This course provides a broad introduction to the study of international relations. As a field of study, international relations focuses on the political, military, economic, and cultural interaction of state and non-state actors at the global level. The field therefore encompasses a diverse array of topics, from the causes of war to the politics of development, from international institutions to the environment. In this course, we begin by exploring the key concepts, foundational events, issues, and processes of international relations in order to provide the general knowledge and analytic tools necessary to understand, evaluate, and respond to a complex array of problems in the contemporary world.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. have a broad understanding of some of the most important ideas, issues and events in international relations particularly in the period since World War 1;
2. have an enhanced appreciation of the contemporary international relations agenda;
3. be able to better comprehend and articulate their thoughts on issues of major current significance;
4. have developed stronger research, writing and analytical skills; and
5. be well prepared for the comprehensive education in international relations offered by the School of Politics and International Relations.

Research-Led Teaching

International Relations is a discipline with a wide breadth of perspectives and approaches. What we will provide in this course is a foundation for understanding the ways in which differences in approach and perspective have developed over time. 

This class also incorporates cutting-edge theoretical developments and empirical findings from Associate Professor von Stein and Dr. Genauer’s research as well as the academic subfields in which they work. Associate Professor von Stein’s research focuses on the political dimensions of international law, with a specific interest in treaty commitment and compliance. She is particularly interested in human rights, environmental affairs, and autocratic politics. Dr. Genauer’s research focuses on political transitions and conflict resolution in the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as innovative teaching methods for International Relations’ classrooms and developments in International Relations theory.  

Research-led teaching is not simply about the research expertise that convenors can bring to a course, it also includes the ways in which courses’ skills acquisition and assessment are designed to enable students to acquire sound knowledge-acquisition skills. To this end, the course’s activities have been designed around reading comprehension as a skill central to political analysis. Therefore, students read and prepare comments about core texts for discussion in tutorial. Evidence gathering is also a core research skill. To this end, students are alerted to many potential sources for information and evidence that can be useful for students’ simulation participation and response essay. Thoughtful analysis and presentation of research findings is a crucial core research skill, and therefore the course contains two essay assessments to provide students with an opportunity to practice those skills. 

Examination Material or equipment

No additional materials (including mobiles) are allowed in the final examination room. With approval of the convenors English paper-dictionaries will be allowed for international students.

Required Resources

There is one required textbook for this course. This book will be available at the Harry Hartog bookstore on campus for purchase before the start of the semester. We strongly recommend that you purchase a paper copy of this textbook as soon as possible. Digital copies are also available to purchase on the publisher’s website, Book Depository, Amazon, and elsewhere.

Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, & Kenneth A. Schultz. 2019. World Politics: Interests, Interactions, and Institutions. International Student Fourth edition. New York & London: W.W. Norton & Company.

Additional assigned and recommended readings will be made available on the course’s Wattle page as relevant.

Recommended Resources

The ANU subscribes to many International Relations journals and periodicals. Being familiar with these sources and surveying at least some of them regularly will assist you in this course.

American Political Science Review

American Journal of Political Science

Australian Journal of Political Science

Australian Journal of International Affairs

Ethics and International Affairs

European Journal of International Relations

Foreign Affairs

International Organization

International Security

International Studies Perspectives

International Studies Quarterly

International Studies Review

International Theory Journal of Conflict Resolution

Journal of Peace Research Millennium

Review of International Studies

Security Studies

Third World Quarterly

World Politics

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

The information provided is a preliminary Class Outline. A finalised version will be available on Wattle and will be accessible after enrolling in this course. All updates, changes and further information will be uploaded on the course Wattle site and will not be updated on Programs and Courses throughout the semester. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Course Convenor.

Course convenor office hours:

Associate Professor Jana von Stein: Office hours by appointment. Please email jana.vonstein@anu.edu.au to make an appointment.

Dr. Jessica Genauer: Office hours Mondays 11-12 or by appointment. Please email jessica.genauer@anu.edu.au to make an appointment.

Requests for Extension:

All extension requests must be lodged through CASS's Assessment Extension Request form, citing the head tutor, Kelvin Lee (kelvin.lee@anu.edu.au) as the Course Convenor on the form. CASS's policy on extensions can be found here. We strongly encourage you to read it prior to applying for an extension, to ensure that you comply with the requirements.

Other referencing requirements:

It is a requirement of this course that your essay conform to academic writing standards and referencing. The Harvard referencing style is preferred. You may contact the ANU Academic Skills and Writing Centre for further advice. For details about the Harvard citation style please see the ANU style guide website at http://www.anu.edu.au/students/learning-development/academic-integrity/referencing/harvard.

Research quality assurance:

The convenors may ask to speak with you regarding your research for your essays (the process by which you gathered and analysed your research materials). These meetings are usually designed to help students improve their research skills and ensure their approach to research is of university standard. To this end, please keep all the notes, plans, drafts and research that you use for this essay.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	This course provides a broad introduction to the study of international relations. As a field of study, international relations focuses on the political, military, economic, and cultural interaction of state and non-state actors at the global level. The field therefore encompasses a diverse array of topics, from the causes of war to the politics of development, from international institutions to the environment. In this course, we begin by exploring the key concepts, foundational events, issues, and processes of international relations, and we provide the general knowledge and analytic tools necessary to understand, evaluate, and respond to a complex array of problems in the contemporary world. The course is structured into 12 weeks, each of which addresses a core issue area in International Relations. These include: Theoretical frameworks and core concepts of International Relations; the causes and strategies of war; domestic politics and war; international institutions and war; violence by non-state actors; the politics of trade and finance; economic and political development; international law; the global environment; and international human rights. Lectures illustrate concepts, theories, and core questions with real-world examples of interactions between actors in the international arena. A detailed week-by-week guide to lectures, required readings and recommended readings is provided in the Course Guide. Note that this class coincides with three public holidays in weeks 3, 7, and 12. Class will not meet as a result. Recorded lectures will be uploaded to Wattle for those weeks.

Tutorial Registration

Monday 11 February 10am tutorial signup on Wattle

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial Participation	10 %	01/01/9999	01/01/9999	1, 2, 3, 5
Weekly quizzes	10 %	01/01/9999	01/01/9999	1, 2, 3, 5
Midterm Exam	20 %	01/01/9999	01/01/9999	1, 2, 3, 5
Response Paper (1000 words)	30 %	25/05/2019	11/06/2019	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Final Examination	30 %	01/01/9999	01/01/9999	1, 2, 3, 5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using 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. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial Participation

Due date: Weekly throughout the semester

Value: 10% of your final mark

Tutorial participation marks will be based on evidence of having done the assigned readings, evidence of having thought about the issues, contribution and participation in class (including the simulation), and consideration and respect for other class members. If a student is unable to attend a specific lecture or would like to re-watch lectures in preparation for the exam, all lectures are available for watching online on the course’s Wattle page through Echo360. The audio is captured, and the slides are projected. Tutorial participation will include one task for the Syrian simulation, a Position Paper, that is worth 1% of the 10% overall tutorial participation grade. The position paper is due by 9am Friday 26 April (Week 7). The simulation task is non-graded; completion of the task will award the student 1% of the 10% tutorial participation grade. The Position Paper needs to be uploaded to your tutorial’s Wattle forum by the deadline.

Syrian Conflict Simulation Description

The simulation will extend throughout the semester with participatory activities run in tutorial groups. The simulation is focused on the current Syrian conflict and culminates in a simulated multi-stakeholder peace conference in Weeks 9 & 10. The current Syrian conflict began in 2011, spurred by the 'Arab Spring.' It has led to the deaths of over 450,000 people and has created millions of refugees. The conflict has affected the Syrian population as well as the stability of neighbouring states, and has led to an escalation of tensions between the US and Russia. Several failed attempts at peace negotiations have been conducted in recent years. The simulation is designed to enhance students’ engagement with the course material via a real-life application. This simulation will allow students the opportunity to research this internationalised civil conflict and to understand the incentives and interests of different state and non-state actors. Actors can have their own interests which might not coincide with ending the conflict. The simulation lifecycle is consistent with those outlined in the literature: pre-play research and planning; early stage; development; debriefing, assessment, & evaluation. The focus of this simulation is on documents uploaded to Wattle and in-person tutorials. Students will make submissions and interact cooperatively and competitively to reach goals based on their assigned roles.

Each tutorial group of 15 students operates as a discreet simulation, with 15 separate actors that each have an interest in the outcome of the Syrian Civil conflict. Each student is randomly assigned an actor in the first tutorial (week 2) - which will be their role throughout the semester. Roles will include international organisations (e.g. United Nations, Gulf Cooperation Council), government actors (e.g. Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Iran, US, and Russia), and non-state actors (e.g. Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS); Hezbollah; ISIS; the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF); the Syrian Liberation Front (SLF); and the White Helmets). Whilst students are expected to understand their actor's real-world character, objectives, and constraints and should use these as basic parameters for their actor's range of action, students may freely strategise, operate, negotiate, and collaborate beyond the actions already undertaken by their actor in the real-world.

Tutors and the course conveners will be moderators. Moderators have social, teaching, and organisational roles and are crucial to student engagement and ensuring the simulation is moving forward. Assessment during the simulation will be included into tutorial participation marks, and as part of a response paper in the last third of the class. These assessments are designed to enhance the learning outcomes for this class including an experiential knowledge of theoretical approaches to international relations, capacity to develop skills in negotiation, diplomacy, and organisational work, an understanding of current and historical events of international significance, and the development of strong research, writing, and analytical skills. Students will also be well prepared for future classes within the School of Politics and International Relations.

Position Paper

A position paper is a short outline of an actor’s position in relation to a topic, dispute or negotiation, which is written before a conference and specifically reflects the position and actions of the actor represented.

Guided questions for writing the Position Paper are provided in the Course Guide.

Due Date: Week 7, Friday 26 April, 9am

Value: 1% of 10% tutorial participation grade. This task is a strict liability task, in that failure to upload the Position Paper results in a mark of 0, whereas a completed uploaded Position Paper receives 1% of the 10% tutorial participation grade. The written position paper is to be uploaded to the tutorial Wattle forum before 9am Friday in week 7. 

Assessment Task 2

Weekly quizzes

Due date: Weekly throughout the semester

Value: 10% of your final mark

Weekly online quizzes, posted on Wattle, gauge your ongoing understanding of the assigned readings and lecture material. All five weekly quiz questions are randomly assigned by student and are taken from a pool of possible questions, so students will receive different combinations of questions. Quizzes may be taken up to three times, but the questions will differ each time. There is no time limit for the quizzes and they may be completed with use of the textbook, so take your time and be sure to get each question correct before submitting your answers. These quizzes are automatically graded by Wattle. Your final mark for this 10% of your final grade will represent the average mark of all twelve weeks of quizzes. Therefore, each individual quiz represents less than 1% of your final grade. The aim of these quizzes is to (1) encourage you to regularly keep up with the reading and (2) provide you with regular feedback regarding your understanding of the reading material.

Assessment Task 3

Midterm Exam

Due date: TBD

Value: 20% of your final mark

This exam will be conducted by the ANU examinations office and will evaluate students’ knowledge of the readings and course material and their ability to write a clear, coherent, and concisely argued essay about course material. You will have 15 minutes reading time, and 90 minutes to complete the exam. More information about the midterm structure and rubric will be made available on Wattle and discussed during lecture and tutorial. Access & Inclusion is in charge of transmitting EAPs to the Exams office, but we recommend that students confirm this with their contact person at Access & Inclusion when the midterm is scheduled.

Assessment Task 4

Response Paper (1000 words)

Due date: 28 May by 9am, uploaded through Turnitin (link on Wattle)

Estimated return date: 11 June

Word limit: 1000 words. University policy states that a 10% range of the target word count is acceptable. Therefore, for this assignment 900-1,100 words is acceptable, not counting footnotes and bibliography.

Value: 30% of your final mark

The main means to evaluate several course learning outcomes (specifically #3 & #4) is through this writing assignment. The main goal of this paper is to have you synthesise your knowledge of the theoretical topics covered in this course, your Syrian simulation experience, and the links you see between theories of international relations, current events, and their individual views of these links. 

Response paper topic question: What insights do International Relations core concepts and/or theoretical frameworks provide into strategies, interactions, and outcomes in the simulated Syrian Peace Summit run in weeks 9 & 10? Where do they fall short?

Response paper grading rubric

Essay grades will be calculated using the following rubric. 

1. Cohesive formulation (40%): The response paper poses a well-formulated response to the all parts of the question.
2. Critical engagement (40%): the response paper critically engages with the International Relations concepts and theories discussed in this course and appropriately applies them to explain their actors’ objectives, strategies, and experience.
3. Structure (10%): The essay has clear topic sentences, it is well structured, and paragraphs are clearly organised.
4. Editing (10%): The essay has clearly been proof-read and drafted and contains no/few grammatical errors. 

Assessment Task 5

Final Examination

Due date: Final exam period. ANU determines exam date roughly four weeks before the exam period.

Value: 30% of your final mark

Duration: 15-minute reading period and two-hour writing time. 

This course’s final exam will be held during the ANU examination period. It is the College policy that all exams are blind marked and they are not returned to the students, nor are comments provided. You may contact the conveners within 30 working days of the release of results to learn your specific exam mark, or to request an appeal. The structure of the final exam will be discussed during lectures and in tutorial. Access & Inclusion is in charge of transmitting EAPs to the Exams office, but we recommend that students confirm this with their contact person at Access & Inclusion when the midterm is scheduled.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

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. The Response Paper (Assessment Item #4) is to be uploaded via the weblink provided in Wattle.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

All extension requests must be lodged through CASS's Assessment Extension Request form, citing the head tutor, Kelvin Lee (kelvin.lee@anu.edu.au) as the Course Convenor on the form. Applications that do not conform to the requirements will be declined. CASS's policy on extensions can be found here. We strongly encourage you to read it prior to applying for an extension, to ensure that you comply with the requirements.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Essays will be available on Turnitin by the indicated return date. If there is a delay, students will be advised via email and on Wattle.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Online Submission: All reaction papers are submitted using Turnitin on the course’s Wattle site. You will be required to electronically sign a declaration of authorship as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records.

Students may resubmit their assignments on Turnitin before the due date if they are not happy with their text-matching report. Turnitin allows only one resubmission per 24 hours. There are no other conditions under which assignments may be resubmitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students