Study Abroad Poland - Collegium Civitas Spring Semester

SEMESTER PROGRAM AT COLLEGIUM CIVITAS

SPRING SEMESTER

COURSES IN ENGLISH

* Please note that courses are subject to change.

International Relations in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf

The course aims to familiarize students with past and current issues related to international relations in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. The course also aims at deepening students’ knowledge of the political, social and economic issues in the region after the Second World War. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the sources of conflicts in the region and should have acquired an understanding of the historical roots of the present conflict and be able to analyze the processes that this dynamically changing region is undergoing.

The course will cover the internal and foreign policy of countries in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region, during the period of 1945-2005. Special emphasis will be placed on past, present and possible future conflict areas. The course will commence with a description of the region between the two World Wars. The borders that were delimitated during this period remain the source of numerous conflicts. The course will cover the Arab-Israeli conflict in particular and the ways the great powers have influenced it. The second part of the course will shed more light on Persian Gulf affairs, particularly the American involvement in the region, which has resulted in the second American intervention in Iraq.

The most relevant topics covered within the course will be the following: the Middle East and Persian Gulf before the Second World War; the Zionist movement; the establishment of the state of Israel; the Baghdad Pact and Suez Crisis; the 6-Day War and its consequences; the Yom Kippur War and Lebanese conflict; the Camp David negotiations and the second intifiada; operation ‘Ajax’ and American involvement in the Persian Gulf; the United States’ two pillars policy in the Persian Gulf; the Islamic revolution and its consequences; the causes and consequences of the Iran-Iraq War; the First and the Second Persian Gulf War; and the situation and prospects for the Kurds.

Introduction to European Integration

The course is aimed at giving students knowledge of the origins, history and nature of the European integration process. As a result, they should be able to assess the most important issues related to this process and give their own appreciation of the current condition and future prospects of the European project. Students should also be able, upon successful completion of this course, to identify the most important social and political issues of a Europe undergoing integration.

The course will focus on the global context of the European integration process and will offer insight into the inherent problems of the EU. Initially, the origins of the European project, its history and specificity will be discussed together with the concept of European civilization and ideas. The course will also provide some perspectives on important social and political issues within the EU: the successes and failures in the process of integration; the societies of Europe, stereotypes and prejudice; national and European identities; and perspectives of democracy in the EU as well as the issue of citizens’ participation in relation to the problem of the democratic deficit in the EU.

Introduction to Law

The course is aimed at providing students with a comprehensive explanation of Western modern legal systems and legal reasoning, with an emphasis on how law is created and applied in practice. Upon completion of this introductory course, students should be able to critically examine the most important topics, give their own appreciation of the related issues, and contribute effectively to debates.

The course focuses on recent cases and legal communication and the many developments in the area of human rights, constitutional reform, and civil liberties. EU/EC law will be discussed in relation to global law. The lecturer will present a critical analysis as well as a clear description of the issues discussed, so that students will be able to develop their own views. The first part of the course will be devoted to the idea of law (four sessions), whereas the second part will deal with the idea of justice and the idea of the rule of law (two sessions). Basic legal terms (three sessions), common law and continental law as well as the evolution of the EU law will be the subject of classes that will follow. The course will finish by discussing the problem of globalization vs. legal theory, the obligation to obey the law, and the post-modern future of law.

World History Since 1945

The course aims at expanding students’ knowledge of 20th-century history. It is designed to develop their analytical skills, stimulate their interest in history and contemporary issues as seen from a historical perspective. The course is a continuation of the course on World History from 1914 to 1945, which is taught in the Fall Semester. The lectures will concentrate on the political, social and economic dimensions of contemporary history. Although its approach will be mainly Eurocentric, it will also give particular insight into Central European affairs. The course will cover the period from 1945 until the 1990s, with a special emphasis on the Cold War division of the world, Europe’s relative decline and continuing centrality. Decolonization, the collapse of the communist regimes, and the European integration process will be also discussed.

International Public Law

For this course the lectures will concentrate upon three fundamental issues: the creation, application, and implementation of international public law. They are intended to give students a complete presentation of the theory and practice of international law, as well as its role in contemporary international relations.

Public Administration

This course acts as an introduction to the basic questions of public administration in which the subject is regarded as a set of organizational and executive activities for the public good (interest) from respective subjects, authorities, and institutions – at the national, European, and international level.

Strategic Studies

This course will provide a comprehensive presentation of the subject of strategic studies, including related literature (both classic and modern). Students will be presented with the newest trends in the art of warfare, which are necessary for understanding the political processes and international relations. Successful completion of the course will enable students to take part in the political life of the state and will prepare students for public service, especially within the Ministry of Defense, the National Security Bureau or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as in international organizations.

Techniques of Negotiation

The course is designed to help students gain familiarity with the basic rules applying to the negotiation process as well as to offer a preparatory training program in the field of negotiation in English. Upon completion of this course students should be able not only to negotiate successfully in their future professional lives but also to gain theoretical knowledge of the macro structural and psycho technical aspects of the negotiation process. On the theoretical level, the course will refer to the leading trends and achievements of sociology, psychology and internal relations. On the practical level, every participant will be encouraged to practice negotiation techniques. The course will begin by presenting the conceptual framework and a behavioral definition of negotiation strategies. Negotiations will be discussed in relation to political, economic, cultural and personal goals, as a compound element of any decision-making process. This section of the course will be enhanced by the introduction of a working typology of approaches and negotiation strategies as well as through a discussion of the structure and components of negotiations. The course will end by analyzing approaches to negotiations (holism, ‘salami tactics,’ and ‘preferential sequences tactics’). Classes will consist of a series of interactive lectures enriched by exercises that will require every participant to put their theoretical knowledge into practice.

Polish-Jewish Relations in the 20th Century

This course surveys the political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of Polish-Jewish relations in the 20th century, focusing on the interwar years and the period of the Holocaust. It also looks at the memory of these relations in the post-World War II period. The major topics covered include: 1) patterns of emancipation, assimilation, and adaptation, 2) the rise of anti-Semitism, and 3) anti-Jewish violence. Several of the reading assignments are primary sources as well as discussions of documentary films.

Social and Economic Geography

The course is aimed at enhancing students’ knowledge of the political, social and economic geography of the world, with special attention paid to present-day problems and processes. On completion of the course, students will have become acquainted with contemporary human geography as a discipline. They should also be able to assess the importance of the global context and achieve a critical appreciation of globalization processes and their impact on the economic development of the world. The course will also focus on the problems of economic development as seen from a geographical perspective. It will discuss the environmental context of human activities and selected demographic issues such as population mobility and migration with an emphasis on their regional patterns. Economic activities (industry, agriculture, and services) will be presented in the context of their spatial distribution and regional characteristics. A considerable part of the course will be devoted to specific features of the social and economic problems of selected regions. Problems relating to the globalization processes and their impact on regional economic development will be presented in the end.

Japan: Tradition, Culture, Society

This course is an attempt at bringing closer the unique model created by the people of Japan for establishing relationships between themselves and others, including the outside world. Examples of Japan’s exposure to waves of foreign influence and the resulting consequences will be presented. A general pattern of absorption, adjustment and peaceful evolution rather than revolutionary changes will emerge as one of the formative mechanisms of the development of Japanese civilization.

Economic Psychology

Policy makers and others are increasingly aware that economics and psychology are closely connected. Indeed the great classical economists such as Adam Smith fully understood the psychological underpinnings of individual economic behavior as did such neo-classical economists as Pareto and Keynes. In recent years we have seen the emergence of Economic Psychology as an interdisciplinary approach that pulls together those two previously separate disciplines with the aim of giving us a better understanding of how peoples behave in their economic lives and how economic issues in society affect peoples behavior. Much of the most prestigious work in the economic field such as that of the Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kaheman has integrated the psychological into economic insight. This course looks at everyday economic and consumer behavior from a psychological and social psychological perspective. We will first examine some key psychological concepts such as cognition, motivation, perception and belief before focusing on specific aspects of economic and social life using psychological and social psychological frameworks. We will look at human behaviour in relation to money, saving and debt, taxation and tax avoidance, consumption, shopping, investing and advertising. We will also look at our attitude to material possessions and the environment. In addition, we will examine the process of consumer socialization of both children and adults.

Theory of International Relations

The course is designed as an introduction to the fundamental theories of international relations and regional integration, the acquaintance with which is indispensable to any International Relations student.

Contemporary Strategic Concepts