Rising Powers in World Politics

Instructor: Andrej Krickovic ECTS: 3 ects Modules: 1,2

Course description:

We are in the middle of an unprecedented shift in wealth and power away from the West and towards the countries of the developing world. How will this dramatic shift in power affect international relations? Are we headed towards an era of increased instability and great power conflict? Or will the rise of the developing world increase economic equality and political representation at the level of global politics? This class will explore these and other questions through the lens of international relations theory. We will focus on the five major rising powers: Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa (colloquially known as the BRICS), looking at the domestic and international factors that are behind their rise and the impact they have had on major areas of international politics. We will also look at the approaches they take to major 21st Century policy questions, such as terrorism, economic development, climate change, and reform to international financial institutions after the latest economic crisis.

Prerequisites: