11804

BGIA 301 Core Seminar on International Relations

Jonathan Cristol

TBA

SSCI

The Core Seminar examines key concepts in the study of international affairs including: states; anarchy; the balance of power; cooperation; and more. The conceptual, rather than theoretical, approach allows students from all backgrounds to succeed in the class. The class situates the students' internships in the broader study of international affairs by examining the role of NGOS, IGOs, think-tanks, multi-national corporations, and transnational networks in the international system.

11808

BGIA 319 Issues in Global Public Health

Kate Bourne

TBA

HIST

This course provides a general overview of determinants of health in the developing world and principles within the field of global public health. It will include a review of some current and historical public health problems, such as tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS, small pox, maternal and infant mortality and reproductive health and rights, and the approaches used to understand and address them. Students will also examine the roles of a range of international organizations involved in global public health efforts, including local and international non-governmental organizations, multilateral agencies such as the WHO, UNAIDS, bilateral organizations like the CDC and USAID, governments and donor organizations. The course aims to convey an understanding of the complexity of health problems in developing countries, the impact of health on social and economic development, the contributions of various disciplines and analytical perspectives in decision-making about public health priorities, and the range of players that contribute to developing and implementing the programs to address them. The course will be structured primarily around a series of case studies of public health policies and practices around which there has been controversy or debate about the appropriate course of action. The case studies will include a major focus on HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health, and will examine such issues as quarantine, testing of new technologies on vulnerable populations, commitment of resources to treatment versus prevention, and the influence of conflicting "moralities" on public health program approaches. These debates will examine the tensions that sometimes arise between efforts to ensure public health and safety, while promoting health equity and rights. It will incorporate perspectives of stakeholders in the developing world, as well as scientists, policy makers and activists. The analysis and readings will draw from various disciplines, including epidemiology and medical anthropology.

11806

BGIA 321 Intelligence, Risk, and Decision Making

Giles Alston

TBA

SSCI

This course starts with a review of current academic work that places intelligence studies within the wider investigation of international relations. How do intelligence agencies function as actors within IR? How does their choice of what to analyze drive national agendas? And what can intelligence services currently hope to accomplish - the 21st century version of the distinction between secrets and mysteries. We then move on to look at the process of analysis as it fits into the development of risk assessment and decision-making in a range of organizations, from 'traditional' intelligence assessments to risk strategies inside major companies to agencies that routinely work with risk (for example, we look at the organizational issues behind the loss of two NASA space shuttles.) There are three aims to the section of the course: 1) to think about what a good analyst does with information - what the 'value added' an individual brings that turns data into actionable analysis, and all the pitfalls that an analyst faces; 2) to understand the symbiotic relationship between risk and intelligence - how the limits of one determines the limits of the other; and 3) to appreciate the key challenge of bridging the gap between analyst and decision maker. As well as looking at theories of what makes a good analyst, we will examine case studies (and even build one) to extract relevant lessons, including the Cuban missile crisis, the role of intelligence decisions leading up to the invasion of Iraqi in 2003, and others from different periods in history with lessons to teach. In the final stage of the course, bringing in contributions ranging from meteorology to medicine, we develop a blueprint for an effective intelligence process that works in any public or private sector organization that needs to understand how sudden events and developing global trends will impact the environment in which it must operate. The goal of the course is to position the process of intelligence gathering, risk analysis and briefing of executives within the wider study of international relations; and to encourage students to think analytically while experiencing the particular challenges faced by the professional analyst of world events. With guest lecturers who are also practitioners, a chance to study how one professional company (Oxford Analytica) uses analytical rigor and a team of academics to advise the most practical of decision makers, and an emphasis on students producing different types of analytical output for discussion in class, the course offers the best of BGIA - an academically demanding approach to an aspect of IR that exposes students to professional practitioners who can talk about challenges and issues from their own experience.

11807

BGIA 326 Trends in Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Thomas Parker

TBA

HIST

This course charts the rise of international terrorism and examines State responses to this evolving threat. Seminars will consider case studies drawn from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The course aims to give students a deeper understanding of the circumstances that motivate terrorist groups and the means and methods available to States seeking to contain or defeat them.

11809

BGIA 330 Writing on International Affairs

Lynda Hammes

TBA

PART

This course will put a heavy emphasis on reporting, writing and developing the sensibilities needed for success as an international news correspondent. We will focus heavily on the techniques of the craft, always in the context of contemporary world events and the realities of modern English-language media. A series of lecturers, and a visit to one of New York City's great newsrooms, will be included during the semester. This is not a course for purists, but rather a broad look at a varied, complex discipline. We will examine briefly many of the topics an international journalist will confront today. We also will touch upon the broadcast and Internet skills that no journalist who strives to be in interesting places at interesting times can afford to ignore in this modern world.