2023/2024
Regional Processes in the Afro-Asian Region
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Mago-Lego
When:
4 module
Open to:
students of one campus
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
32
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of different regions in Asia and Africa from a comparative perspective. The students are expected to have some background knowledge about regions of Asia and Africa, their history, culture and socio-economic development, while the course will deepen this knowledge and teach students how to study and compare regions using different theoretical and thematic approaches. First, students will be introduced to major terms and theories applied in the studies of regions and regionalism and discuss their applicability to Asia and Africa. Second, the course will include an overview of regional orders in Asia and Africa. The next part of the course will discuss and compare regional governance and institutions in different spheres, namely security, trade and development cooperation, migration and environmental protection. Finally, the students will discuss inter-regional cooperation and impact of external actors on regional processes in Asia and Africa. The students’ progress is evaluated by assessing their participation in discussions during seminars, three tests and one essay.
Learning Objectives
- To provide students with an understanding of different regions in Asia and Africa from a comparative perspective
- To develop students’ skills in applying theories and concepts to the studies of regions and regionalism in Asia and Africa
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Applies correctly key terms of the course: region, regionalism, regionalization, and regional order
- Knows the history of regionalism and scholarly development of region studies, new and old regionalisms
- Is familiar with the major theoretical and conceptual approaches to regions and regionalism
- Analyses regions in Asia and Africa through the prism of different theories and concepts
- Is familiar with regional orders in Asia and Africa, their major institutions and processes
- Describes and compares regional governance (rules, norms, institutions) in Asia and Africa in the following spheres: security, trade and development cooperation, migration and environmental protection
- Assesses the role of outsiders in regional processes in Asia and Africa
- Explains the reasons for and forms of interregional cooperation in Asia and Africa
Course Contents
- Part 1. Introduction
- Part 2. Theoretical and conceptual approaches to regions and regionalism
- Part 3. Regional orders in Asia and Africa
- Part 4. Regional governance and regional institutions
- Part 5. Outsiders in Asian and African regions
Assessment Elements
- Test 1Test 1 is a written test with two types of questions: multiple choice and questions with short open answer. Altogether there are 10 questions, and students have 15 minutes to complete the test. Test 1 takes place during seminar 3 and checks students’ knowledge of lecture and seminar materials presented and discussed in Part 1 Introduction and Part 2 Theoretical and conceptual approaches to regions and regionalism (lectures 1, 2 and 3; seminars 1, 2 and 3).
- Test 2Test 2 is a written test with two types of questions: multiple choice and questions with open short answer. Test 2 takes place during seminar 5 checks students’ knowledge of lecture and seminar materials presented and discussed in Part 3 Regional orders in Asia and Africa” of the course (lectures 4 and 5; seminars 4 and 5). Altogether there are 10 questions, and students have 15 minutes to complete the test.
- Test 3Test 3 is a written test with two types of questions: multiple choice and questions with open short answer. Test 3 takes place during seminar 8 checks students’ knowledge of lecture and seminar materials presented and discussed in Part 4 Regional governance and regional institutions and Part 5 Outsiders in Asian and African regions course (lectures 6, 7 and 8; lectures 6, 7 and 8). Altogether there are 10 questions, and students have 15 minutes to complete the test.
- In-class participationLecturer evaluates students’ progress, including comprehension of lecture materials and assigned readings, as well as contribution to discussions. The component is calculated as an average grade achieved on all seminars. If a student is not able to attend the seminar due to illness or any other legitimate reason (relevant document should be provided), he/she is not graded for that seminar. In all other cases students are graded with 0 for the seminar they have missed.
- Final essayThe essay (2000 – 3000 words, including references) is a critical review of the existing literature on a specific topic covered during the course. Students have to notify the instructor what topic they have chosen by week 8 of the course. They can choose essay topics from the list provided by the instructor or come up with their own topic, which has to be approved by the instructor. The essay is due on the exam day by 3pm. It should be sent to the email address of the instructor (edsoboleva@hse.ru). Essays submitted after deadline are graded with “0”, unless documental proof is provided that a student was not able to submit the assignment on time due to illness or any other legitimate reasons (relevant document should be provided).
Interim Assessment
- 2023/2024 4th module0.3 * Final essay + 0.1 * In-class participation + 0.2 * Test 1 + 0.2 * Test 2 + 0.2 * Test 3
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Anastassia V. Obydenkova, & Alexander Libman. (2019). Authoritarian Regionalism in the World of International Organizations : Global Perspective and the Eurasian Enigma. OUP Oxford.
- Collins, K. (2009). Economic and Security Regionalism among Patrimonial Authoritarian Regimes: The Case of Central Asia. Europe-Asia Studies, 61(2), 249–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668130802630854
- Fawcett, L. (2004). Exploring Regional Domains: A Comparative History of Regionalism. International Affairs, 80(3), 429–446. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2346.2004.00391.x
- Gunter Schubert, Franziska Plümmer, & Anastasiya Bayok. (2020). Immigration Governance in East Asia : Norm Diffusion, Politics of Identity, Citizenship. Routledge.
- The Oxford handbook of comparative regionalism / edited by Tanja A. Börzel and Thomas Risse. (2016). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.45324369X
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Acharya, A. (1999). Imagined Proximities: The Making and Unmaking of Southeast Asia as a Region. Southeast Asian Journal of Social Science, 27(1), 55. https://doi.org/10.1163/030382499X00192
- Buzan, B., & Wæver, O. (2003). Regions and Powers : The Structure of International Security. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=125090