Well-established scholarship about the topic has long explored how migrant workforces affect household, community, national, and international socioeconomic systems. Research for the past several decades also shows how gender and related aspects of socioeconomic inequality are part of migration and development. Scholarship now examines how relations of gendered and other aspects of disparity can affect decisions of whether to migrate, which household members do so, migration flow patterns, and migrant as well as receiving nation and community experiences. Studies also examine how these relations engage with development: it is known that migration occurs in response to socioeconomic opportunity as well as to hardship, crisis, or need yet it remains in debate whether and which migrants might benefit. Students in this course learn to effectively synthesize and discuss questions about research on migration, development, and gender. Students examine and communicate on those topics and the policies and programs that operate in response.

IAFF 3302: Science, Technology, and Espionage

Attributes: Security Policy (EFCI)

Nearly two hundred years before the cyber age, undersea cables became the nerve center of the British Empire, but were also an important target for sabotage and espionage. The Second World War witnessed the rise of more formal organizations dedicated to scientific and technical intelligence. During the Cold War, scientists and engineers became critical elements in a sprawling American Intelligence-Industrial Complex dedicated to developing capabilities for keeping tabs on the Soviet Union and its Communist allies. For centuries, science and technology have been integral parts of intelligence tradecraft. This course will explore the interactions among science, technology, and espionage from the 19th century up through the present time. We will investigate how science and technology have transformed espionage, but also how the needs of this secret area of statecraft have shaped the development of science and technology.

IAFF 3352: Israel & Palestine Peacebuilding

Attributes: Conflict Resolution (EFCB) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Middle East, Group A (EMEA) Middle East: Regional Foundation (ERFE)

IAFF 3501: Int'l Dev Theory

Attributes: Contemp. Cultures & Societies (EFCC) Global Public Health (EFCD) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Anthropology/Geography (ESAG)

This course will critically examine the history, theories, policies, and practices of development from an anthropological perspective. The course will analyze some of the fundamental assumptions that have informed the emergence of development, and its practices, including how the recipients of development are constituted, how development “problems” are constructed, and how concomitant “solutions” are provided. We will look into how different development paradigms have influenced the role of the state (either increasing it or reducing it) in implementing development, and how neoliberalism has powerfully shaped development interventions in multiple ways. The aim of this course is not to mobilize students “for” or “against” any form of development, nor is it to prepare students to do development work. Rather, the main goal of this course is to critically engage with the multiplicity of effects generated by development as policy and practice.

IAFF 3513: Human Rights and Ethics

“Human rights” as a value is widely supported across the world political spectrum, so much so that fundamental questions about what the term actually means are seldom discussed, either by elected officials or in the popular media. Some of these questions include: How did Human Rights come to be? Are they a Western invention, or can we locate their origin in different religions, and cultural traditions? What were the transformations that human rights underwent in a postcolonial world? This course addresses these and related questions by examining the theoretical and empirical basis of human rights from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Our focus is not on deciding who lacks rights, or on methods, strategies, or programs to provide rights. Rather than beginning with a rulebook of rights and then using this as a guide for evaluating the presence (or absence) of particular rights in various nation-states, we will analyze the historical, cultural, and theoretical basis of human rights as a relatively recent political movement, value system, and ideology. We will necessarily reflect on the tensions between individual and collective rights, between the culture of rights, and claims to culture as a right.

IAFF 3752W: Equitable Development in Southeast Asia

Attributes: Asia, Group A (EASA) Comp. Political Economic Social Systems (EFCA) Int’l Development (EFCE) Int’l Economics (EFCF) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Regional Foundations: Asia (ERFC)

IAFF 3753: International Relations of South Asia

Attributes: Asia, Group A (EASA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Asia: Regional Foundation (ERFC) Int’l & Comp. Politics: Advanced Fundamental (ESIP)

Have you ever wondered why India is simultaneously a rising global power and a struggling developing country? How India supports Russia in the Ukraine conflict and still be close to the United States? How Pakistan can successfully be partners with China and the US at the same time? This course will introduce you to South Asia as a dynamic, yet deeply divided and contradictory region. It contains the world’s largest democracy and major power with a new religious-cultural nationalism (India), two of the world’s nuclear states (India and Pakistan), two epicenters of violent extremism (Afghanistan and Pakistan), one post-conflict society facing a meltdown (Sri Lanka), and one growing economy with an increasingly fragile democracy (Bangladesh). Focusing on these five countries, we will consider the unique mix of hyper-nationalism, new geo-economics, nuclear politics, challenges of India-China rivalry in the Indian Ocean, and the impact of these factors regionally and beyond.

IAFF 3754: US-China Relations

Attributes: Asia, Group A (EASA) Int’l Politics (EFCH) Security Policy (EFCI) Int’l Politics (ESIP)

At a time of acute US-China competition, this course focuses on the areas of convergence and the areas of divergence between the governments and peoples of China and the United States. It assesses the historical roots of issues of cooperation and contention between the two nations, examines the contemporary strengths and weaknesses of issues of cooperation and contention and their broader significance in determining overall Sino-American relations, and discerns likely prospects for China U.S. relations and their international implications.

IAFF 4191W: International Conflict & Politics Research Seminar

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA); Conflict Resolution (EFCB); Int’l Politics (EFCH); Security Policy (EFCI); Research Methods (ESRM)

This course provides a structured forum for students to explore and research issues related to international affairs and conflicts, domestic or international. Students will be guided through conducting an in-depth study of a research topic of their choice, collecting and analyzing reporting data, and working in small groups, with the goal of participating at the GW Research Showcase. In this research seminar, students will be given an opportunity to integrate their knowledge, skills, and practical experience gained at the Elliott School. Note: This course will satisfy a WID requirement. Registration is restricted to juniors and seniors. GPA must be a minimum of 3.4 at the time of registration.

IAFF 4192: Conflict & Stabilization Applied Research

Attributes: Comp. Political, Economic & Social Systems (EFCA); Conflict Resolution (EFCB); Int’l Development (EFCE); Int’l Politics (EFCH); Security Policy (EFCI)

Do you want to jump start your career by carrying out research for the State Department? This special seminar course involves conducting applied research in teams for the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict & Stabilization Operations. Each team will be assigned to address a topic that members of this bureau have identified as important for their work. Teams will locate and analyze data from various sources in order to compile the findings and recommendations. The course will be taught by the bureau's Chief Data Officer and Director of the Office of Advanced Analytics.