Fall 2017 IAFF Graduate Course Descriptions

Course Sec # CRN Course DescriptionIAFF 6102

10 84285 Global Gender Policy – This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to examining the development of global policy aimed at achieving gender equality. The course provides an overview of the concept of gender equality, its capture in global policy and approaches to advancing implementation of select thematic areas of gender equality policy at global and country levels. Participants will gain knowledge of the genealogy of the current architecture of global gender equality policy, learn to critique policy approaches taken to advance gender equality and become familiar with the various strategies and tools used to advance implementation of these policies. Discussion of thematic policy areas includes formal economy employment, international security policy, education, health, violence against women, and responses to humanitarian crises.

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10 85563 Reinventing the United Nations - There is broad agreement that, despite more than twenty years of concerted reform efforts, the United Nations – including the many agencies that comprise what is known as the UN system – is not meeting expectations in areas critical to the management of global affairs. The course seeks to increase participants’ knowledge of the web of international organizations created over the past 70 years for the purpose of managing a widening range of global issues. In addition, the intent is to enable participants to gain a practical understanding of what is required to design competent organizations capable of managing the global challenges of the 21st century. The two principal course projects – the group presentations and the final policy paper – are designed to encourage participants to consider these issues from the perspective of the policy maker and the foreign policy practitioner.

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11 85568 Leadership and International Affairs - The course will focus on the leadership challenges that Elliott School graduates are certain to confront in their professional lives. The course will begin with a consideration of case studies of famous international leaders, and how concepts of leadership have changed over time. Part II of the course will then move into examining the skill sets required of successful leaders at all levels of career development, drawing on examples and case studies from international settings. Part III of the course will look at the exercise of those skills in different institutional settings, including inside the US government, across diverse cultural boundaries, and in the leading of NGOs, international organizations and key governments. Case studies will also figure prominently. Part IV will look at tomorrow’s challenges for international leaders, and includes the development of a personal leadership plan by each student.

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12 85567 Nuclear Weapons - 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and over two decades after the end of the Cold War, we find ourselves in a world in which nuclear weapons are still with us. Why do we have nuclear weapons? Why do countries seek nuclear weapons and how do they get them? How are nuclear weapons used, both in times of peace and in times of conflict? How is the spread of nuclear weapons controlled? Will we ever live in a world free of nuclear weapons? This course is designed to provide students with a basic orientation to the technologies, policies, and politics to answer these and other questions. We will examine the underlying technologies of the nuclear fuel cycle, production and accounting of nuclear weapons-usable fissile material, and the life cycle of nuclear weapons. We will discuss nuclear strategy and deterrence, particularly in how they relate to nuclear force planning and operations and the prospect of nuclear terrorism. Efforts to control the spread of nuclear weapons through nonproliferation, cooperative threat reduction, nuclear forensics, and counterproliferation are compared in the broader effort to control and reduce nuclear weapons through diplomacy and the means of verifying arms control and reduction agreements. Finally, we consider the prospects for moving to a world free of nuclear weapons.

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13 85566 The Science of Nuclear Materials- The Science of Nuclear Materials (ScNM) will be a combination of lectures and hands on experiments designed to teach the fundamental principles of nuclear materials, as well as the nuclear fuel cycle in general, to non-technical individuals within the nuclear arena. We will explore the origins of radiation, manufacture and detection of nuclear materials, and in addition to weapons and power issues, also explore medical uses and environmental issues. We will utilize lectures for dissemination of science fundamentals, followed by hands-on laboratory experiments that reinforce lecture content. It will be assumed that students will have little scientific background prior to this course- a high school chemistry or physics course is sufficient. Moreover, there will be some mathematical exercises/activities wherein the instructor and TA will guide students through more challenging problems. Lastly, the following course schedule is intended to be dynamic. Topics are not etched in stone and we may adjust content based on skill level, interest or in response to current events.

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14 86009 Applied Qualitative Methods

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15 85565 Research Methods in Global Gender Issues- This course surveys mixed research methods with a focus on gender issues in the context of international development. Choosing which methods to use to collect information, and deciding what about gender is most relevant to improve conditions for both men and women as well as to assess development interventions are important elements of planning, policy, and projects. This course explores research techniques pertinent to gender mainstreaming and integration in particular, and international development in general. The objective is to provide an overview of theories and methods relevant to conducting research concerning development projects and programs. The course will encourage an exploration and critical examination of specific research skills and approaches.

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17 85793 Managing the World’s Water- Water has been at the center of development of societies since the dawn of civilization. Over the millennia humankind has succeeded in utilizing water services to irrigate farmlands, serve large urban centers with convenient services and greening of deserts. In the past hundred years we have been paying increased attention to the costs of inaction of respecting the water cycle; with pollution, floods and landslides causing hugely expensive losses of life and property in developed and developing countries alike. The course's learning objectives and outcomes include: Learning about water concepts, institutions and policies; Applying these to understand water management challenges for the resource, services and ecosystem dimensions; And being in a position to take an informed position on the ongoing debates on adaptation challenges of climate change.

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18 85763 International Law and the Use of Force- The use of force is one of the major focal points at which international law and politics intersect. This course provides an overview of various approaches to the legality of war, theories of just war, and humanitarian law, as well as important case studies including humanitarian intervention and emerging issues in cyber-security and automated weapons. Readings will emphasize both the legal and political aspects of the use of force in the contemporary international system. We will examine questions such as: What are the consequences of using force without regard for the legal basis of the decision? Is international law inadequate to reflect the needs of contemporary politics? Is “force” even understood uniformly in the international system? By the end of the course, students should have a good understanding of the difficult issues involved in using force both effectively and legitimately today given the increasing transparency of global politics and the trend towards institutionalized responses.

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19 87528 International Development Policy- This course examines the scope and nature of international development assistance and the challenges currently facing development agencies. It surveys development theory since Bretton Woods and the Marshall Plan and considers how changes have been reflected in the operational strategies of leading bilateral and multilateral donors. Then the focus of the course will shift to the methods and tools that characterize the work of principal donors, from needs assessment and project design to evaluation. The effectiveness of development assistance will be an important theme of this course, in particular how mixed results have brought methods and concepts into question and how agencies are responding to this challenge.

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80 85569 Public Diplomacy- Public diplomacy is an instrument used by states to understand cultures, attitudes, and behavior; build and manage relationships; and influence thoughts and actions to advance their interests and values. This course will examine concepts, practices, institutions, and critical issues in public diplomacy. It assumes the central importance of public engagement in today’s diplomacy and that diplomatic practice is changing in fundamental ways. More diplomatic engagement occurs in public places – real and virtual. A more diverse and increasingly active set of players is filling the global space for engagement and communications with a savvier and more discerning global audience. Issues are more complex and often global in nature. The communications landscape is faster, more complex, and more competitive than ever before, and new technologies are accelerating the speed of diplomacy and transforming its forms and core functions. Diplomats need street smarts and media skills. Diplomacy increasingly is “whole of government” in concept and practice.

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81 85806 Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy and International Security- This seminar addresses key issues in United States foreign policy. Readings and discussion will deal with selected regional and functional topics, with emphasis on those with the most pressing national security implications. This course is taught by former Ambassador and Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte.

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83 88161 Social Impact Startup Creation - SEAS is offering a unique, social impact innovation class that uses the process of Design Thinking to create new triple bottom line ventures. Design thinking is a proven and repeatable problem solving methodology that any business or profession can employ to create value and achieve results. Design thinking relies on creative and critical thinking skills that focuses on innovative solutions. Student teams will apply de sign thinking to a local challenges that facilitate partnerships with Washington D.C based organizations, spanning public and private sectors. This class is a first of it its kind in combining social innovation, design thinking, gear up and business model creation.

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10 84244 Local Governance, Decentralization and Development- Is all development local? What constrains delivery of pro-poor services in places with such evident need? This course critically examines efforts to decentralize government functions in developing countries. When and how does bringing government "closer to the people" result in improved outcomes? Transparency, accountability and citizen voice are easy concepts to grasp, why are they effective in some places, not in others? Health, education, water services are universal needs; how do elections, civil society, intergovernmental fiscal and other processes affect outcomes? In addition to readings and class discussion students will conduct independent research on a particular service delivery challenge in a particular place, using a political economy approach that will be introduced in the course of the semester. Prior exposure to development economics helpful, not necessary.

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11 82736 Human Trafficking- This course will examine the global problem of human trafficking, a complex socio-economic, political, human rights, and law enforcement issue that affects individuals and communities in nearly all countries of the world. Countries can be origin, transit, and/or destination for trafficked and exploited individuals. Vulnerabilities such as statelessness, poverty, the lack of economic opportunities, globalization, weak national laws and policies, displacement, strict migration policies, corruption, gender-based violence, and discrimination – among others – create conditions that allow traffickers/exploiters to take advantage of individuals and keep them in situations of forced labor and/or commercial sexual exploitation. Combating human trafficking requires a wide spectrum of activities usually referred to as the “4 Ps” – prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership, along with “4 Rs” – rescue, raid, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

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12 82017 Power, Politics and Development in Africa- Students in the course will be exposed to the broad themes related to the field of development, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa. Students will be exposed to a cross-section of orientations towards development from various academic fields, with specific focus on social, political, and economic development. Students will have wide latitude in guiding their study to best meet their interests beyond the core question of the class, which is: What are the key causal inputs to lagging development in Sub-Saharan Africa, and what is the most impactful means to design or assess “interventions”? Learning in this course will involve a mixture of styles, including learning by teaching, collaboration, and demonstration.

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14 83099 Poverty and Bottom-Up Development- This graduate seminar takes the analyses, frustrations and unsatisfactory results surrounding poverty as a starting point to delve into prospects for more effective poverty alleviation through the application of ‘bottom-up,’ or grassroots, development approaches and support of the organized poor. After briefly examining failings of foreign aid, the focus turns to bottom-up approaches, casting an eye on evolutionary aspects, critical components, and current applications. In this regard, attention is given to the ground-breaking work of the Inter-American Foundation in supporting the organized poor. Attention is placed on how poor people manage to survive, and in some cases get ahead, with few resources, before turning to an examination of several noted mechanisms responding to poor people’s needs for assistance to improve their economic standing. The seminar closes with consideration of the pros and cons of these mechanisms and approaches and their prospects for achieving poverty alleviation from the bottom-up.

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15 83043 Monitoring and Evaluation for Foreign Assistance Programs- There has been a marked trend over the past several years emphasizing effective monitoring and evaluation of U.S. foreign assistance efforts. Implementers of foreign assistance programs are being encouraged to develop more robust and refined measures to monitor and evaluate their work, with overall efforts under increasing scrutiny by policy makers. However, there is still a vibrant discussion on how best to monitor and evaluate many aspects of foreign assistance work. This course will explore basic concepts and theory behind monitoring and evaluation and tools/techniques used for measuring assistance programs. Throughout the course, we will explore various thematic questions: How can change be measured in complex systems? How should indicators of change be selected? How can evaluators strike a balance between learning and accountability? Are randomized control trials the ‘gold standard’ of foreign assistance evaluation? Can causality be isolated? How can evaluation findings be used?

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16 83043 Agriculture and Sustainable Development- The transition from the UN’s Millennium Development Goals to the UN’s Agenda 2030, raises the question what is agriculture’s contribution towards sustainable development? This graduate seminar will investigate this question by first examining the Green Revolution and its uneven impact across the developing world. We will then focus on agricultural development policies and projects in Africa, where the majority of the population continues to secure their livelihoods from the agricultural sector. Throughout the course, we will move beyond a singular focus on productivity and competing approaches of agricultural development in order to analyze agriculture's multiple pathways towards sustainable development. Taking into account ongoing climate change and persistent gender inequality, we will ground our discussions using case studies of existing or planned projects and initiatives, with the ultimate goal of sharpening skill sets to contribute towards sustainable agricultural development from the household to the policy levels.

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17 83044 Private Sector Development- The process necessary for countries to experience per capita GDP growth and create fiscal resources necessary for broader development begins at the firm level. Yet, in some countries, it is difficult for firms to grow, or at least grow to levels that support improved health, education and welfare desired by most citizens. This course will examine the ecosystems for economic growth at the firm level. Lectures, readings and class activities will acclimate students to the complexities of growth, while identifying and critiquing common approaches by donor agencies to enterprise development. Students will apply their knowledge by constructing a hypothetical country strategy that would be used in the design of projects, programs and activities over a defined period. The student will be introduced to the elements of project design and evaluation, as well other commonly used financial tools to support enterprise development.

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80 87350 Corporate Environmental Management in Developing Nations- The general goal of this course is to provide a graduate level introduction to corporate environmental management in developing countries. While many in the business, government, and non-profit sectors view environmental protection as inevitably ignored and/or a threat to competitiveness, others see win-win opportunities. What allows some actors to see opportunities where others see a threat to economic growth and competitiveness? This course will provide students with the knowledge to understand how the characteristics of emerging market countries affect business, government, and social groups’ environmental protection preferences and behavior. It will also provide students with the knowledge to understand and judge critical perspectives on corporate environmental/social responsibility in developing countries.

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10 83118 Space Policy- This course will address international space policy issues facing the United States and place them in context with broader technological advances and the changing strategic environment. The course will address current bureaucratic and regulatory issues facing U.S. space programs with regard to dual-use technologies, including export controls, spectrum management, and licensing of commercial remote sensing systems. Conflicts over dual-use technologies, such as space launch, remote sensing, satellite navigation, and communications, will be examined for their implications for a range of national interests. The course will also address strategic choices facing other nations in space activities, including dependence on U.S., European, and Russian space capabilities, developing indigenous space programs, and use of commercial space capabilities.

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10 83045 Space and National Security- A broad, complex, and multidimensional set of factors contribute to the ability of states to use science and technology to advance their national security. This course examines how effectively states, and the United States in particular, develop policies designed to translate science and technology into strategic advantage. To assess this issue the course addresses a range of factors including innovation, revolutions in military affairs, globalization and international economic integration, technology transfer and export controls, changing global security dynamics, and the impact of emerging technologies on defense industries and military power. Major themes addressed throughout the course would form parts of any integrative framework for understanding the interplay between science, technology, and national security policy.

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11 84942 Science, Technology and Policy Analysis- Many of the most important and salient policy decisions taken by governments are those that involve science or technology. Climate change, dangers posed by environmental hazards such as DDT and dioxin, the decisions involving nuclear weapons are policy issues that involve science and technology to a great degree. This course will offer an opportunity to ask probing questions about science and technology policy. How policymakers use science to make decisions, how policy affects science and technology, how risk and uncertainty are accounted for (or not) in decision‐making, whether policy decisions involving science and technology should be democratized, and how the public impacts science policy decisions are all topics that will be covered in this course. The course will take an international perspective on issues and provide opportunities for comparative analysis.

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12 84942 Cybersecurity - This course will focus on the transnational impact of non-state actors on international policy and security. We will analyze different types of actors, from transnational criminal organizations to NGOs to terrorist groups primarily through case studies. Students will consider the interaction of non-state actors with state actors, evaluating impacts on sovereignty and governance worldwide.

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13 86265 Renewable Energy in a Decarbonizing World- This course investigates the politics and policy of renewable energy in the context of global climate change. Development of renewable energy is a critical tool in the effort to reduce carbon in the global economy. In this course, students will examine theory and practice of renewable energy policy and policymaking both in the context of international policymaking and comparatively at the national level for key states and regions like the US, China, and the EU. Students will also look at the broader context and implications for renewable energy policy in areas such as global energy systems, international trade, intellectual property, and development and distributional impacts.

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10

11

12

82377

84500

83771

Defense Policy & Program Analysis - Since the National Security Act of 1947 established the Department of Defense, the development of defense policy has evolved into a complex process. This course will explore the various dimensions of defense policy to include political factors, major actors, the processes by which defense policy is made, the challenges of managing the defense establishment, and debates about the future roles and missions for the military. The approach to this course will be combination of lecture and discussion with emphasis on the latter. The course will cover some theoretical concepts about defense policy and analysis but wherever possible we will discuss defense policy in practical terms based on recent developments. We will begin our exploration by examining the challenge of developing strategy, the nature of civil-military relations, and then proceed to a discussion of various actors and their roles in the defense policy process. We will also discuss budgetary and weapons acquisition issues as well as the evolution of warfare.

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10 11

12

83727 82604

87634

Transnational Security - This course focuses on transnational security issues and considers how many of these myriad challenges constitute threats to global peace and security. The combined effects of such transnational security issues as drug, weapons, and human trafficking, piracy, acts of terrorism, infectious diseases, and deliberate environmental destruction, along with such critical enablers as corruption, and money movements, are not strangers on the world stage. What is new is their global reach and destructive potential. As a result, these issues have made policy makers consider different conceptions of security and, at times, to move beyond sole considerations of state sovereignty into the realm of human security.

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10

11

82378

82629

Fundamentals of Intelligence – This graduate-level seminar will discuss the basics of intelligence collection, production, and analysis and provide an introduction to the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), the authorities under which the IC operates, its role in informing U.S. national security and foreign policy, its role in implementing policy decisions, and the formation of policy and laws that guide the IC. The class will examine the IC in the context of historical, current, and expected future scenarios, and will discuss historic and potential future changes in how the IC informs and implements policy, as well as how oversight is conducted. In particular, the class will discuss the expanded role of the IC, both analytically and operationally, in the post-9/11 world, as well as the impact of the Wikileaks, Snowden, and other unauthorized disclosures in recent years.

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11

D01

82993

82992

Intro to Conflict Resolution - In all human societies, conflict is an integral part of daily life, at personal, communal, national and global levels. Conflict can be constructive, focusing attention on neglected voices or social injustice, and driving cultural and political change. It can also be destructive, damaging relationships, polarizing societies or escalating into violence and war. This course is designed to familiarize students with the interdisciplinary field of conflict analysis and resolution, providing an overview of core concepts of contemporary theory and practice. The course will examine frameworks for analyzing the origins and processes of social conflict, and leading practical approaches to the conduct and evaluation of conflict resolution interventions. Our study will focus on intergroup and international levels of analysis, highlighting collective struggles over ideology and power, sovereignty and self-determination, while highlighting the roles of culture, identity, power, relational dynamics and social structure. The first half of the course emphasizes conflict analysis; the second half emphasizes approaches to conflict resolution.

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10 83667 Security and Development- This course aims to consider the relationship between security and development across a number of issue areas. Its objective is to enable you to create your own ‘map’ of the relationship and help you to understand some of the connections and disconnections between the two fields. The course will also allow you to deepen your understanding of one developing country and to demonstrate that knowledge through a range of products. The existence of this course reflects the fact that there is growing interest from the security field in issues that have traditionally been the purview of development. This seminar course looks at armed conflict and failed states, but it seeks to look beyond these issues as well to areas such as demography, the environment, urbanization, and trade, to see how the development-security relationship looks in these issue areas.

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12 82991 International Peacekeeping- The aim of this course is to provide students with knowledge of the political debates surrounding contemporary international peace operations. The role that foreign military deployments can play in implementing peace agreements and protecting human rights in cases of genocide and ethnic cleansing has been hotly disputed throughout the 1990s and beyond. This course will introduce students to the crucial political and organizational dynamics as well as some of the major contemporary debates concerning international peace operations. It will thereby enable students to critically assess the strengths and limitations of contemporary peace operations. The course will also encourage students to develop a realistic empathy for the constraints that confront decision-makers in complex environments characterized by uncertainty and limited resources.

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13 82379 Environmental Security- In the post‐Cold War period characterized by globalization and the rise of non‐state actors, international security concepts were applied to interactions between humans and their environment. The term “environmental security” was coined as a result, leading to a rich scholarly and policy debate over its meaning. Through readings and seminar discussions, we will explore and understand various dimensions and applications of national security concepts as they relate to the environment. The course examines the growing connection between environmental degradation, competition for natural resources, resource abundance, and conflict. We frame energy dependence, climate change and international security as a related set of global challenges and question whether these issues will gain prominence in U.S. foreign policy as commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down.

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14 82990 International Organized Crime- International Organized Crime is a graduate-level seminar, focused on developing broad critical skills and knowledge around IOC and the aspects and issues that intersect with the topic. Transnational crime will be a defining issue of the 21st century for policymakers - as defining as the Cold War was for the 20th century and colonialism was for the 19th. This course will involve extensive reading, research and writing. It will also involve vigorous group discussion on the assigned readings/topic. Certain portions of what we will discuss and encounter are rich enough to warrant a dedicated course – such as illicit trafficking, money laundering, or corruption. We will examine a variety of international organized criminal groups and their illicit activities. This survey will provide a solid basis for further, more in-depth study of these attributes, functions and entities. It will consist of academic writings, broad overview lectures, specific student presentations and contemporary readings of the issues we are studying.

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16 82631 Stabilization & Peacebuilding - The classic interstate conflicts of the past have been largely replaced by intra-state and regional conflicts involving both state and non-state actors. States and regions beset by political and economic instability provide fertile ground for nationalist, sectarian and ethnic conflict, and terrorism and organized criminal activities. In addition, the inability of many of these fragile and weak states to confront natural and man-made disasters, the effects of climate change, pandemic disease and worldwide economic shocks adds further stresses that can exacerbate conflict. This course will examine the lessons from these missions covering general principles and approaches that can be applied for stabilization and peacebuilding, required resources, the structures that have been organized to mount such operations, the gaps that remain, and the knowledge and skills the new peacebuilder needs to operate in these environments.

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17 82216 Cyber Threats, Policy and Strategy

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18 82129 Methods for Defense Analysis- Defense policy involves some of the highest stakes in government. If offers a tremendous opportunity to make a difference in issues that are literally life and death. The work defense analysts perform is intellectually challenging, and getting the answers right is extremely demanding. The purpose of this course is to equip you to help make this process work for the better, whether as a producer or a consumer. The focus throughout will be on the requirements of sound analysis in a professional policy advisory setting. The course can also help those outside the profession to understand its workings, but it is oriented chiefly toward those who will seek employment in the field after graduation. In particular, the course is designed to teach you the skills you will need to handle the responsibilities of an entry-level defense analyst in the government or in an outside think tank.

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19 82139 Insurgency and Counterinsurgency- While insurgencies differ widely in their goals and in the ways by which they intend to achieve them, all combine political activity with violence, most commonly in the forms of terrorism, guerrilla warfare, or conventional warfare, to achieve specific objectives. This course provides students with an introduction to insurgency and counterinsurgency. It is intended to provide a solid foundation for further inquiry into related topics such as irregular warfare, peace operations and conflict resolution. The course will: introduce students to the major concepts and issues of the topic, explore the main types of insurgencies, and explore in depth a number of strategic cases of insurgency to help students understand the complexity and the variety of insurgencies in the modern world. This course provides key frameworks and tools of analysis for the study of any insurgency and will explore possible solutions to a number of current conflicts.

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20 82710 Political Violence and Terrorism

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21 82630 Political Risk Analysis - The political risk analysis (PRA) graduate course will examine frameworks and methodologies that measure and mitigate political risk in a range of environments at the macro (national and international) and at the micro (local and regional) levels. Approaches will combine research from the international relations and political risk areas together with risk analysis derived from psychology to provide students with an array of approaches to understand the critical aspects of evaluating risks. Emphasis is placed on the interchangeable connection between theory, research and practice, as well as the integration of various approaches towards political risk analysis in an organized framework. Political risk analysis is a multidisciplinary field of study which analyzes, measures, manages and mitigates the impact of political risk to foreign and domestic businesses and investments, organizations, and individuals. Political risk emanates from the (in) actions or reactions of stakeholders within a political system to events.

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23 85874 Conflict Early Warning and Prevention- It has long been a truism that prevention is better than cure. Support for the prevention of large-scale violent conflicts blossomed after the end of the Cold War and has grown with the recognition of the increasing interconnectedness of many contemporary threats. Yet, finding reliable strategies for conflict prevention has proven uniquely challenging. This course will address major policy and academic issues in conflict early warning and prevention. Readings will include academic literature, NGO and think tank reports, and official policy documents. Most classes will include discussion of a historical or contemporary case study, a guest speaker, and/or a practical exercise.

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24 87535 Identity and Countering Violent Extremism- This course focuses on government and non-government efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism. It provides students with an introduction to the nascent academic literature to chart the evolution of CVE over the past decade or so. It also offers an opportunity to critically examine and discuss domestic and international policies and programs that aim to prevent and counter violent extremism. The course will be useful for anyone with an interest in counterterrorism, preventing violent conflict as well as a wide array of disciplines and issues including diplomacy, development assistance, criminology, psychology, sociology and political science. The course will connect theory to practice through discussion, research and case study reviews of real events.

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26 87635 Intelligence in a Democracy- Within all democracies, there is an inherent tension between secrecy and transparency, and that’s especially so in the national security realm. In this country, that tension has come into sharper focus in recent years, engendering a national debate over intelligence and broader national security activities and programs that continues today. This course will take an in-depth look at those trade-offs through both theoretical readings and practical, real-world examples. It calls upon students to articulate, as part of an exercise, how they would manage that balance, taking into consideration often competing priorities policymakers face. Among the topics this class covers are questions of the mandate of intelligence services, civil liberties bestowed on U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, whistleblowers, leakers, official declassifications, and the role of the media in navigating the balance between secrecy and transparency.

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27 87636 US Grand Strategy

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Online 87826 Terrorism Today - This course will examine the fundamentals of understanding the threat posed by terrorism, the basics of counterterrorism, and look at several key issues important to the study of terrorism. The approach of this course is multi-disciplinary, examining terrorism through the lens of political science, history, law, economics, criminology, and religious studies. The course is designed to provide a basis for understanding the phenomenon of terrorism, and to set it into an appropriate context in relation to other critical issues facing a globalized society.

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10 82954 21st Century Trade: Issues and Strategy- In this political economy seminar, we examine three trends currently challenging the system of rules governing trade. Trend one involves the slow pace of negotiations at the WTO as a result of economic crises in the traditional hegemons (US, EU) and slowing growth in BRICS nations. Trend two involves the turn to FTAs and new issues that these agreements encompass. The third trend examines new technologies and processes leading policymakers to rethink trade priorities. This course will discuss these new issues, technologies and strategies (bilateral, regional and multilateral). We will first examine why nations sign trade agreements and how the nations that created the WTO are now turning to bilateral and regional free trade agreements. We will then focus on the new issues included in these FTAs (such as investment and digital trade). Finally, we will examine gaps in trade agreements such as how firms should operate in zones of conflict.

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11 87351 International Entrepreneurship- This course introduces the student to innovative international business start-ups. It aims at understanding the Entrepreneur’s features, forms and functions. Students examine real-life cases and deepen their own understanding of the entrepreneurial business as a vocation. This seminar focuses on developing new international business start-ups to capture new markets. This seminar should also enhance business alertness gained from improving productivity, innovation, or both. New clusters of creative discoveries, new disruptive technologies, competition and globalization induce firms and entrepreneurs to innovate and to stay agile. We confront theory with practice. Students learn the promotion, innovation and growth of start-ups to become excellent entrepreneurs. Topics include business innovation, information technology, knowledge management, process improvement and key performance measurements.

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10 82011 MIPP Seminar & Practicum- The MIPP seminar will focus on major issues in international affairs confronting policymakers in the United States and around the world, and it will explore the evolving nature of international leadership in the twenty-first century. We will examine the diverse ways in which power is exercised on the international stage not only by large organizations such as nation states and transnational corporations, but also by “micropowers” including activists, insurgents, and entrepreneurs who are shaking up the global order. Through discussions with academic and policy experts, the seminar intends to integrate insights from the participants’ other coursework as well as the participants’ own diverse experience and

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10 87646 U.S.-South Asia Relations- This course addressed the nature of challenges and opportunities facing the South Asia region and the U.S. policy response. It will cover the rise of India as a global actor, relations between India and Pakistan, political and economic transformation in the countries of the region, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, and global issues that affect U.S. policy toward the region.

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80 85083 Chinese Business Law- China has become a major trading partner of the United States and a major destination for foreign direct investment. While the same could be said of Canada, the latter's legal system can be readily understood by an American-trained lawyer. This is not true for China, the legal system of which is profoundly different from that of the US and other Western countries in some of its most basic assumptions as well, of course, as in the content of many of its substantive rules. This course deliberately assumes a different name and broader coverage than traditional Chinese legal courses because the long-standing barriers between domestic and foreign business activities are breaking down, and understanding garden-variety Chinese business law—company law and contract law, to name two examples—will be increasingly important. Thus, while the course will be focused mainly on what lawyers with a China practice would need to know, it will also cover things they may not need to know much about now, but probably will in the future.

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10 83904 The European Union- This course examines the history and development of postwar European integration; the structure and processes of the European Union; and EU and national policies, with a focus on the interaction of the EU and the Member States. It is a seminar, though there will be lectures as well. In addition to imparting knowledge about the EU, the course aims to improve analytical, writing and presentational skills through the preparation of a 25-page research paper, brief written assignments, a simulation exercise and an oral briefing. By following instructions and carrying out the assignments successfully, students should be able to analyze institutional, political, economic and social dynamics of the EU and Member States, critically evaluate literature on these topics, formulate policy recommendations, utilize hypothesis-testing guidelines, conduct research systematically and write clearly.

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12 82016 Politics of Post-Soviet Eurasia- This course is a seminar on comparative politics and state building in the non-Russian successor states of the USSR – a region often referred to as post-Soviet Eurasia. The course is structured both by topic, and by subregion, and addresses the following issues: the concept of political “transition”; historical legacies and the construction of political institutions; democracy, authoritarianism, and hybrid regimes; informal practices; popular mobilization; economic foundations of power; and the “new” post-Soviet politics. The course is not a comprehensive survey of politics in the region, although it includes case studies of political developments in several states (including Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and others). Readings have been selected on the basis of a combination of empirical research and comparative value, as well as the extent to which they are in dialogue with each other.

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13 82712 Transatlantic Relations in the 21st Century- For decades after World War II, the Alliance between Europe and North America was critical to global security, prosperity, and expanding democracy. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the age of globalization and the internet, the character of the transatlantic relationship has changed fundamentally. Instead of focusing inside Europe, the transatlantic Allies now must focus on working together to address an array of complex global challenges that span a political, economic and security spectrum. This graduate seminar examines the origins of the transatlantic partnership and the perspectives of key institutions and states; the role of values and strategy; the political, economic and security changes that have taken place since 1989; and the challenges the transatlantic community now faces in working together to deal with a complex 21st century world against the backdrop of the 2016 elections.

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81 87373 Latin American Populism in a Global Context- Populism has gone global and, while it continues to be a recurring phenomenon throughout Latin America, it currently seems to be waning in the region. Globalization, neo-liberalism and democratization, while improving conditions in many countries, have been less successful in others or failed to meet rising expectations for progress. That left an opening for populism to emerge since the turn of the millennium. This course is designed to give students a thorough understanding of populism, the rich theoretical debates surrounding the concept, as well as classical and contemporary empirical manifestations of the phenomenon. Students should be prepared to engage social theory as well as historical and contemporary case study analyses.

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80 87372 Latin America in Motion: Indigenous Media and Movements- Cinema and documentary film have played an important role in shaping politics, social movements and public spheres in Latin America since the 1960s. The arrival of indigenous filmmakers and the narratives they author has built on these foundations, adding complexities in position, substance and style that we will unpack in this course. Embracing a hemispheric, las Américas perspective, this course will look broadly at production models and aesthetic and political debates that have informed Latin American (and to some extent Latin@) film and media practices since the mid-twentieth century as well as the some of the social movements that underwrite them. Our consideration of these topics will be accompanied by screening of relevant film, video, and television productions and geographic areas of emphasis include Mexico, Cuba, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

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82 84057 Energy and Environmental Policy in Latin America- This multidisciplinary course explores energy and the environment in the natural resource rich Latin American and Caribbean region. This course guides a systematic examination of nature-society relations as they emerge and evolve through public policymaking at the national and local levels as well as through global commodity chains and international governance. Special emphasis is given to policy alternatives that advance low carbon and sustainable development strategies in both smaller nation-states as well as Brazil and the Amazon region. The course prepares students to understand how private interests, resource nationalism, and policy challenges frame economic and social development in the region.

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83 85802 Immigration and Weak States: The Case of Central America- This course will look at the factors that give rise to weak states close to the US border, options for improving these societies, and the policy tools that the United States has at its disposal to be of assistance. Using Central America’s Northern Triangle as an example, students will analyze present-day economic, security and governance challenges and think through realistic policy options. The Northern Triangle (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras) is confronting a perfect storm of high insecurity, low foreign direct investment, and societies being torn apart. The proximity of this to the United States bears direct national security implications. This seminar course is designed to provide practical training in analyzing the many facets of a complex international problem directly affecting the United States but where US policy has thus far failed to find a solution.

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10 82215 US Policy in the Gulf- On March 19, 2003, forces of the United States and coalition countries opened military action against Iraq that resulted in the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and eight years of US military presence. This military intervention focused Americans on the Persian Gulf region. Yet, the coalition's war with Iraq was neither the beginning nor the end of U.S. engagement in the Persian Gulf—a strategic body of water whose very name is under dispute. This course focuses on the evolution of United States foreign policy in the Persian Gulf from the end of World War II to present, examining both its causes and effects. The Cold War, Arab Nationalism, Islam, oil, and regional rivalries will be looked at as factors impacting U.S. decision-making and actions.

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12 82380 Religion and Politics in Post-Revolution Iran- Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the West has been locked in one of two competing narratives—that the Islamic Republic is perpetually on the cusp of change, if only the right reformer takes power, and Iran is not an Islamic republic at all, but simply a hegemonic power trying to take over the Middle East. This course will debunk both of these narratives. It will address the political, religious and social dynamics of contemporary Iran. After a brief review of Iran's modern history, we will discuss the religious and ideological roots of the Islamic revolution, the establishment of Islamic theocracy and its departure from the Shi’a tradition, the emergence of a new generation of religious intellectuals, the rise and the decline of the reform movement, and the ascendance of ultra-conservative politicians and militias. We will then move to an examination of Iran's foreign policies in the Middle East. We will focus on how Iran shifted from emphasizing regional pan-Islamism shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution to a more Shi’a-dominated focus after the Arab uprisings began and what this means for the future of the Arab world.

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13 82538 Politics of North Africa- This graduate seminar will examine the politics of North Africa – specifically, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya – through the application of various approaches. Beyond introductory information to the field, we will consider different theories and methods employed to explain change (or lack thereof) in the region’s political systems. Against the backdrop of Arab Spring, which has seen a dramatic range of political activism ranging from grassroots protests resulting in government collapse to violent challenges to regime power, it is also critical to explore the sources and nature of these developments and the prospects for change across North Africa. We will take a comparative approach to the class in order to appreciate similarities and differences across countries and the variables that account for such outcomes.

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14 82717 Political Economy of the Middle East- The Middle East is a complex, dynamic and critical region of the world. Its politics move rapidly, sometimes radically, and its economies are diverse, but with many commonalities. The interaction between domestic politics, domestic economic forces, and globalization has been amply demonstrated by the Arab Spring and its aftermath. Clearly, economic forces serve to both generate and allocate a society’s resources. Success or failure in the ability to produce income and appropriately allocate it is a critical factor for social stability and a frequent influence on relations with external actors, most commonly neighboring states or more distant ones such the U.S., China, or other global powers. Other important actors, non-state ones, include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, OPEC, and terrorist groups. A proper understanding of this region requires an appreciation of its economic challenges and processes as well as the interplay between economic policies/outcomes and domestic/international political forces.

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15 87891 Militaries and Politics in the Middle East

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80 86549 The Middle East in World History- What would a global history of the modern Middle East look like? What kinds of questions and stories would it bring into view that compartmentalized national histories occlude? This graduate seminar draws on recent works that situate the social, economic, cultural, and political transformations that have swept the region over the past two centuries within broader global trends. In addition to investigating how these trends shaped local dynamics, we will investigate how local ideas and practices helped to shape the phenomena that we associate with the modern age: capitalism, slavery, imperialism, nationalism, migration, and industrial technology, among others. Our focus on the region’s linkages with ideas, commodities, and communities “outside” will also encourage us to think more critically and expansively about the geopolitical and cultural boundaries of the “Middle East” as a unit. That is, beyond our predictable examination of the encounter with “the West,” we will trace critical but neglected encounters to the east, south, and north.

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Quantitative Analysis International Affairs Practicum– This course is designed to provide a strong analytical foundation in elementary statistical reasoning and techniques, and the skills necessary to understand, evaluate, and critic, claims, and conventional wisdom and popular opinion. Topics include descriptive statistics; sampling and statistical inference; testing for differences between means; techniques for analyzing categorical data; correlation, and measures of association; summarizing and presenting statistical results; and some of the fundamental issues of research study design. The course is rigorous, but does not require an advanced mathematic background. Class time will be a mix of lecture, discussion, and hands-on computer work. Class attendance is essential.

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10 82375 Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation for Development- This skills seminar will introduce the student to practical frameworks and tools for participatory design, monitoring and evaluation of international development programs. The course will familiarize students with the broader international development discourse as the context for current practice in participatory monitoring and evaluation. Drawing upon case studies from democracy and governance programming, the course will facilitate student learning through the use of three interactive workshops, assigned readings, and a final written assignment.

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Writing for IA Professionals- The course will provide instruction and guidelines for organizing and structuring written communications and producing effective policy-relevant documents. Students will write a series of short papers as well as complete various other assignments that are designed to enhance specific writing skills, such as organization, clarity, precision, and brevity. The overarching focus of this course will be on developing skills for writing policy-relevant reports that clearly and quickly convey the insights and observations that the author intended to convey. In this paradigm, the reader does not have to reread any portion of the report and ponder or guess at what the writer meant to convey. The message and its relevance to decision-making are clear.

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Alternative Analysis: Red Team - Members of both the 9/11 Commission and the WMD Commission expressed concerns that the U.S. intelligence community lacks imagination, does not "think outside the box," or challenge prevailing assumptions when analyzing threats to national security. Alternative analysis—often referred to as "red cell" or "red team”—uses various analytical methodologies to provide a more complete picture of issues than traditional analysis alone. Students will also be introduced to various methods or war gaming formats in which red teaming is applied. Students will be required to apply a variety of techniques used in red teaming and participate in a multi-sided war game.

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14 84014 Opinion Journalism- The world of journalism is changing quickly. Serious opinion used to mean long pieces published in The Atlantic or similar magazines, or 800-1,000 word offerings in “serious” newspapers such as the New York Times or Washington Post. In this course, we will write. We’ll blog, and we’ll offer opinions on a range of topics. The course will be guided by news events, and we will comment on them, offering opinions in succinct, understandable formats. By the end of the course, you will author a final paper: an op-ed piece. Op-eds are still the most important piece of real estate on a newspaper’s opinion pages, and they fill up opinion sites both left and right.

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Negotiation Skills - This course is designed to enhance the participants’ negotiation and leadership skills for managing differences between individuals and groups. Class members will learn how to handle two and multiparty negotiations, and analyze the importance of empathy and creative option design. The course will be a blend of skill building exercises and discussions about the behavior of individuals to understand the negotiation dynamics.

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16 82871 Technology for International Crisis Response- The advent of new technologies has fundamentally changed the capacity for processing and exchanging information in the 21st century. This professional development course will explore how technology is being used to respond to crises, create early warning mechanisms, monitor elections, provide banking services, ensure effective governance, and much more. It will also consider some of the key challenges related to access, implementation, scale, and evaluation that working with technology presents. The course is designed for graduate students to assist them in developing concrete strategies and technological skills to work amid this rapidly evolving landscape. Students can expect a hands -on and interactive learning environment with a variety of real world examples from organizations working in the field.

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17 82004 Public Speaking - Many aspects of daily life involve public speaking. Whether you are giving a toast at a social event or making a presentation before a professional audience, good public speaking skills are important, and can help you to make the right impression and further your career. This course will provide students the opportunity to learn (1) how to structure and organize a speech, (2) the elements of proper delivery, (3) the various speech types, (4) how to use visual aids, (5) how to encourage audience participation, and (6) how to identify topics. Students will present several speeches on different topics.

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Formal Briefing – This course explores the why, what, and how of creating and presenting information to an audience. It will start with why briefings are an important mode of expression, and why storytelling is the single most important consideration in conceptual design.

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20 84985 Research Design for International Affairs - This course introduces students to a step-by-step approach to evaluating, producing and managing policy-relevant research in international affairs. Students learn and practice key skills, such as how to survey existing knowledge, formulate research questions, choose analytical methods, and organize research plans to produce rigorous and persuasive analysis. When deployed as part of a systematic approach, these skills help students produce quality papers and complete superior capstone projects or theses. By the end of the course, students will demonstrate a grasp of the research process by delivering the introduction to a research paper or proposal for a research project.

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Writing for International Policymakers - Clear, concise and persuasive analytic writing is an essential skill for international affairs professionals. Effective analysis for policymakers succinctly assesses matters in ways that provide information, context, and insight and makes useful recommendations. Key characteristics include focus, relevance, brevity, and readability. This course will involve short written assignments, as well as group discussions and peer critiques, aimed at developing the writing and analytic skills necessary to support, inform, and influence policymakers and implement policy.

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22 82006 Cross Cultural Communication - The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively across cultures has become both more critical and more difficult in today’s global environment. The focus of the course will be development of cross-cultural communications/awareness, management, and negotiation skills. National, regional and universal levels of culture and communications will be explored. Course methodologies will include case studies, videos, simulation, and assessment instruments relative to communicating and working in multicultural settings. The course also uses a comparativist approach to flesh out the significance and implications of cultural underpinnings, factors, and variables necessary for successful communication between cultures and individuals in an increasingly globalized world.

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23 82007 Introduction to Editing- This course will introduce students to editing and to the publishing process more generally. Students will receive basic training in proofreading and editing their own and others’ work; in the process, they will become aware of the most common problems addressed by editors.

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26 83430 Participatory Planning- Participation is a fundamental concept to development. This course aims to build an appreciation of the nuances of participation and to impart specific methods and tools that facilitate participation. The course will cover the principles of participatory learning and action, provide helpful “Do’s” and “Don’t’s” of carrying out participatory activities and processes and touch on the caveats of participatory methods in the development industry. The tools and methods covered in the course are drawn from community development planning, participatory rural/urban appraisal, participatory monitoring and evaluation, and participatory learning and action.

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27 87385 Analytical Writing for International Students- This course is designed to enhance international students' understanding of American academic writing and further develop their skills for graduate level writing in the field of international affairs. It will use a content-based approach, giving students the opportunity to refine their skills at the same time as they apply them to a topic of global policy interest.

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29 87645 Middle East Political Analysis - This course seeks to illustrate the process of Middle East policy deliberation as practiced in the U.S. government. It will examine a series of interactive case-studies of current U.S. foreign policy challenges in the Middle East to explore various aspects of political analysis. While the instructor will provide introductory lectures on each of the topic areas, the focal point is on classroom discussion, as students collaboratively simulate the interagency policy deliberation process. Therefore, it is important that students attend all classes, complete the required course readings, and participate in class discussions.

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10 82255 Leadership & Teamwork - This course explores the dynamics of teambuilding, communication, and leadership that will increase managerial effectiveness. Topics include: communication and conflict, decision-making and problem-solving, teams vs. groups, group dynamics, consensus, team building and leadership. Students participate in experiential exercises that provide them with the opportunity to learn critical skills needed to improve teamwork and be effective organizational members.

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12 84071 Gender Advisor: Roles and Skills - This course will cover the various roles, responsibilities, and necessary skills of a Gender Advisor in multilateral, bilateral, and international development organizations. The course will provide a comprehensive overview of how the latest tools, resources, and practices should be applied in development work. The course will translate the new and evolving set of policies on gender integration/mainstreaming into meaningful practice to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of institutions and organizations seeking to promote peace, security and development through gender mainstreaming of policies, programs, and projects in developing countries as well as leading organizations to improve their internal gender equality.

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13 82010 Role of the Embassy in Foreign Policy- This course is designed to familiarize students with the structure of the embassy, its authorities both formal and informal, and its activities in support of U.S. interests. Ambassadors manage their embassies through a Country Team, a team that includes the heads of sections and the heads of other U.S. Government agencies represented in the embassy. The Country Team serves as the corporate management of the mission. During the course, each student will assume the role of one member of the country team. The professor will act as ambassador. In this role-playing model students will deal with hypothetical issues (based on real events) thereby developing an appreciation and understanding of how an embassy operates.

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14 82628 Ethics in International Affairs- This is a course in applied ethics, dealing with questions and problems of ethics that occur in international affairs. Among other concerns, this includes such issues as human rights both national and international, international business, war, globalization, and global assistance and humanitarian intervention(s). We will discuss and analyze, and attempt to find ways and/or methods or steps or techniques to solve ethical disputes and issues that arise in international affairs.

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15 87730 Power Talk- Compelling, targeted and consistent communications is the key to the success or failure of political campaigns, issue-based advocacy, diplomacy and crisis management in the workplace. The ability to develop and deliver effective messages is also central to professional and leadership advancement. This hands-on training workshop will help participants learn the most effective techniques and tips to become powerful media and organizational spokespeople. This will include how to: prioritize audiences; develop effective messages; prepare for media interviews and briefings; anticipate and manage difficult questions and situations; convey messages clearly; use stories and facts for maximum effect; avoid common pitfalls; translate these learnings to social media.

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16 82376 Art and Practice of Global Investing- The course seeks to help students develop the basic skills necessary to navigate the investable world, all assets, all regions. It includes an analysis of investing during the financial turmoil of 2008-10, the subsequent boom in financial asset prices, an assessment of the investment outlook into year-end 2016 and a drill down into both the global battle between reflation and recession and the consequent global search for growth in a tri polar world. The course will also look at some of the key debates/instruments/entities influencing markets today such as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) & Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) together with the Active – Passive Debate and the rise of Smart Beta.

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17 82817 Introduction to Gaming and Simulations- The course will review collaborative analysis techniques that have been developed to game out or simulate issues and situations of significance. The course presents an overview of public and private sector applications of these methods for analysis and training. It will also provide detailed descriptions of various approaches and their conceptual underpinnings. The course is divided into three sections: familiarization, experiential learning, and design - the last focusing on application. Working in teams, students will select and apply one of the identified methodologies to the analysis of a specific topic.

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18 83566 Mobile Phones for International Development – The mobile phone is rapidly bringing communication to the most remote areas of the world. NGOs, governments and companies alike are beginning to realize the potential of this ubiquitous tool to address social challenges. This course will explore successful applications that facilitate economic transactions, support public health campaigns and connect learners to educational content. It will also critically engage with issues of equity, privacy and access. Participants can expect a dynamic and practical learning environment with a number of real-world examples and case studies.

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19 84013 Congress and Foreign Policy- The class will examine the ways in which Congress and the Executive branch interact to shape U.S. foreign and national security policy. The class will consider practical details such as how Congress is structured, and how the budget and appropriations process that funds U.S. international spending operates. It will also look at the political imperatives that influence how members of Congress and their staffers develop their views on U.S. foreign policy. After an informal introduction to how Congress works, the focus will be on real-world case studies and hands-on simulations, with in-class exercises that will permit students to better understand what role the Congress plays in determining U.S. foreign policy, how it does so, and why.

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24 87374 Political Analysis- This skills course will introduce students to political analysis as it is practiced outside an academic setting, with a specific focus on U.S. national security issues. The course will help students develop the foundational analytical and writing skills that are necessary for political analysis as it is conducted within the executive branch, congress, non-governmental organizations, and think tanks. By the end of the class, students will be able to critically analyze a policy issue and synthesize this analysis into succinct options and recommendations for policymakers.