Diplomacy in Practice: the EU & the Worl

Diplomacy in Practice:EU/World

The course will introduce students to the practice of modern diplomacy through case studies of global or regional crises and the EU’s response to them. Students will learn how foreign policy is devised and implemented from the perspective of a professional diplomat. The course will start with an introduction of the EU institutions involved in foreign affairs. Each class will then focus on a specific case study: the EU’s strategic partnerships; its neighborhood policy; the migration crisis; the situation in Ukraine; the conflicts in Syria and Libya; the Middle East peace process; the Iran nuclear agreement; and Brexit. In each case, students will explore the interplay between the various instruments of foreign policy, including crisis management, defense and security, trade, financial aid, humanitarian assistance, and public diplomacy.

• R 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Pierre Vimont
  Info
• 3 points

Nonprofit Financial Management

This course provides an introduction to nonprofit and social enterprise finance, financial management and budgeting. The course is practical and hands-on. The course will examine how the principles of financial planning and management assist nonprofit managers in making operating, program and long-term financial decisions.  Through the use of readings, discussions, Case Studies, Excel labs, and a consulting project, students will learn underlying concepts as well as practical skills. No prior finance or budgeting experience is required and there is no prerequisite for this course. The course is designed to give students a range of core financial and managerial skills that are especially relevant to students who want to go on to establish, manage or work in nonprofit organizations or social enterprises.

• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• F 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Sarah M Holloway
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 3 points

Campaign Management

Together we are going to learn how to plan, manage, and execute the major elements of a modern American campaign using skills that can be applied to all levels of the electoral process. What are the elements of a modern political campaign? How are those pieces executed? How do we get the people elected (or un-elected) which impacts Public Policy for decades? If you are interested in political campaigns, this is your chance to learn directly from top experts in the field about the various tools and strategies used in all aspects of American politics and campaigns today.
 
Although this is a course focusing on practical competence, empirical political theory and relevant political science will be applied to our work. Guest lecturers, simulations, and additional materials such as videos and handouts will augment the course. When we are done, you will know what you need to do, and where you need to turn, in order to effectively organize an election campaign. The curriculum is ambitious, specialized, and task-specific. This is not a course in political science, but rather a hands-on, intensive training seminar in campaign skills. By May, you will be able to write a campaign plan, structure a fundraising effort, hire and work with consultants, plan a media campaign (both paid and unpaid), research and target a district, structure individual voter contact, use polling data, understand the utility of focus groups, write press releases, conduct advance work on behalf of your candidate, manage crises, hire and fire your staff, and tell your candidate when he or she is wrong. Our aim is to make you competent and eminently employable in the modern era of advanced campaign technology. For the purposes of this class, you will design a campaign plan for a political race. To make this more interesting (and realistic), you will be provided with information and situations throughout the semester that will require you to plan, anticipate, and adapt your campaign plan to the changing realities inherent to every campaign.
 
The course will be co-taught by Jefrey Pollock, the Founding Partner and President of Global Strategy Group, a premier strategic research and communications firm, who has advised numerous local and national political candidates and organizations; as well as, Camille Rivera, Partner at New Deal Strategies, an experienced policy and political legislative director with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management

• R 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• 3 points

International Financial Management in Em

Intl Fin Mgmt-Emerging Markets

The aim of this course is to prepare students to deal with financial challenges firms—local and multinationals-- in emerging markets (EMs) face.  EMs are volatile animals.   As exchange rates depreciate, for example, due to a sudden increase in international interest rates, capital budgeting that looked fine under an estimated exchange rate may suddenly become irrelevant. Facing limited access to working capital-- internationally and domestically—firms typically resort to sources of funding other than banks such as retained earnings, aborting plans for firm expansion or much costlier credit from shadow financial sectors.  In turn, those involved in securitization practices in shadow financial markets are vulnerable to sudden stops triggered by any unexpected event, leading to deep financial crisis. Furthermore, bankruptcy laws and regulations in EMs are weak and inexistent in some economies.   Cases in point are the Lehman crisis that started in the US and, more recently, the global COVID-19 war. The former led to a large drop in international trade, as credit in global value chains suddenly became scarce, leaving small suppliers highly indebted and without access to credit.  The COVID-19 war is making evident the fragility of the corporate sector in EMs, and the need for a strong public sector presence. The emphasis in this course is on identifying and managing the EM firm challenges listed above. While reviewing the lessons learned from boom/busts cycles in EMs by means of case studies, the course will discuss sources of firm risks; supply chain challenges; financial sector challenges; FDI pros and cons; and management of risk. All these topics require an understanding of the available international sources of funding and instruments; the impact of shocks; the use of foreign currency forwards, options, and swaps for risk hedging purposes; the determination of an appropriate cost of capital; and non-performing loan resolution strategies.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Sara N Calvo
  Info
• 3 points

Budgeting & Financial Management for Gov

Budgeting & Fin Mgmt for Govt

Public sector budgeting in the United States, and perhaps globally, has become increasingly contentious in the aftermath of the2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession. This course introduces students to the field of budgeting and fiscal management in the public sector. We will look at the special challenges of developing a budget within a political environment and the techniques used for reporting, accountability and management control. Domestically, the landscape for government budgeting is being tested in unprecedented ways. Fiscal pressures at the federal and state levels have increasingly pushed responsibilities for program funding to the local level. Municipal bankruptcy, once a theoretical and untested concept, has emerged more frequently as a solution despite its long-term consequences. Selected topics will include inter-governmental relationships, taxes and other revenues, expenditure control, audits and productivity enhancement. Lectures will also address current events related to public sector budgeting at all levels, especially as the world continues to confront the COVID-19 global pandemic and the ensuing economic and fiscal crises. This course seeks to provide students with practical knowledge for budgetary and financial analysis.  Drawing from theory and from case studies, students will acquire practical skills to help them design, implement and assess public sector budgets. The practical nature of the subject requires the students’ active hands-on participation in assignments such as in-class debates, case analyses and a budget cycle simulation. By the end of the semester, conscientious students will be able to formulate budgetary recommendations backed up by cogent analysis and calculations.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• F 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: John Liu
  Info
• 3 points

Critical Issues in Urban Public Policy

Critical Issues-Urban Pub Pol

This course is designed to prepare future policymakers to critically analyze and evaluate key urban policy issues in US cities. It is unique in offering exposure to both practical leadership experience and urban affairs scholarship that will equip students to meet the challenges that face urban areas. Students will read academic articles and chapters from books dealing with urban politics and policy, and will hear from an exciting array of guest lecturers from the governmental, not-for-profit, and private sectors. Drawing from his experiences as former Mayor of Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter will lay out the basic elements of urban government and policymaking, emphasizing the most important demographic, economic, and political trends facing urban areas.

• W 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Michael A Nutter
  Info
• 3 points

Renewable Energy Project Finance Modelin

Renew Energy Proj Fin Modeling

The course is intended to be a practicum, exposing students to real?word tools of the trade as well as the theory underlying them. In place of a text book, students will be provided with approximately 400 pages of actual project documents used for a wind energy project constructed relatively recently. While some confidential information has been redacted, the document set is largely intact and akin to what one would encounter if working for a utility, Project developer, project finance lender or infrastructure equity investment firm. The students will learn the Corality Financial Modelling methodology, a leading industry project finance modelling approach, which will better position them for careers in the sector.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Haydn Palliser
  Info
• 3 points

Leadership Lessons for Important Battles

INSTRUCTOR
: Juan Manuel Santos. The world is currently facing numerous challenges: rising poverty and inequality due to the pandemic, growing conflicts and unparalleled humanitarian crises, extreme climate conditions and biodiversity losses that threaten our very livelihood, to name a few. Solving these pressing issues will require tremendous leadership, which is unfortunately scarce nowadays. In this course students will learn, from someone who has had hands-on experience, the tools and concrete lessons needed to lead through the toughest battles: the battle against poverty, and how to effectively bring down inequality by using the multi-dimensional poverty index; the battle against drugs, and how to approach it as a public health and human rights issue; the battle for climate justice, and how to protect the environment by building upon the wisdom of indigenous communities; and the battle for peace, and how to create the conditions to solve conflicts through dialogue, in order to make possible what seemed impossible.

• W 11 a.m.-1:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Juan Manuel Santos
  Info
• 1.5 points

Conduct of War

The conduct of war lies at the heart of international security policy. Even if never used, the capacity to conduct war successfully underpins deterrence and much of foreign policy. Creating and wielding this capacity is the ultimate purpose of most security policymakers’ jobs. The equipment, organization, recruitment and training of great power militaries are all shaped by the demands of conducting war. The agencies that field these militaries and shape these policies exist in large part to enable successful conduct in the event of war. A deep understanding of international politics thus requires awareness of the conduct of war and its demands. And the deepest possible knowledge of the theory and practice of modern warfare is among the most important skills a prospective participant in security policy making can bring to the enterprise – a sophisticated understanding of the conduct of war is foundational to almost everything else a security policy professional does. The purpose of this course is to provide a sufficient grounding in this essential material to enable students to participate effectively in the security policymaking process. In particular, the course is designed to equip students to shoulder the duties of an entry-level analyst or civil servant in the many executive branch agencies, legislative offices, think tanks, and international organizations whose duties involve the conduct of war. In the process, the course should give you the underlying intellectual foundations needed to learn more rapidly from your experience once you enter the field, and thus to graduate more quickly to positions of greater responsibility and influence within the field. But this is not a general education liberal arts course – while we will cover a body of important ideas about a major human enterprise, and while the course should sharpen students’ critical thinking skills, our priority will be pre-professional preparation for students who expect to work in the defense policy field after graduation.

• M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Stephen Biddle
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

US Role In World Affairs II

The examination of America’s global role begun in the fall continues in the coming semester.  Our focus is on the interaction between U.S. foreign policy, the institutions that formulate it, the challenges it responds to, and the changing international system.  Three rubrics will provide the framework for this semester’s study—first, the domestic roots of policy; second, great-power conflicts; third, emergent challenges to which responses are still being formulated. Seminar discussion remains the heart of the course.  Assigned readings are centered on major debates among scholars, practitioners, and journalists about the future of American policy. Only students who are currently registered in INAF U6346 will be allowed to register for INAF U6347, unless otherwise indicated by the professor.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Stephen R Sestanovich
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

United Nations & Globalization

United Nations and Globalization
 introduces the various ways in which the United Nations affect global governance. Over the last decade, every aspect of global governance has become subjected to review and debate: peacekeeping and peacebuilding, the future of humanitarianism, a new climate change architecture, human rights, a new sustainable development agenda, and the need for a new multilateralism. Part 1 of this course introduces the different actors, entities and platforms through which the UN affects global governance. It creates the conceptual foundations for the role of international organizations in today’s multiplex world. It sheds light on how the UN acts at various levels, in different forms and with a varied set of partners to foster global public goods and global public policy. This includes discussions on the role of international law, goal setting, and frameworks, as well as the interlinkages between global-level interventions and regional, national, and local activities and outcomes. Part 2 applies the conceptual insights to specific issue areas. Discussions on global governance mechanisms in the areas of peace and security, humanitarian action, sustainable development, climate change, human rights, global health and COVID-19 deepen the understanding of the role the UN plays in the broader governance regimes. In addition to critical scholarship on international organizations and global governance, the course relies on students’ analysis of relevant proceedings and debates at the UN, original policy documents, as well as expert testimony from a range of guest speakers, who share their extensive first-hand observations as actors of global governance processes. By these means, 
United Nations and Globalization
 offers insights into the processes, challenges, and impacts of UN activities to make global governance regimes stronger, more effective, and accountable.

• M 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Daniel Naujoks
  Info
• 3 points

Gender, Conflict, and Peacebuilding

Gender, Conflict, & Peacebuild

This intensive 3-day course will provide an overview of the evolving field of gender, peace and security. The modules will address the following issues: Historical and geopolitical evolution of the context in which the WPS and GPS agendas should be situated; The approval of SCR 1325, and the expansion of the WPS agenda through subsequent resolutions; Key pillars of the WPS agenda – notably women’s participation in peace and security, protection issues, peacekeeping and conflict prevention including conflict-related sexual violence; Gender analysis and the practical application of a gendered lens to conflict, mediation and peacebuilding processes; Experiences and lessons from women’s peace coalitions and women’s contributions to peacebuilding including with respect to countering/preventing violent extremism; Sexual violence in conflict; Women and peacekeeping, including issues relating to sexual exploitation and abuse. The course will draw on actual case studies, as well as other materials, and will entail lectures, class discussions, and group exercises.

• S 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini
  Info
• 1.5 points

Women's Leadership: Impact of Policy

Despite gains in recent years, gender disparities in leadership roles – particularly in the corporate and government sectors – remain significant. This 7-week course will explore policies within organizations, as well as governmental policies, designed to address gender disparities in leadership roles, examining questions such as: What are the goals such policies are/should be seeking to achieve? What are the best approaches – e.g. gender-focused vs. more broadly crafted policies? Which approaches are/are not working? What are the unintended consequences of policies designed for this purpose? How do we consider debates in popular culture (from Sandberg to Slaughter) in the context of organizational and governmental policymaking and use them to inform policymaking? What are the limitations on what policy can achieve? The course will begin by briefly exploring historical and current gender disparities in leadership roles and the diverse reasons behind them, examining the roles of women, men, culture and policy. We will explore the potential impact policy can have, identifying and recognizing limitations and challenges. Finally, we will focus the bulk of our time on policy approaches tried by governments and organizations (with a focus on corporations, as well as academia and non-profits) to attempt to address leadership gender disparities, exploring the questions above. The course will include accomplished women leaders from multiple sectors as guest speakers, and active student participation, including presentation of case studies, will be required.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Melissa S Fisher
  Info
• 1.5 points

Transnational LGBTI Rights

LGBT Rights Internationally

In May 2016, a highly contested resolution passed the UN Human Rights Council condemning discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity and establishing the system’s first ever Independent Expert on the same themes.  The protracted fight for the resolution demonstrated how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights were, and remain, among the most controversial issues in international human rights, law, and public policy. Contestations around LGBTI rights are frequently framed in terms of ‘human rights’ versus ‘traditional values’ which underscores a central challenge to LGBTI rights claims – how to make universalizing claims based on identities that are historically contingent and culturally produced. This course will explore how LGBTI rights impact mainstream debates, such as bilateral relations and good governance, while also teaching students to understand the challenges of fulfilling LGBTI rights, such as access to legal recognition for same-sex partnerships and transgender people. The course will also explore the ways in which anti-LGBTI animus is deployed for political effect and seek to understand the processes whereby LGBTI rights become lightning rods for broader social and political cleavages. This course offers students an opportunity to reflect, in-depth, on the challenges and opportunities of working on LGBTI rights transnationally, surveys debates within the field, and equips students to competently address LGBTI rights as they manifest across a range of academic and professional interests. Breaking news and contemporary debates will be integrated into the course work.

• T 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Graeme Reid
  Info
• 1.5 points

Technology, National Security & the Citi

Tech, Natl Security & Citizen

While digital technology gives governments powerful new ways to protect their citizens, it also creates powerful opportunities for abuse. To complicate matters, governments arent the only ones with access to these tools: technology also empowers individuals, activist groups, and non-state actors in ways that can either enhance or threaten the security of nations. This course will explore these changes, examining how digital technology is transforming the national security landscape, altering roles and power relationships for governments, citizens, and social movements. Specifically, this class will examine: NATIONAL SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES: Categories and specific tools in use for citizen engagement, surveillance, infrastructure control, and defense DEMOCRATIC - AUTOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS USE OF TOOLS: How governments, both democratic and autocratic, deploy these technologies in national security efforts, and its consequences on the rights of individuals and the broader social order CITIZENS, SOCIAL MOVEMENTS - NON-STATE ACTORS USE OF TOOLS: How citizens, social movements, and non-state actors wield similar tools to enhance, counterbalance, or undermine government security efforts REDEFINING POWER: How new technologies affect, alter, undermine, or enhance existing power structures and bolster or diminish the influence of citizens, organizations, and social groups on governments Course material will be comprised of theoretical readings on state security responsibilities and citizens rights, case studies of effective and counterproductive tactics, and present-day examples of the phenomena.

• R 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Alexis Wichowski
  CULPA: 1 h-index: 6 Info
• 3 points

Dynamics of Cyber Conflict

This class examines the dynamics of cyber conflict. We will focus less on the technology of cyberspace than the national security threats, challenges, and policy responses including lessons from history and other kinds of conflict. After taking this course, you will understand about the Internet and Internet-based attacks; how cyber conflicts unfold at the tactical and strategic levels; how cyber conflicts and cyber power are different or similar to conflict and power in other domains; the evolution of US cyber policies and organizations; as well as legal issues and the policies and organizations of other nations. The centerpiece of the course is an exercise to reinforce the fundamentals of national security response to a major cyber incident. Accordingly, you will demonstrate the ability to formulate policy recommendations in the face of the uncertainties of an unfolding cyber conflict.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Jason Healey
  Wikipedia h-index: 15 Info
• 3 points

Terrorism & Counterterrorism

This course examines the origins and evolution of modern terrorism, challenges posed by terrorist groups to states and to the international system, and strategies employed to confront and combat terrorism. We assess a wide variety of terrorist organizations, and explore the psychological, socioeconomic, political, and religious causes of terrorist violence past and present. We also analyze the strengths and weaknesses of various counterterrorism strategies, from the point of view of efficacy as well as ethics, and look into ways in which the new threat of global terrorism might impact the healthy functioning of democratic states. The course is divided into two parts. Part I focuses on the terrorist threat, including the nature, roots, objectives, tactics, and organization of terrorism and terrorist groups. Part II addresses the issue of counterterrorism, including recent American efforts to combat terrorism, the strengths and weaknesses of counterterrorist tools and instruments, the issue of civil liberties and democratic values in confronting terrorism, and international strategies and tactics.

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Stuart M Gottlieb
  CULPA: 12 Info
• 3 points

Conflict Resolution

This course introduces the study and practice of conflict resolution, offering students a broad conceptual framework for more specific strands of study offered by CICR. It also aims to show how ideas about conflict resolution can cast light on individual conflicts and peace initiatives. The majority of classes focus on thematic issues and debates, but these are interspersed with classes concentrating on individual conflict situations, to allow students to link theory and practice. Students will be tested on both their grasp of the main themes of the course and their application to specific situations.

• W 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Adam Day
  Info
• 3 points

Macroeconomic Analysis for International

Prerequisites: SIPA U6400 or SIPA U6300 This course continues the one-year sequence initiated with SIPA U6400 and focuses on macroeconomics. The goal of this course is to provide students with the analytical framework to examine and interpret observed economic events in the global economy. The causal relationships between macroeconomic aggregates is based upon microeconomic principles. The subject matter always refers to concrete situations with a particular focus on the causes and effects of the current global financial crisis. The controversial nature of macroeconomic policies is central.

• MW 9:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
• MW 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• MW 2:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
• TR 9:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
• TR 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• R 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
• R 2:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
• R 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
• R 6:15 p.m.-7:45 p.m.
• R 8 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
• F 9:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
• F 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• F 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Instructor: Andrea Bubula
  Info
• 3 points

Human Rights and the Politics of Inequal

Human Rights & Devpt Policy

This course investigates the relationship between human rights and key policies affecting economic and social equality and equity issues. In particular, the course will focus on how human rights criteria have been integrated into economic governance in various arenas, including trade, labor, development, and environmental policy. The course will introduce students to both theory and practical points of leverage for advancing human rights in the public and the private sector. Students will learn about the strengths, weaknesses and impacts of grievance mechanisms that are tied to economic policies, such as free trade agreements or World Bank complaint mechanisms. They will analyze the impacts of development and investment policies on human rights and strategies for incorporating human rights criteria into governmental and non-governmental decision-making processes.

• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• 3 points

Universal Food Security

Global Food Systems

This course addresses the challenges and opportunities for achieving a productive, profitable, inclusive, healthy, sustainable, resilient, and ethical global food system. Our first class will provide a brief historical perspective of the global food system, highlighting relevant developments over the past 10,000 years and will explain key concepts, critical challenges, and opportunities ahead. For the ensuing few weeks, we will cover the core biophysical requirements for food production: soil and land, water and climate, and genetic resources. We include an introduction to human nutrition – 
Nutrition Week
 – that focuses on dietary change and food-based solutions to malnutrition. Building on this, the course will survey a selection of important food systems and trends across Asia, Africa, and Latin America that provide food security and livelihoods for more than half of the world’s population. Case studies and classroom debates throughout the course will explore the roles of science, technology, policies, politics, institutions, business, finance, aid, trade, and human behavior in advancing sustainable agriculture, and achieving food and nutritional security. We will probe the interactions of food systems with global issues including poverty and inequality, the persistence of chronic hunger and malnutrition, climate change, environmental degradation, international food business and value chains, biotechnology (GMOs), post-harvest losses, and food waste. With a sharp eye for credible evidence, we will confront controversies, reflect on historical trends, identify common myths, and surface little-known but important truths about agriculture and food systems. In our final sessions, we address the ultimate question: can we feed and nourish the world without wrecking it for future generations?

• T 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• R 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Glenn Denning
  h-index: 14 Info
• 3 points

Energy Transition in Europe

The course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the issues and dynamics underlying the European Union’s (EU’s) efforts to lead the worldwide transition to low- and zero-greenhouse gas energy systems. The energy transition is unfolding around the globe with features that reflect each country’s distinct energy endowments, economic strengths and weaknesses, political priorities, and governance systems. In this course, we will examine the drivers of the European debate over the energy transition, from public pressure to protect the environment and avoid climate change, to technology innovations that are impacting all aspects of energy use – in power generation, industrial energy systems, buildings and transportation.

• T 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• 1.5 points

East Asian Security

This course explores the principal hard power security issues facing East Asia: the rise of China; the US relationship with its allies and security partners in the region; Japan’s security strategy; the political-military disputes centered on the East and South China seas, the Korean peninsula, and the Taiwan Strait; and military strategies in the region. Through a set of readings and discussions, students will come to a deeper understanding of the major issues in the region’s security; how the histories and domestic politics of China, Japan, the two Koreas and Taiwan shape and impact on the region’s security; and how some of the major scholars and practitioners who have thought about the region have viewed its security problems.

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Markus Garlauskas
  Info
• 3 points

Persistent Problems in the Global South:

Persistent Probs-Global South

This course, Persistent Problems in the Global South: Policies and Politics for Sustainable Development, examines the politics around some persistent policy problems in the Global South, against the background of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The term Global South, used mostly by intergovernmental organizations, refers to the economically disadvantaged countries also known as developing countries or the Third World. However, in recent years and within a variety of fields, Global South is also employed in a post-national sense to address spaces and peoples within the borders of wealthier countries negatively impacted by globalization. This course is explicitly comparative, and will draw on the histories and national experiences of developing countries around the world. Each week we will address one persistent sustainable development problem in the Global South in an empirically grounded case-based method, while also referring to solid theoretical frameworks and policy literature. Alongside recognizing national-level specificities, we will also examine how these countries face similar constraints arising from shared colonial experience, resource paucity and institutional barriers, which distinguish them from richer countries in the Global North.

• W 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Rumela Sen
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 3 points

Failures and Successes of Three Decades

Peacemaking Failures & Su

The return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan, coming after a twenty years engagement of the international community, raises hard questions on the wisdom of intervening in the lives of others. At the same time, the wars in Syria and Yemen, in which there was no intervention, have generated immense humanitarian crises, while the short but decisive intervention in Libya, once trumpeted as an example of the responsibility to protect, has led to a decade of political crisis. Have we learned the right lessons from the crises of the 90’s (Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda…)? Or has the world changed so radically that the lessons of the 90’s no longer apply? At a time when geopolitical confrontation is deepening, is there still a space for intervention? Are there new lessons that we should learn from the last two decades? To answer those questions, we will go through several case studies – with a focus on conflicts in which the United Nations have been involved-, not only to better understand the causes of failure, and in some cases of success, but also to sharpen a definition of what can be called success. I will draw on my own experience as under-secretary-general for peacekeeping, as deputy of Kofi Annan when he tried to stop the Syrian conflict, and as chair of the board of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and CEO of the International Crisis Group. I will also call on a few experts and practitioners with specific experience of particular conflicts. In the end, we will test our understanding of the causes of success and failure on two ongoing crises, Afghanistan and Syria, trying to identify the inflection points that have led to the present state of affairs, and what could/should have been done differently.

• M 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Jean-Marie Guehenno
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Justice for Black Veterans

In the wake of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, activists and scholars have taken up the call to further examine the covert structural and systemic racism within existing U.S. structures. One such structure is the U.S. military. This “course” will broadly examine the historical and contemporary contributions and experiences of Black military men and women. This will be juxtaposed to the history of racism within the military system and how it presents in the U.S. today. Using datasets obtained via FOIA requests to the Board of Veterans, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the Veterans Health Administration, particular attention will be made on the persistence of racial discrimination and benefit obstruction within the U.S. military. Students will consider ways to explore meaningful repair based on the narratives of those most directly affected.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Linda Mann
  Info
• 1.5 points

Counterterrorism and Policing

INSTRUCTOR: Rebecca Weiner. The terrorism threat environment in the United States has evolved considerably in the 20 years since 9/11. Today’s threat is ideologically diverse, tactically unsophisticated, geographically dispersed, and driven by a combination of digital catalysts and local threat actors. The threat has evolved from one that is primarily external in origin and nature to one that is primarily homegrown and domestic—and driven by online radicalization that turns into real-world violence. This change has required different strategies and approaches from the counterterrorism community. Law enforcement, and in particular police, play a growing role in countering terrorism. This course will examine: the evolution of the terrorism threat in the United States since 9/11; the role that the digital realm has played in changing the threat landscape; some of the challenges and opportunities in policing terrorism; and how the various structures that developed since 9/11 have had to adapt to meet the changed threat.

• W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Rebecca Weiner
  Info
• 3 points

Rethinking Policing in the 21st Century

Rethinking Policing-21st Cent

Social movements and activists are reshaping the debate on the traditional role of policing in our society. The Black Lives Matter movement has been pivotal in leading the call for systemic change, accountability and transparency. A chorus of diverse voices has called into question unchecked police power. The tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner and other Black and brown people has led to a breakdown of trust between the public and police. This course is designed to examine current police practices through the lens of history, race, recent events, and jurisprudence.  This class will serve as a laboratory of ideas and recommendations as we analyze police training, disciplinary procedures, use of force guidelines and other practices in an effort to foster and improve community - police relations. Several cities have deconstructed police authorities, focusing on a more democratic force and in some cases diverting funds towards a more non-violent and community-based approach to policing. Some governmental leaders have criticized recent movements for their lack of structure and stated objectives other than demanding change. This class will discuss common threads and differences between recent movements and those of the past. Lastly, this class will tackle those issues that have impeded progress in advancing a police force that promotes trust and service.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Basil A Jr Smikle
  Info
• 3 points

Economic Espionage

Intelligence activities are traditionally thought to comprise the activities of a nation state’s intelligence organizations attempting to steal secrets, usually those pertaining to national security, from the organizations of another nation state.  However, intelligence activities have seldom, if ever, been confined to the government sphere.  Most nation states have employed their national intelligence systems to steal privately held economic information from other countries to benefit their economies: many continue to do so. Private enterprises have long employed methodologies associated with “traditional” intelligence to obtain trade secrets from domestic and foreign competitors.  The establishment of a legal and ethical framework to govern this activity –- the discipline of “competitive intelligence’, is a relatively recent phenomenon. This course will examine in depth the interaction of intelligence and private sector on these three levels.  Part one of the course will cover economic espionage: the deliberate targeting of private sector entities by foreign intelligence services.  Soviet/Russian and Chinese conduct of Economic Espionage will be discussed in detail.  A separate class will examine the prevalence of economic espionage among democratic nations, usually considered allies of the United States in both theory and practice.  The U.S. attitude towards economic espionage, and the U.S reaction to the threat, will be the subject other class meetings. The course will then move on to industrial espionage, companies spying on other companies, and its’ more socially acceptable counterpart, competitive intelligence.   The course will conclude with an in-depth look at the development of the private intelligence sector, and rare instances of private sector espionage against a government entity, including the notorious “Fat Leonard” conspiracy to penetrate and suborn the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet.

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: David Gutschmit
  Info
• 3 points

Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy Pra

Hum Rights & Hum Pol Practicum

This 1.5 credit, 7-week course is designed as a forum in which human rights practitioners, humanitarian aid workers, practitioners and academics share their professional experiences and insights on the modern development of international human rights and humanitarian law, policy, and practice. The Practicum plays an important role in the Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy Concentration as a means by which students: 1. interact with speakers and gain an understanding of the different roles that humanitarian aid workers and actors play in a variety of contexts, and 2. examine current trends in the human rights field and remain informed on the different roles that human rights actors play in a variety of contexts. The Practicum is designed, therefore, to enhance students’ abilities to think critically and analytically about current problems and challenges confronting the field, and to do so in the context of a vibrant community of their peers. Whereas most courses integrate conceptual and theoretical perspectives of human rights, the Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy Practicum is meant to emphasize the processes of implementing human rights from the practitioner’s perspective.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Elazar Barkan
  Info
• 1.5 points

Quantitative Analysis I for Internationa

This survey course introduces students to the fundamentals of statistical analysis. We will examine the principles and basic methods for analyzing quantitative data, with a focus on applications to problems in public policy, management, and the social sciences. We will begin with simple statistical techniques for describing and summarizing data and build toward the use of more sophisticated techniques for drawing inferences from data and making predictions about the social world. The course will assume that students have little mathematical background beyond high school algebra. Students will be trained on STATA. This powerful statistical package is frequently used to manage and analyze quantitative data in many organizational/institutional contexts. Because each faculty member takes a somewhat different approach to teaching this course, students should examine each professors syllabus to understand the differences.

• M 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• T 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• T 8:10 p.m.-10 p.m.
• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• W 8:10 p.m.-10 p.m.
• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Doru Cojoc
  Info
• 3 points

Quantitative Analysis II for Internation

Prerequisites: SIPA U6500 This course is the second semester in the SIPA statistics sequence. Students conduct a major research project, which will serve as an important vehicle for learning about the process and challenges of doing applied empirical research, over the course of the semester. The project requires formulating a research question, developing testable hypotheses, gathering quantitative data, exploring and analyzing data using appropriate quantitative techniques, writing an empirical research paper, proposing policy recommendations, and presenting findings and analyses.

• T 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• W 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• W 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• R 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• F 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• F 3 p.m.-4:50 p.m.
• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• M 8:10 p.m.-10 p.m.
• Instructor: Alan S Yang
  CULPA: 5 Info
• 3 points

Using Big Data to Develop Public Policy

Big Data to Develop Pub Policy

Prerequisites: SIPA U6500 Data are a critical resource for understanding and solving public policy challenges. This course provides an applied understanding of data analytics tools and approaches to policy. This course is designed to bridge the gap between the statistical theory and real-world challenges of using data in public policy. The course leverages the DATA2GO.NYC data set. DATA2GO.NYC was developed with the intention of empowering community members to understand the areas in which they work, play, and live by providing open access to aggregated city data. You will use the data set to conduct the in-depth analysis of an issue and ultimately develop a policy proposal or policy evaluation.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Francesco Brindisi
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 3 points

Basics of Cybersecurity

• W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Colin Ahern
  Info
• 1.5 points

Intro to Infographics and Data Visualiza

Intro Infographics & Data Vis

This is a seven-week course that introduces students to design principles and techniques for effective data visualization. Visualizations graphically depict data to foster communication, improve comprehension and enhance decision-making. This course aims to help students: understand how visual representations can improve data comprehension, master techniques to facilitate the creation of visualizations as well as begin using widely available software and web-based, open-source frameworks.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Douglas Williamson
  Info
• 1.5 points

Data Driven Approaches for Campaigns and

Data Driven Approaches-Campaig

Prerequisites: Basic statistics and facility with spreadsheets This class will focus on the proper understanding and use of a wide range of tools and techniques involving data, analytics, and experimentation by campaigns. We will study evolutions and revolutions in data driven advocacy and campaigns, starting with polling and continuing through micro-targeting, random controlled experiments, and the application of insights from behavioral science. Our primary focus will be on developments in US political and advocacy campaigns, but we will also examine the uses of these tools in development and other areas. The course is designed to provide an informative but critical overview of an area in which it is often difficult to separate hype from expertise. The purpose of the course is to prepare students to understand the strengths and limitations of Big Data and analytics, and to provide concrete and practical knowledge of some of the key tools in use in campaigns and advocacy. Students will be expected to examine the use of data in practical case studies and distinguish between proper and improper uses.

• M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• 3 points

Cyber Risks & Vulnerabilities

The purpose of this course is to familiarize SIPA students with the protocols and devices used in the function of the internet while focusing on the flaws and vulnerabilities. This course will approach each session in the following manner: discussion of the topic to include what the topic is and how it is used, vulnerabilities and specifically, and example, and will follow up with a video or other demonstration of a common hacker technique or tool to illustrate the problem so the students can better understand the impact. This course is intended to complement Basics of Cybersecurity with a tighter focus on specific vulnerabilities and how these can be exploited by hackers, criminals, spies, or militaries. This course is intended to be an introduction to cybersecurity and is thus suitable for complete newcomers to the area. It is a big field, with a lot to cover; however this should get students familiar with all of the basics. The class is divided into seven topics; the first five iteratively build on each other. Session six will look to future technologies. Session seven will challenge students to understand the authorities encountered and the friction between the authorities and agencies in responding to a cyber incident. Many cyber jobs are opening up with companies that need international affairs analysts who, while not cybersecurity experts, understand the topic well enough to write policy recommendations or intelligence briefs. Even if you don’t intend your career to focus on cyber issues, having some exposure will deepen your understanding of the dynamics of many other international and public policy issues.

• M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Janee Potts
  Info
• 1.5 points

Cybersecurity & Business Risk

This course will examine cybersecurity and threats in cyberspace as a business risk: that is, the potential and consequent magnitude of loss or liability arising from conducting business connected to the Internet. Many organizations have traditionally viewed cybersecurity as a technology problem, “owned” by the Information Technology department. However, doing business connected to the Internet can create non-technical problems: legal, regulatory, financial, logistical, brand or reputational, even health or public safety problems. Increasingly, organizations are treating cybersecurity and cyber threats in a broader manner, viewing cyber as a risk to be managed, and owned ultimately by the most senior ranks of corporate governance. An example might be a bank managing cyber operational risk similarly to managing credit and market risk. However, organizations continue to face challenges as they try to translate, measure, manage, and report a risk that is highly technical, and still somewhat foreign to most risk managers. The objective of this course will be to introduce you to basic concepts of cybersecurity and threats in cyberspace, and enable you to apply them to tools, techniques, and processes for business risk management. It assumes no technical knowledge of cybersecurity, nor a deep understanding of risk management. Students will learn about the basic principles of cybersecurity, the main actors in the business and regulatory spheres, and approaches to business risk management: how to understand, describe, measure, and report risk in a cybersecurity context. Students will also understand different models and approaches used by leading institutions in various industries, including the financial services sector, critical infrastructure providers, high-technology companies, and governments.

• W 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• 3 points

Social Innovation, Technology, & Public

Soc Innov, Tech, Pub Pol-Globa

In this course, students will analyze the following tools and their role in social innovation and policy change: artificial intelligence and machine learning, chatbots, social networks, online petitions, direct digital pressure, crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, e-participation, multi-agent systems, and digitally-driven phone-banking and blast-messaging. The focus will be via study of case-studies and stories of best practices, mainly from the Global South. The analysis of tools and case studies will be complemented by brief lectures from practitioners, followed by a dialogue between the instructor and the students on the current academic debate around these issues. The course will consist of seven sessions, divided into three overarching themes: Social Innovation as a replacement of government: how to adapt service provision to the digital age; Social Innovation as a collaboration with government: how to enhance civic participation through new methodologies and technologies; Social Innovation as a counter-power to government: how to use coordinated action to stop abuse of power. The purpose of the course is to help future policy makers, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and designers understand how public policy can learn from new and effective examples of social innovation. In the process, students will be exposed to transdisciplinary concepts touching on the subjects of political science, sociology of science and technology, political philosophy, philosophy of information and technology. Theory will be balanced with practice and students will be provided a methodology for strategic thinking that combines a mix of design thinking, product development and start-up planning and iteration techniques.

• T 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Miguel Lago
  Info
• 1.5 points

State Building in the Developing World

State Building-Developing Worl

This class examines why some countries are poor and others rich, why some govern themselves well and others govern themselves poorly, and why some are peaceful while others have collapsed into conflict or civil war. Hence, this course tries to give you a survey of some of the big questions we ask when we study state building and the political economy of development.

• R 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Daniel M Corstange
  CULPA: 2 Info
• 3 points

Russia s Energy between West, East, an

Russia s Energy-West East So

During the last decade, the rapid development of US shale oil/gas and the rapid growth of renewables throughout the world, seem to have kept at bay the geopolitical power of major global energy producers such as Russia and Saudi Arabia. However, while Russia’s domestic policies took the heat of lower oil/gas prices, its international policies have only become more assertive. Over the last decade, Russia has had enough financial capital to engage in two wars—Ukraine and Syria—and to sponsor state-supported information warfare throughout Europe and the US.  The question is, where did this money come from?  A considerable portion of it did come from oil/gas proceeds as oil/gas exports continue to be at the service of the Kremlin administration in order to advance Russia’s global objectives. Revenues from those exports remain the major guarantor of Putin’s regime stability.  Revenues from military exports are also beginning to a play larger role in Russia’s budget, but oil and gas exports continue to be a significant part of it. In addition, even though the geopolitics of oil and gas are shifting globally, Russia’s oil and gas exports are still a central tool for Russia’s geopolitical interests. Now at the time of pandemic and public  strong sentiment towards green  energy  the world seems to be oversupplied with oil and gas. The international community is asking whether or not we really  need fossil fuels. However, 80% of our energy needs still come from fossil fuels and Russian oil /gas production still play an important role in the world energy balance. In this course, we will focus on Russian resources as they affect the international community, and what role they play in the global energy mix and international relations.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Natasha Udensiva
  Info
• 3 points

Politics of the Caucasus

This course tracks the trajectories of politics in the Caucasus, focusing on the political development of the independent states of the South Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. While the focus is on contemporary political dynamics, the course considers the mechanisms through which the legacies of Imperial Russian expansion and Soviet structures interact with current mechanisms of interest articulation and power. Students in this course will examine the contours and mechanisms of the collapse of Soviet hegemony in the South Caucasus, spending some time examining the conflicts that accompanied this process and persist today. The course will address the country contexts both individually and comparatively, thereby encouraging students to delve deeply into the politics of each state, but then also enabling them to find continuities and contrasts across major thematic considerations.

• T 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Julie George
  Info
• 3 points

Applied Peacebuilding and Conflict Resol

Appl Peacebuild & Conflict Res

This course exposes students to conceptual and practical skills needed to develop a reflective practice orientation to applied professional work in international peace building and conflict resolution. The class focuses on skills for designing, implementing, and evaluating conflict resolution interventions. During the semester, students co-design projects, creating specific objectives and activities in collaboration with a Project Supervisor in a pre-selected field-based partner institution. Students are encouraged to work in teams of 2-3 in the course. Students implement the project during the summer, taking into consideration changes on the ground, through internships under the guidance of their field-based Project Supervisors. Students return in the fall to deliver a report of their activities in the field reflecting on their experiences and presenting their findings to the SIPA community. The course supports students in developing critical practical skills and experiences in managing a conflict resolution project while exploring the professional field of applied conflict resolution. This course requires instructor permission in order to register. Please add yourself to the waitlist in SSOL and submit the proper documents in order to be considered.

• F 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Zachary B Metz
  Info
• 3 points

Quant III: Labor Economics For Policy St

This course investigates the functioning of the labor market using economic models and micro-economic data. It will analyze both the behavior of agents in the labor market – workers and firms – and institutions and polices that underpin such behavior. Topics include human capital, skills and education, the importance of firm wage policies, income inequality, minimum wages, immigration, collective bargaining and unions, comparative labor market institutions, and role of labor market policies. Students will conduct the hands-on analysis of real-world labor market data. The course will over econometric methods used by economists in estimating causal effects, including the use of natural experiments and instrumental variables.

• W 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Suresh Naidu
  Wikipedia h-index: 26 Info
• 3 points

Economic Development for International A

The goal of this course is to provide an overview of the economics of international development. The key objective is to give students a framework to think about the processes that drive economic development, as well as policies that might promote it.

• R 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• F 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• F 4:30 p.m.-6:20 p.m.
• Instructor: Andrew Simons
  Info
• 3 points

Economics of Education Policy

This course explores the central themes in K-12 and higher education from an economic perspective. Topics in K-12 education include the effects of class-size, peer effects, teachers, accountability, charter schools, and vouchers. Topics in higher education include the decision to invest in human capital, estimating returns to college, and the market for college education. The course will cover research and policy issues from both domestic and international contexts.

• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Cristian Pop-Eleches
  h-index: 23 Info
• 3 points

Data Analysis for Policy Research Using

Data Analysis Using R

This course will develop the skills to prepare, analyze, and present data for policy analysis and program evaluation using R. In Quant I and II, students are introduced to probability and statistics, regression analysis and causal inference. In this course we focus on the practical application of these skills to explore data and policy questions on your own. The goal is to help students become effective analysts and policy researchers:  given available data, what sort of analysis would best inform our policy questions? How do we prepare data and implement statistical methods using R? How can we begin to draw conclusions about the causal effects of policies, not just correlation? We’ll learn these skills by exploring data on a range of policy topics: COVID-19 cases; racial bias in NYPD subway fare evasion enforcement; the distribution of Village Fund grants in Indonesia; US police shootings; wage gaps by gender/race; and student projects on topics of your choosing.

• T 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• R 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Harold B Stolper
  Info
• 3 points

Environmental, Social & Governance Inves

Enviro, Soc & Gov Investment

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investment addresses sustainability and ethical impact of investments. In this course, we cover the real reasons to introduce ESG investment and the emerging practices of ESG investment at private financial institutions and MDBs as navigators. Since the practice is still at the nascent stage, we will first learn from cases studies. We will identify the real reasons why each private financial institution started to apply ESG investment such as increasing their clients/customers satisfaction to maintain current fee system or recruiting smart millenniums, the relationship between the application of ESG investment and its impact on financial returns, how they are applying it including analytical frameworks and their challenges. We will also discuss where the practices of ESG investment at private financial institutions is heading. Additionally, we will understand the roles of MDBs has been playing such as 1) clarifying strategy of each country and navigate private investors to right areas, 2) standardization of ESG including defining green bonds, E&S performance standards including monitoring and 3) offering some blended finance and discuss what are working and where they face challenges.

• M 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Keiko Honda
  Info
• 1.5 points

The Brazilian Political System

The largest, richest and most influential country in South America is also home to one of the world’s most complex political systems. A young democracy with notable recent achievements, including a stable currency, growing reserves, solid institutions and positive demographic shifts, Brazil is governed by a confusing multi-party system, opaque relationships between the private and public sector and little political representation. The Car-Wash operation, the world’s largest corruption investigation, has had a defining political impact, playing a role in the impeachment of President Dilma, the investigation of President Temer and the arrest of some of Brazil’s most powerful politicians and businessmen. We will examine the structure of the Brazilian political system, including political parties and pressure groups, as well as conjunctural analysis ahead of the 2018 presidential election.

• TR 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Murillo de Aragao
  Info
• 1.5 points

Emerging Financial Systems: Brazil, Mexi

Emerging Financial Markets

This course examines the workings of a select group of emerging financial systems, providing students with the tools to assess the efficacy of a financial system as pillar for a country’s sustained economic development and growth. Characteristics analyzed include the roles of domestic private, public sector and foreign banks, systemic resilience, market volatility and credit supply, access to foreign capital, depth of domestic capital markets, ESG developments and implications, and the ongoing impact of technological change on the domestic competitive dynamics of these financial systems. The course methodology is to select an important emerging financial system (Brazil) as anchor for comparisons with those of three other major emerging G-20 economies (Mexico, India and Indonesia).

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Fernando Sotelino
  Info
• 3 points

Macroeconometrics

The course aims to analyze dynamic, multivariate interactions in evolutionary and non-stationary processes. The course first considers stationary univariate time-series processes and then extend the analysis to non-stationary processes and multivariate processes. The course covers a review of linear dynamic time-series models and focus on the concept of cointegration, as many applications lend themselves to dynamic systems of equilibrium-correction relations. In the final analysis, the course is aimed at presenting a certain number of econometric techniques the mastery of which is becoming increasingly inevitable in professional circles.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Seyhan Erden
  CULPA: 7 Info
• 3 points

Empirical Econometric Project

This course aims to provide students with further instruction on how (1) to motivate detailed empirical analysis on a research question of their choice, (2) to justify and to design appropriate econometric tests using relevant time-series, cross-sectional, or panel data, etc., and (3) to draw accurate inferences—as well as direct policy implications—from their results for a wide audience. To meet this objective, the key course requirement is to write an empirical policy paper that details (1)–(3) in no more than 5000 words total (including exhibits, references, etc.), geared not for academics but for economic policymakers or other practitioners. Also, students will be required to report their findings to their instructor, advisors, and fellow students during 10- to 15-minute slide presentations toward the end of the semester.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: John Benson Durham
  Info
• 1.5 points

Politics and Policies in South Asia

Politics & Policies in S. Asia

This seminar is an advanced introduction to contemporary South Asia, one of the world’s most diverse regions. The course is open to SIPA students interested in the region, even if they do not have any prior background in South Asia. The readings will also cater to those students who know more about the region, but want to deepen their knowledge about predominant social, political, and economic issues in the politics and policymaking of South Asia. In this course we will look into various aspects of interaction of the state, society and market in South Asia with an aim to evaluate (a) how comparative social science illuminates South Asia and (b) how analysis of specific cases in South Asia contributes to general theorizing about politics. The focus of the course is analytical. We will use the South Asian experience to address some of the central questions in politics and policymaking. ​

• M 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Rumela Sen
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 3 points

Politics of Modern Middle Eastern Art

Politics-Modern Mid. East

In this course, we shall survey the political underpinnings of Arab art in the 20th  century, and the socio-political conditions that shaped cultural production in the region. Whether it is under the Baathist regimes of Syria and Iraq or under Egypt’s pan-Arabism championed by Gamal Abdel Nasser, painting and sculpture in addition to film and performance have been employed by various governments as a tool of soft power to propagate their policies to the public not only in their respective states but throughout the region and beyond. Despite this widespread government patronage of the arts, many artists have chosen to challenge their authorities through subversive movements and practices, which we will address at different moments in the semester. This course, through its focus on creative practices and strategic use of the arts, will attempt to shed light on an often neglected dimension of the modern history of the Arab World and other parts of the Middle East.

• R 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Arab Identity and Its Politics

Cultural identity has become a potent force in global politics, even seemingly independent from the economic and geopolitical considerations that traditionally constitute the field of international political science. The Middle East and North Africa region exhibits a complex history of identity development through widespread proliferation of religion, Ottoman and Western European imperialism, and Arab renaissance and nationalist movements in the 19th and 20th centuries. But where does all of this leave the region today in terms of Arab identity and its politics? What can be learned from this particular context about how identity operates in global politics in the 21st century broadly conceived? Does the notion of a unified “Arabness” hold water socially, psychologically, or politically? The region’s social, cultural, religious, institutional, linguistic, and economic diversity would seem to complicate any notion of so-called Arab “unity.” This course will interrogate political interests caught up in modern-day Arab nationalism—both authoritarian governments and Western neo-Orientalists. What would the ramifications of moving
past
Arab identity be, not only for political actors in the West and postcolonial Arab regimes, but also for individuals’ sense of their own multi-layered selves? Who benefits from perpetuation and politicization of Arab identity—and who loses? Special focus will be placed on the regionalization and religionization of identity in an Israel/Palestine context, and the ramifications of these trends for Palestinian human rights claims. In short, the course will explore how identity politics has gone global and map the contours of its effects on regions, nations, and individual lives.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Safwan M Masri
  Wikipedia Info
• 1.5 points

International Human Rights Law

This course introduces students to international human rights law (IHRL). In what sense are internationally-defined human rights "rights" and in what sense can the instruments which define them be considered "law"? How do we know that a claim is actually a "human right"? What are the relations among international, regional and national institutions in establishing and enforcing (or not) IHRL? Does IHRL represent an encroachment on national sovereignty? Is the future of IHRL regional? What enforcement mechanisms can we use, and who can decide upon their use? Finally, what redress is there for human rights violations, and how effective is it? Attendance is required in the first class.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• R 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Betsy Apple
  Info
• 3 points

Risk Management for UN Crisis & Post-cri

Risk Management-UN Crisis Resp

The objective of the class is to introduce students to the practice of risk management as a tool for enabling delivery across the range of UN responses in crisis and conflict contexts, including in the areas of peace and security, human rights, development and humanitarian support. The class emphasizes skills development and their application to concrete UN crisis responses.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Marc Jacquand
  Info
• 3 points

The European Union and Human Rights

European Union & Human Ri

The European Union (EU) has a deep and broad commitment to the respect and promotion of human rights, both in its internal and its external policies. However, it often faces difficulties in living up to this commitment. In this course we will study the EU’s commitment to human rights as outlined in its founding Treaties, the role of its institutional actors in following up on this commitment, and the EU’s internal and external actions and policies in this respect. For the EU’s internal policies we will focus in particular on its non-discrimination policies as well as its migration policy. In the area of the EU’s external relations we will explore the role of human rights in the EU’s development cooperation, trade policy and humanitarian aid, as well as in the EU’s multilateral relations with other international organizations, both global (e.g. the United Nations) and regional (e.g. Organization of American States; African Union; Council of Europe; OSCE).

• US 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Jan Wouters
  Info
• 1.5 points

Public Policy & Inequality in Developing

A proper development strategy must be inclusive and sustainable. Policies to fight poverty, alleviate all inequalities, and promote social mobility are the focus of this course. It deals with emerging and persistent issues in developing countries: the design of a social safety net, biodiversity and sustainability, education, gender and racial inequalities, public health, labor policies, fiscal and social responsibility, the distributive aspects of fiscal policy, taxation, and government size and efficiency. The course combines problem-based learning and lectures.

• F 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• 3 points

Global Real Estate Policy

This course provides a comprehensive overview of real estate finance and policy. After developing a framework to analyze the global financial crisis, we will cover current issues. The study of the post-crisis period will focus on changes in preferences, technology, and the factors that brought the current housing affordability crisis. While the course will initially focus on the U.S. we will provide a thorough international perspective that will analyze both advanced and less developed countries (with particular attention paid to China and India). We will conclude the course discussing how global real estate asset flows may be a key source of international tension.

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Richard Koss
  Info
• 1.5 points