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Regular version of the site
Master 2020/2021

Russia in World Politics

Category 'Best Course for Career Development'
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type: Elective course (Comparative Politics of Eurasia)
Area of studies: Political Science
When: 2 year, 1, 2 module
Mode of studies: offline
Instructors: Irina Busygina
Master’s programme: Comparative Politics of Eurasia
Language: English
ECTS credits: 6
Contact hours: 36

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course is devoted to the analysis of various roles that Russia is claiming to play in the contemporary world politics, and Russian positioning at different scales – global and regional. Theoretical part of the course is supported by empirical cases.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • The main goal of the course is the analysis of Russia's role in world politics, its relations with China, EU, USA and BRICs. The course introduces students to Russia's strategies in international field and offers different perspectives on Russia's foreign policies
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Able to use relevant research results in political science and adjacent sciences, to develop applications of political science for solving practical tasks
  • Able to develop proposals and recommendations for applied research and consulting
  • Student knows Russia's place in world politics' hierarchy
  • Student is familiar with Russia's direction in IR
  • Student is familiar with notion of great power politics and its manifestation in Russia's case
  • Student is familiar with Russia's view on relationship between Russia and USA
  • Student knows main manifestations of the global power
  • Student knows Russia's role as a member of IO
  • Student is familiar with notion of soft power and its use by Russia
  • Student knows the role of BRICs and its significance for Russia
  • Student knows role and reasons for Russian engagement in Africa
  • Student distinguishes between main points of Russia-EU relations' history
  • Student is familiar with modern state of Russia-EU relations
  • Student is familiar with notion of coalition-building and its applicability for Russia's case
  • Student distinguishes between notions of regional leadership and regional hegemony
  • Student is familiar with Cino-Russian relations
  • Student understands the significance of cooperation for Russia
  • Student is familiar with Russia's strategy in the post-Soviet region
  • Student understands Russia's role in world politics
  • Student is familiar with Russia-Ukraine relationship
  • Student understands relations between Russia and de facto states
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Introduction to the course
  • The rise of Russia (in Eurasia and elsewhere) and its explanations.
  • Russia: The rise or decline?
  • Great power Russia. Great power politics.
  • Russia / US relations (from Russian perspective)
  • Global power: operating far beyond the borders
  • Russia as a member of IOs
  • Soft power Russia
  • BRICS: alternative for the West
  • Russian engagement in Africa
  • Evolution of Russia -EU relations: 1994 - 2019
  • Russia-EU relations
  • Coalition-building
  • Regional leadership and regional hegemony
  • Russia and China
  • Russia: Looking for allies
  • Post-Soviet space
  • Russia: Peace-builder? Security guarantor? Instability producer?
  • Russia and Ukraine
  • Russia and de facto states
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Class participation
    Contribution of a student to discussions during seminars, her / his knowledge of the subject and level of literature comprehension.
  • non-blocking Essay
  • non-blocking Final Exam
    An exam is conducted in the session period in a written format (open questions)
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • Interim assessment (2 module)
    0.25 * Class participation + 0.3 * Essay + 0.45 * Final Exam
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Busygina, I. (2018). Russia–EU Relations and the Common Neighborhood : Coercion Vs. Authority. London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1560734
  • Tsygankov, A. P. (2018). Routledge Handbook of Russian Foreign Policy. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1735577

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • A twenty-first century concert of powers promoting great power multilateralism for the post-transatlantic era The 21st Century Concert Study Group. Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. (2014). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.427237939