NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The course examines the history of international relations in the Near and Middle East. Consistent with the core educational activities of the Master’s Degree program in “Lingue, economie e istituzioni dell'Asia e dell'Africa mediterranea” the course aims to provide students with in-depth knowledge and analytical tools to understand the contemporary history of the Middle East, the foreign policies of the region’s states, and international relations.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
-Describe the historical and institutional development of the main states of the Middle East
-Understand and compare the foreign policies of the main Middle Eastern States, identifying the causes and consequences of regional and international conflicts and alliances.
Contextualize historical events within international relations and regional power systems.

-Basic knowledge of contemporary history
-Fundamental understanding of international relations

Module 1 – Contemporary History of the Middle East
Module 2 – International Relations and Foreign Policy

Module 1
William Cleveland and Martin Bunton, A History of the Modern Middle East, Routledge, 2024
(also available in Italian: Storia del Medio Oriente Moderno, Mondadori, 2020).

Module 2
Reference materials (academic articles, book chapters, documents from international and governmental agencies, reports from non-governmental organizations) will be provided on the Moodle platform.

Written exam (two hours): six open-ended questions on topics covered in the textbooks and reference materials.

written

A. Scores in the 18–22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
-sufficient knowledge and comprehension skills applied in relation to the program;
-limited ability to collect and critically interpret information, formulating independent judgments;
-adequate communication skills, especially regarding the use of the discipline-specific language.
B. Scores in the 23–26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
-fair knowledge and comprehension skills applied in relation to the program;
-fair ability to collect and critically interpret information, formulating independent judgments;
-fair communication skills, especially regarding the use of the discipline-specific language.
C. Scores in the 27–30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
-good or excellent knowledge and comprehension skills applied in relation to the program;
-good or excellent ability to collect and critically interpret information, formulating independent judgments;
-fully appropriate communication skills, especially regarding the use of the discipline-specific language.
D. Cum laude will be awarded in the presence of excellent critical judgment and communication skills.

Lectures, interactive lessons, and in-class discussions

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development