In this class, we will discuss cutting-edge research from interdisciplinary scholars, covering various fields, including international law, International Relations, philosophy, political science, and psychology. Students will both gain a broader understanding of global governance research and go more in-depth in the analysis of specific strands of the literature.

Course Syllabus: Contestation of Global Governance (7,5 ECTS) (230 Kb)

We will discuss the theoretical perspectives, main arguments, findings, and methodological approaches of the covered research. There are seven seminars and, additionally, a reading list complementing the covered research. The first six seminars cover theories, empirical evidence, and methods, whereas the final seminar serves to discuss the final research paper. Students will write two literature reviews on two seminars and a final research paper. Active participation and preparation for the seven sessions are required for this course.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of contemporary global governance research, enabling in-depth analysis and critical evaluation, effective communication, research proficiency, and the application of knowledge in the field,
leading to the following key learning outcomes:

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary global governance research, covering various fields and theoretical perspectives, and develop critical evaluation skills to assess theories, methodologies, findings, and implications.
• Analyze specific strands of global governance literature in depth, integrating knowledge from presentations, reading materials, and discussions to synthesize a holistic understanding of the field.
• Enhance communication skills by actively participating in class discussions, presenting research findings, and articulating insights coherently and persuasively.
• Apply theoretical concepts, methodological approaches, and interdisciplinary perspectives learned in class to critically analyze real-world political phenomena, policy issues, and demonstrate an interdisciplinary understanding of global governance.

Participants in the course will be assessed by the quality in which they:

• Participate actively in seminars, which includes having readings completed in time
• Produce a short “memo” (1-2 pages) to be written in advance and sent ca. 24 hours to the course participants before two of the seminars. The memos should discuss, not just summarize, the literature from your perspective and answer the question of how you would apply the specific disciplinary perspective to your PhD thesis. It should also contain questions that can be discussed by the group. You should present your memo within a maximum of 5 minutes in the seminar.
• Produce a longer final paper of ca. 5000 words (excl. references) on a topic agreed with the course directors. The paper can be co-authored among PhD students of the course and should be written in the style of a journal article. Substantively, the paper should be clear in the disciplinary approach/es adopted and engage with the course literature of several seminars. The paper should be submitted no later than 16 June 2025.

For a survey course such as this – covering a wide theoretical terrain in fairly short time – attendance at every seminar is important. Students are allowed to miss no more than two seminars under extraordinary circumstances, and ideally those should be approved in advance. A make-up assignment consisting of a 4-page text summarizing the readings and applying them to your topic should be submitted on the day of the seminar, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Before we begin, a brief clarification: "Optional" is an optional reading. Each seminar has about 80 pages of reading plus about 20 pages of optional readings.

Find the course schedule and literature list in the course syllabus: 

Course Syllabus: Contestation of Global Governance (7,5 ECTS) (230 Kb)