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Semester 1

Russia's Foreign and Security Policy (PLIT10135)

Subject

Politics

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

3

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

Visiting students must have completed 4 Politics courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses, and we cannot consider interdisciplinary courses or courses without sufficient Politics/Government/International Relations focus. **Please see Additional Restrictions below**

Course Summary

Russia's tense relations with Ukraine and its military intervention in Syria have placed Moscow yet again at the top of security concerns for Europe and the US. The course introduces students to the complexities of Russia's international relations, including the tools and methods of its foreign and security policy. The course will allow students to compare, using concrete examples, traditional military-focused and non-traditional approaches to security and foreign policy. It will cover themes such as the making of foreign and security policy, the role of domestic political and economic factors and the influence of ideas on the formulation of Russia's foreign policy. We will also take a closer look at Russia's relations with its key partners and competitors.

Course Description

This course examines Russia's international relations with special reference to ideational, domestic and international factors that shape Russia's engagement with the world. It pays attention to the policy-making process and to specific tools and methods of Russia's foreign and security policy, as well as to major directions of Russia's foreign policy. **The course will be divided into two parts. Part one will analyse the historical context of Russia's contemporary international relations, the process of formulating Russia's foreign and security policy, with special reference to the role of domestic political, ideational and economic factors. Further it will explore the role of communication in Russia's foreign policy and compare hard, soft and sharp power capabilities. Part two will focus on the directions of Russia's foreign policy with respect to such countries, regions and organisations as: the EU, the post-Soviet region, the US and NATO, the Middle East, China and Asia. The course will conclude with an assessment of Russia's approach to and role in global governance. **The course will allow students to consider whether and how concepts developed in the discipline of International Relations, such as soft power or strategic narrative, can be used to explain Russia's international relations. Students will also compare how these concepts have been employed in academic literature, media and policy discourses. The module has a substantial practical orientation. Tutorials will use group-work, discussion and quick-fire practical activities through which students will e.g. compare the coverage of major international events by Russian and international media, identify elements of strategic narrative and ideology in policy statements, strategies and speeches, practice critical analysis of media narratives about Russia's foreign policy.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 90%, Practical Exam 10%

Additional Restrictions

Unless you are nominated on a Politics exchange agreement, visiting students are only permitted to enrol in one Politics course each, per semester, before the start of the relevant semester’s welcome period – and spaces on each course are limited so cannot be guaranteed for any student. Enrolment in a second Politics course will depend on whether there are still spaces available in the September Welcome Period, and cannot be guaranteed. It is NOT appropriate for students to contact staff within this subject area to ask for an exception to be made; all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. This is due to the limited number of spaces available in this very popular subject area.

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