A basic knowledge of the Fundamental Rights and Legal Theory.

The aim of the course is to analyze the Global Governance from a conceptual, political, and historical point of view. The course will consider a diversified literature to provide students with a wide range of perspectives.  

By the end of the course the student should be able to: 

• Understand the key theories and debates in global governance and political institutions.
• Analyze the role of major international organizations.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and legitimacy of global governance mechanisms.
• Explore case studies on contemporary global governance challenges.
• Develop critical thinking and policy analysis skills.

This course will address both the conceptual foundations and historical evolution of global governance. It begins with a set of fundamental questions: Who governs the world? How do international institutions and other actors contribute to the provision of governance? What historical developments have shaped the current architecture of global governance? Why did global governance emerge, and where is it heading?

The course explores the structures, processes, and challenges of global governance and political institutions. It examines the roles played by international organizations, sovereign states, non-state actors, and transnational networks in addressing pressing global issues such as climate change, economic regulation, international security, and human rights protection. Special attention will be given to institutional design, questions of legitimacy, and the complex interactions between global and domestic governance frameworks.

Course Structure & Topics:

Module 1: Theoretical Foundations (Definitions and Key Concepts). 

Module 2: The historical idea of Global Government. 

Module 3: Emergence and evolution of International Organizations.

Module 4: Regional organizations and the history of European Union Integration. 

Module 5: Re-thinking Democracy and Rule of Law from the past to the present.

Exam texts:

• (A) B. Reinalda, Routledge history of international organizations: from 1815 to the present day, London-New York, Routledge, 2009, ISBN 9780415850445, Part VI, Part VIII, Part XVI.
• (A)T. G. Weiss, Global Governance: Why? What? Whither?, Cambridge: Polity, 2015 ISBN: 9780745660462.
• (C) S. Cassese, The Global polity. Global dimensions of democracy and rule of law, Sevilla: Global Law Press-Editorial Derecho Global 2012, ISBN 9788493634964  https://www.globallawpress.org/extras/archivos/2023/02-TheGlobalPolity.pdf

The teaching is conducted entirely in English.

• The course adopts a blended approach that combines traditional lectures with seminar-based activities to foster both knowledge acquisition and active student engagement.

  Lectures will introduce key concepts, analytical tools, and theoretical frameworks for understanding and evaluating global governance. These sessions will make use of slides, videos, data trends, and interactive visual materials (e.g. graphs, charts) to facilitate learning.

  Seminar sessions are designed to encourage critical thinking and collaborative learning. They will include graded in-class presentations, discussions of assigned readings, and peer feedback. Students are expected to engage actively with the material through preparatory readings, comments, and participation in debates and group work.

  Each student will be required to:

  • Prepare a oral presentation based on a selected case study.
  • Submit a written paper of approximately 5 pages (1,500–2,000 words) related to the same topic.

  Both the oral presentation and the written assignment are essential components of the course and may account for up to 10% of the final grade.

  
  

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  Students will complete a final written exam lasting 50 minutes, consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions and 2 short open-ended questions.

  The evaluation will be based on the following criteria:

  • Knowledge and understanding of course materials (60%)
  • Critical thinking and independent judgement (20%)
  • Clarity of expression and appropriate use of language (20%)

  
  

English