A good knowledge of modern history is strongly recommended.

This course aims to provide students with a broad understanding of the major events that shaped 20th-century international relations. The course is divided into two parts. The first part provides an introduction to the history of international relations and the main themes of the historiographical debate. The second section focuses on the origins and nature of public diplomacy and discusses its role in the contemporary system of international relations. By the end of the course, students should be able to contextualise contemporary developments in international relations. They should also be able to relate current events to their deeper historical origins.

General part - Introduction to the History of International Relations

From the crisis of the Ottoman Empire to the "new diplomacy". - The First World War and the first crisis of European colonialism. - The crisis between the two wars. - The Second World War and the emergence of the new world order. - Decolonisation and the post-war order. - Bandung and the birth of the Third World. - From the Cold War to competitive coexistence. - The crisis of the Soviet Union and the new world order - the role of regionalism in contemporary international relations.

Thematic section - The impact of Public Diplomacy on international relations

Origins, purposes and features of Public Diplomacy - Listening in Public diplomacy - Cultural diplomacy - Exchange programs as public diplomacy - International broadcasting - Branding the nation - Diaspora diplomacy

Reference books

((A) YOUNG J.W., - KENT J. International Relations since 1945. A global history; Oxford University Press; Oxford; 2013 [Chapters: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21]

(A) SNOW N. , CULL N.J (Eds). Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy. Routledge; London; 2020 [Chapters: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17]

Choice of readings

1. (C) ARONCZYK M. Branding the Nation: The Global Business of National Identity. Oxford University Press; Oxford/New York; 2013

2. (C) CULL N.J. The Cold War and the United States Information Agency: American Propaganda and Public Diplomacy, 1945-1989, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge; 2008

3. (C) D'HOOGHE I. China's Public Diplomacy. Brill/Nijhoff; Leiden; 2015;

4. (C) KANEVA N.(ed). Branding Post-Communist Nations. Marketizing National Identities in the "New" Europe. Routledge; London; 2012

5) (C) MANOR I. The Digitalization of Public Diplomacy; Palgrave; London. 2019

6. (C) SEIB P. (ed). Religion and Public Diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan; New York; 2013

7. (C) THUSSU D.K. Communicating India's Soft Power: Buddha to Bollywood. Palgrave Macmillan; New York; 2013

8. (C) VELIKAYA A.A. and G. SIMONS (Eds). Russia's Public Diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan; Cham; 2020

Attending students must choose ONE of the books listed in the Choice Readings.

Non-attending students must choose TWO books from those listed in the Choice Readings

Reading materials discussed in class will all be available on www.jstor.org/

• The course will be highly interactive. Lectures on introductory concepts in the history of international relations, as well as in-depth analysis of the specific topic of Public Diplomacy, will be supplemented by discussions of advance reading material, in which students will play an active role. Other activities include study groups, where students will analyse a topic chosen with the instructor and prepare a short paper to present to the class. These group activities aim to familiarise students with teamwork and develop skills such as argumentative writing, public speaking and leadership.

• The exams will consist of open-ended written questions. Students will have the opportunity to take a mid-term test to assess their understanding of the topics covered in the general part of the course and in the weekly reading material. The exams aim to evaluate how well students have assimilated the terms and concepts discussed in class, and how well they have acquired the methodological skills needed for a free and critical understanding of contemporary international relations. Grading will be based on the following criteria:

  • Knowledge of the subject (50% of the mark).
  • Ability to critically analyse events and place them in a broader historical context (40%)
  • Correct use of language (10%).

English