English for International Affairs & Business

2025/2026

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

4

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

School of Foreign Languages

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

3 year, 1-4 module

Instructors

Andreeva, Elena

Bagrintseva, Natalya

Vertlib, Ksenia

Dugartsyrenova, Vera

Ivanova, Olimpiada F.

Karamalak, Olga

Лукашенко Анна Дмитриевна

Petrova, Elena

Саулина Мария Алексеевна

Course Syllabus

Abstract

English for International Affairs and Business aims at shaping the communicative and professional competence in English that underlies the language and professional development of a BA (Bachelor of Arts) majoring in Economics and International Affairs. The communicative and professional competence in English implies an ability to interact in English in the context of cross-cultural professional communication.This course offers two sub-courses: English for International Business and English for Political Studies. Language skills that lead to the competence in English being shaped are developed when studying authentic texts on a wide range of professionally relevant topics. This allows students to acquire knowledge on topical issues related to international affairs, politics and business. Due to instruction techniques, learning is practice-oriented.

Learning Objectives

• - to broaden and expand the students’ proficiency and knowledge of English; - to develop the students’ listening skills to enable them to understand and to use the information from the input; - to develop the students’ reading skills for the gist and detailed information, to make inferences and deduce the meanings from the context; - to develop the students’ speaking skills to enable them to produce a structured talk on the issue in question.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• be able to discuss the foundations of the modern international relations system
• use the vocabulary necessary to describe global governance and its evolution
• conduct a case study using professional terms and academic vocabulary
• be able to discuss the UN’s role in global governance
• use the vocabulary necessary to talk about the United Nations’ problems and goals
• use the cliché phrases appropriate for international organizations’ meetings
• write a policy paper identifying problems related to the professional field and offering solutions
• be able to discuss NGOs as actors of international affairs
• use the vocabulary necessary to describe strong and weak sides of nongovernmental organizations
• conduct PEST analysis using professional terms and academic vocabulary
• be able to discuss the role of states as protectors and abusers of human rights
• use the vocabulary necessary to describe key forms and areas of domestic human rights protection as well as major human rights violations
• be able to make/decline/accept a proposal in a negotiation process using appropriate vocabulary
• apply negotiation strategies during professional debates
• be able to analyse discuss the role of states as protectors and abusers of human rights
• be able to discuss international human rights institutions and mechanisms
• use the vocabulary necessary to describe the areas of NGOs’ human rights activities and limits to NGOs' global operation
• apply active listening skills during debates and negotiations
• be able to participate in interviews related to professional topics
• be able to discuss global economic governance
• use the vocabulary necessary to describe key economic governance institutions and their areas of operation
• read and analyze foreign language texts related to professional topics
• analyze foreign language presentations and interviews related to professional topics
• - understand and use Business terminology specific to human resource management - read, analyse and discuss authentic articles from professional journals and magazines - understand and discuss authentic interviews on Business news channels - use idiomatic expressions (sea idioms) - deliver a well-structured and focussed talk on the topic of HR management - take part in group discussion of a case in HR, offering a solution with good quality arguments - make a group presentation of the solutions
• - understand and use Business terminology specific to change management and disruptive innovation; - read, analyse and discuss authentic articles from professional journals and magazines; - understand and discuss an authentic lecture on crowdsourcing; - use phrasal verbs, nouns formed from phrasal verbs, collocations with ‘set’; - deliver a well-structured and focused talk on the topic of Disruptive Innovations; - take part in group discussion on creativity in business
• - understand and use Business terminology specific to social responsibility of business and ESG; - read, analyse and discuss authentic articles from professional journals and magazines; - understand and discuss a documentary on tax avoidance and tax evasion; - use phrasal verbs, - use a variety of negative prefixes; - deliver a well-structured and focused talk on the topic of ESG; - take part in group discussion of ethical and unethical behaviour
• - understand and use Business terminology specific to corporate governance - read, analyse and discuss authentic articles from professional journals and magazines - understand and discuss a documentary on executive compensation - use idiomatic expressions - deliver a well-structured and focussed talk on the topic of corporateb governance - take part in group discussion of various challenges related to the need to change the way a company is managed
• - understand and use Business terminology specific to resource management; - read, analyse and discuss authentic articles from professional journals and magazines; - understand and discuss an interview on alternative energies; - use idiomatic expressions; - deliver a well-structured and focused talk on the topic of resources; - take part in a debate on the future of nuclear energy
• - understand and use Business terminology specific to leadership in business; - read, analyse and discuss authentic articles from professional journals and magazines; - understand and discuss an interview on power politics; - use English proverbs; - deliver a well-structured and focused talk on the topic of leadership; - take part in a discussion of various leadership styles; - make a group presentation of a case study on leadership
• - understand and use Business terminology specific to marketing and e-marketing; - read, analyse and discuss authentic articles on marketing from professional journals and magazines; - understand and discuss an interview on digital technologies in marketing – recognize puns in English-language advertising; - deliver a well-structured and focused talk on the topic of e-marketing; - take part in a discussion of innovative approaches to e-marketing; - write a press-release
• - understand and use Business terminology specific to risk management; - read, analyse and discuss authentic articles on risk management from professional journals and magazines; - understand and discuss an interview on types of risks in business – recognize loanwords; - deliver a well-structured and focused talk on the topic of risk management; - take part in negotiations; - write a report on the results of negotiations
• - understand and use Business terminology relate to corporate crime; - read, analyse and discuss authentic articles on corporate crime from professional journals and magazines; - understand and discuss an interview on types of whitecollar crime – recognize and use euphemisms; - deliver a presentation on a high-profile case of misconduct
• learn about power and ways to measure it, about soft and hard power, their actors
• research countries' soft power initiatives
• learn the structure of issue debate and try it out
• learn about responsbility to protect
• research various actors' initiatives in the sphere of R2P
• discuss humanitarian intervention
• debate the issue
• learn about the just war theory, rules of war
• discuss changes in the way war is waged and the future of war
• discuss collateral damage from a novel angle
• learn about types of diplomacy, principles of negotiation, stages of negotiation
• discuss negotiation strategies
• create a checklist for negotiation

Course Contents

• International Relations 1. The State System and Its Weakness
• International Relations 2: The UN
• International Relations 3: NGOs
• International Relations 4: States as Protectors and Abusers of Human Rights
• International Relations 5: International Human Rights Institutions
• International Relations 6: Global Economic Governance
• Business English 1: Human Resources
• Business English 2: Disruptive Innovation
• Business English-3: ESG
• Business English - 4: Corporate Governance
• Business English 5: Competition
• Business English 6: Leadership
• Business English 7: E-marketing
• Business English 8: Risk Management
• Business English 9: Misconduct
• International Relations 7. Power
• International Relations 8. R2P
• International Relations 9. Armed Conflicts
• International Relations 10. Diplomacy. Negotiations.

Assessment Elements

• IR M1 participation
• IR M2 participation
• IR M3 participation
• IR M1-2 quizzes
• IR M3-4 quizzes
• IR home reaction paper
• IR M3 team case study
• IR M4 Human rights summit
• IR M4 policy paper
• IR M1 Debate in writing
• IR M3 Roundtable
• IR Term 1 Exam
• IR Term 2 Exam
• BE M1-2 participation
• BE M3-4 participation
• BE M1-2 quizzes
• BE M3-4 quizzes
• BE M1-2 Listening
• BE M3-4 Listening
• BE M1-2 Business communication tasks
• BE M3-4 Business communication tasks
• BE M1 Test
• BE M3 Test
• BE Term 1 Exam
• BE Term 2 Exam

Interim Assessment

• 2025/2026 2nd module
  0.1 * BE M1 Test + 0.025 * BE M1-2 Business communication tasks + 0.025 * BE M1-2 Business communication tasks + 0.025 * BE M1-2 Listening + 0.025 * BE M1-2 Listening + 0.025 * BE M1-2 participation + 0.025 * BE M1-2 participation + 0.025 * BE M1-2 quizzes + 0.025 * BE M1-2 quizzes + 0.2 * BE Term 1 Exam + 0.1 * IR M1 Debate in writing + 0.05 * IR M1 participation + 0.025 * IR M1-2 quizzes + 0.025 * IR M1-2 quizzes + 0.05 * IR M2 participation + 0.2 * IR Term 1 Exam + 0.05 * IR home reaction paper
• 2025/2026 4th module
  0.1 * BE M3 Test + 0.025 * BE M3-4 Business communication tasks + 0.025 * BE M3-4 Business communication tasks + 0.025 * BE M3-4 Listening + 0.025 * BE M3-4 Listening + 0.025 * BE M3-4 participation + 0.025 * BE M3-4 participation + 0.025 * BE M3-4 quizzes + 0.025 * BE M3-4 quizzes + 0.2 * BE Term 2 Exam + 0.1 * IR M3 Roundtable + 0.025 * IR M3 participation + 0.025 * IR M3 participation + 0.025 * IR M3 team case study + 0.025 * IR M3-4 quizzes + 0.025 * IR M3-4 quizzes + 0.025 * IR M4 Human rights summit + 0.05 * IR M4 policy paper + 0.2 * IR Term 2 Exam

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• A war on terror? : the European stance on a new threat, changing laws and human rights implications, , 2010
• Adressing the challenges of globalization : an independent evaluation of the World Bank's approach to global programs, , 2004
• Alex J. Bellamy, & Nicholas J. Wheeler. (2001). Humanitarian Interventions and World Politics. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.C86B99F8
• An introduction to the international law of armed conflicts, Kolb, R., 2010
• Assessing the United Nations register of conventional arms / United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. (2009). New York/N.Y. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.389431923
• Berridge, G. (2015). Diplomacy : Theory and Practice (Vol. Fifth edition). Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1054179
• Catalysts for change : how the UN's independent experts promote human rights, Piccone, T., 2012
• Cingranelli, D., & Filippov, M. (2018). Are Human Rights Practices Improving? American Political Science Review, (04), 1083. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.cup.apsrev.v112y2018i04p1083.1089.00
• Ciot, M.-G. (2014). Negotiation and Foreign Policy Decision Making. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=790735
• Citizen e-participation in urban governance : crowdsourcing and collaborative creativity, , 2013
• Climate change and water resources, Rosales, J., 2019
• Contests for corporate control : corporate governance and economic performance in the United States and Germany, O'Sullivan, M., 2001
• Diplomacy : a very short introduction, Siracusa, J. M., 2010
• Diplomacy. Vol.1: Theory of diplomacy, , 2004
• e-Marketing : applications of information technology and the Internet within marketing, Molenaar, C., 2012
• E-marketing, Strauss, J., 2012
• Encyclopedia of white-collar & corporate crime. Vol.1: A - I, , 2005
• Encyclopedia of white-collar & corporate crime. Vol.2: J - Z, , 2005
• G. R. Berridge. (2022). Diplomacy : Theory and Practice (Vol. 6th ed. 2022). Palgrave Macmillan.
• Hehir, A. (2013). Humanitarian Intervention : An Introduction (Vol. Second edition). Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1525103
• Humanitarian intervention and the United Nations, MacQueen, N., 2011
• Ivanov, S., McFadden, M., & Anyu, J. N. (2021). Examining and Comparing Good and Bad Leaders Based on Key Leadership Characteristics: A Leadership Case Study. International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 13(3), 275–281.
• Kathuria, R., & Nagpal, N. K. (2016). Global Economic Cooperation : Views From G20 Countries. New Delhi: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1102145
• Kissinger, H. (2012). Diplomacy. London: Simon & Schuster UK. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1992748
• Lackey, D. P. (2015). Soft Power, Hard Power, and Smart Power. Philosophical Forum, 46(1), 121–126. https://doi.org/10.1111/phil.12059
• Managing human resources : personnel management in transition, , 2005
• Martin, C. J., & Mansbridge, J. J. (2016). Political Negotiation : A Handbook. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1106024
• Meng, S., & Haina, L. (2020). China and the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council: Is China Cooperative and Can They Work Better With Each Other? Human Rights Quarterly, 42(2), 357–391. https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2020.0021
• New directions in global economic governance : managing globalisation in the twenty-first century, , 2004
• NGOs and organizational change : discourse, reporting, and learning, Ebrahim, A., 2005
• Renewable energy and climate change, Quaschning, V., 2020
• Risk management in plain english : a guide for executives, Marks, N., 2018
• Routledge handbook of ethics and war : just war theory in the twenty-first century, , 2013
• SENDING, O. J., & NEUMANN, I. B. (2006). Governance to Governmentality: Analyzing NGOs, States, and Power. International Studies Quarterly, 50(3), 651–672. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2478.2006.00418.x
• Shaping business leaders : what B-schools don't do, Bhandarker, A., 2008
• The European Union at the United Nations : intersecting multilateralisms, , 2006
• The G8, the United Nations, and conflict prevention, , 2004
• The politics of responsibility to protect : problems and prospects, Niemelä, P., 2008
• The Routledge handbook of soft power, , 2020
• The United Nations : an introduction, Gareis, S. B., 2005
• The United Nations and international law, , 2001
• Wallerstein, I. (2005). After Developmentalism and Globalization, What? Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.1EC74E4D
• Western, J., & Goldstein, J. S. (2011). Humanitarian Intervention Comes of Age. Foreign Affairs, 90(6), 48. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=f5h&AN=66803891

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• A dictionary of human rights, Robertson, D., 2005
• Baidu : как китайский поисковик с помощью искусственного интеллекта обыграл Google, Ли, Р., 2021
• Best, J. (2007). Legitimacy dilemmas: the IMF’s pursuit of country ownership. Third World Quarterly, 28(3), 469–488. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436590701192231
• Black, J. (2010). A History of Diplomacy. London: Reaktion Books. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=342741
• Cases in corporate governance, Wearing, R., 2005
• Competition and corporate governance in Korea : reforming and restructuring the chaebol, , 2004
• Constituting Europe : the European Court of Human Rights in a national, European and global context, , 2013
• Creative destruction and the sharing economy : Uber as disruptive innovation, Schneider, H., 2017
• Diplomacy games : formal models and international negotiations, , 2007
• Diplomacy. Vol.2: History of diplomacy, , 2004
• Diplomacy. Vol.3: Problems and issues in contemporary diplomacy, , 2004
• Edward P. Lazear, & Kathryn L. Shaw. (2007). Personnel Economics: The Economist’s View of Human Resources. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.C7133C81
• English for human resources, Pledger, P., 2007
• Farrell, M. (2013). Modern Just War Theory : A Guide to Research. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=588619
• Galluccio, M. (2015). Handbook of International Negotiation : Interpersonal, Intercultural, and Diplomatic Perspectives. Cham: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=923416
• Hard power, soft power and the future of transatlantic relations, , 2006
• Henrikson, A. K. (2006). Diplomacy’s Possible Futures. Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 1(1), 3–27. https://doi.org/10.1163/187119006X101870
• Hesselman, M., & Lane, L. (2017). Disaster and Non-State Actors:Human Rights-Based Approaches. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.9834DB8D
• Humanitarian intervention : ethical, legal, and political dilemmas / ed. by J. L. Holzgrefe . (2003). Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.107689367
• Humanitarian intervention : ideas in action, Weiss, T. G., 2016
• Humanitarian intervention: a history, Simms, B., 2011
• International authority and the responsibility to protect, Orford, A., 2011
• International development co-operation : selected essays by H.W. Singer on aid and the United Nations system, Singer, H. W., 2001
• Just war theory, , 2013
• Kelly, I. (2016). Is the Time Right for Human Rights NGOs to Collaborate with Businesses that Want to Stop Dabbling with “Corporate Social Responsibility” and Start Making Social Impact? Journal of Human Rights Practice, 8(3), 422–435. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhuman/huw015
• Making global economic governance effective : hard and soft law institutions in a crowded world, Kirton, J., 2010
• Negotiating decolonization in the United Nations : politics of space, identity, and international community, Patil, V., 2008
• NGOs as newsmakers : the changing landscape of international news, Powers, M., 2018
• Nye, J. S. . (DE-588)128376856, (DE-576)162411480. (2004). Soft power : the means to success in world politics / Joseph S. Nye. New York, NY: Public Affairs. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.111331528
• Nye, J. S. (2004). Soft Power : The Means to Success in World Politics (Vol. 1st ed). New York: PublicAffairs. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=461952
• Patti Collett Miles, & Grant Miles. (2013). Corporate social responsibility and executive compensation: exploring the link. Social Responsibility Journal, (1), 76. https://doi.org/10.1108/17471111311307822?utm_campaign=RePEc&WT.mc_id=RePEc
• Ritala, P., & Stefan, I. (2021). A paradox within the paradox of openness: The knowledge leveraging conundrum in open innovation. Industrial Marketing Management ; Volume 93, Page 281-292 ; ISSN 0019-8501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2021.01.011
• SEMYONOV, A. (2017). “Global History Is More Than the History of Globalization”: Interview with Sebastian Conrad. Ab Imperio, 1, 23–44. https://doi.org/10.1353/imp.2017.0002
• Stock market efficiency, insider dealing and market abuse, Barnes, P., 2009
• Straight from the CEO : the world's top business leaders reveal ideas that every manager can use, Dauphinais, G.W., 1998
• Tharoor, S. (1999). Are Human Rights Universal? World Policy Journal, 16(4), 1. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=asn&AN=2717057
• The politics of nuclear energy in China, Xu, Yi-chong, 2010
• Therése Pettersson, & Peter Wallensteen. (2015). Armed conflicts, 1946–2014. Journal of Peace Research, (4), 536. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.sae.joupea.v52y2015i4p536.550
• Wolke, T. (2017). Risk Management. München: De Gruyter Oldenbourg. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1630319
• World history. Vol.2: Since 1500: the age of global integration, Upshur, J.-H. L., 2012
• Xue, L. (DE-588)1056126124, (DE-576)412766302. (2014). China as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council / Xue Lei. Berlin: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.416629911
• Yu.V. Yermakov, & Nadegda M. Starobinskaya. (2019). Creative Marketing Tools: Creative Advertising And Creative Strategies. Annals of Marketing-Mba. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.mmb.journl.articl.v1.3.19
• ZIEGLER, C. E. (2016). Contesting the Responsibility to Protect. International Studies Perspectives, 17(1), 75–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/insp.12085

Authors

• PETROVA ELENA YUREVNA
• MARINA OLGA ANATOLEVNA
• ANDREEVA ELENA IVANOVNA
• Lukashenko Anna Dmitrievna