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| SPOL2212-1 | Geopolitics of Russia and Eurasia
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| Duration : | 30h Th |
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| Number of credits : |
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| Lecturer : | Nina Bachkatov |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| English language |
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Organisation and examination :
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| Teaching in the first semester, examination in June |
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Course contents :
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| A series of 10 lecture of 2 hours begins with a short socio-historical introduction geared to emphasise different elements which are still weighting on thinking in the new states born from the former USSR - with an accent on that affecting foreign relations. We study the evolution of the eurasian space, from Kievan Russ, to the formation of the Russian empire, the birth and death of the USSR, the creation of 15 new independent republics with common background but their own specificities in terms of external relations (with Russia,between themselves and with the world), the reorganisation of post-Soviet space into new regional organisations, the geopolitical games around them. Special attention is devoted to the question of national identity building in the original context of the collapse of Soviet ideological structures. Each time, the accent is put on elements providing better understanding of today's options in foreign relations maters.
To the end, the lecture also analyses the elements of rupture and of continuity regarding the Soviet period, the new threats confronting the republics and the way they respond to them, the foreign policy actors, the external events influencing the decision making process. The last sessions are devoted to a systematic review of the different doctrines of foreign policy and security doctrines of the republics, in the framework of specific regional situation and international pressures. |
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| Two objectives :
- to equip the students with additional tools to understand the different situations in a geopolitical region that few of them are knowing well
- to apprehend the impact of the Soviet Union collapse on the situation of all the region but also on the evolution of the entire world.
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| No prerequisites are required - but an intellectual curiosity and a will to go beyond the oversimplification concerning this specific part of the world. |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| The lectures are essentially made by the professor, with eventually some invited guest. To facilitate notes taking, the students receive each time a summery of the topics of the day, in French. |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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Recommended or required readings :
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| The summary of the topics contains some recommended readings, in French and in English, regarding what was teached during the lecture. |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| The oral exams are programmed in June - but Erasmus students who are going home after a semester can ask a session in January. |
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Work placement(s) :
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Organizational remarks :
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| This course is held every even year (2012-2013, 2014-2015...). |
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Contacts :
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| nina.bachkatov@russia-eurasia.net |
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