Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

The focus of this year's special topics course is Global Health. Please disregard the above course description which is for an old special topic. We are working to have it removed.

What happens when one guy comes down with some sort of pneumonia at a hotel in Hong Kong? Under most circumstances, not much of anything. Under the right circumstances, though, this single event leads to the worldwide outbreak of SARS. When this sort of occurrence happens, no state can act on its own. The transnational spread of disease and illness necessitates international cooperation—but that can be difficult to achieve. How and under what circumstances does the international community come together to address transnational health issues? What role should national governments, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector play? Who should pay for such activities? How have states responded to health threats throughout history? These are the questions that will guide us over the course of the semester. We will draw on a wide variety of disciplines, including political science (obviously), history, public health, economics, anthropology, and others, to try and disentangle the relationships between health, politics, and the international community. The course does not assume any prior knowledge of public health or epidemiology.

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

Demonstrate a keen understanding of the intersections between health and international relations both historically and in the contemporary era;

Appreciate the debates over how best to conceptualize this relationship and see how different analytical frames have been used at different times and for different health issues;

Describe the various actors involved in global health governance and how those actors have evolved over time;

Communicate their understanding of these themes through participation in class and various assessment exercises.

Indicative Assessment

• Short essay, 1000 words, 20%
• Two reading reviews, 800 to 1000 words each, 20% each
• Long essay, 3000 words, 40%

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links