Comparative Religions
The purpose of this first-year course is to get students acquainted with the different views, idea, and practices of the major world religions with an emphasis on their role in shaping the systems of values and thought of the cultures where these religions are dominant. In addition to giving students an historical and general overview, this course will also allow them to explore some of the social and political issues related to these world religions.
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Introduction to Statistics
The goal of this first-year course is to enable students to apply basic statistical techniques and methods in the grouping, tabular and graphical representation, analysis and interpretation of statistical data. Learn the students for preparation and field data collection.
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Political Concepts and Ideologies
It is very hard to escape politics. If something is as inevitable as politics is, then it is better to be ready to cope with it. This first-year course will help students to participate in political life and debates about current and eternal political questions. The course will also help students to better understand and use political concepts, to discern between different ideologies and parties, to understand political structures, institutions, rules, and processes. Politics is a dynamic area of human societies – it is changing all the time. The main question of politics is about the way we organize ourselves in order to achieve certain goals. In addition, politics is also about the way we resolve our disputes. Different political organizations have different ways of organizing society, and different ways of resolving conflicts within a society as well as between different societies/political organizations/states. It is important to notice that if someone is to be a good diplomat or businessman in a globalized world, she or he must understand and discuss political questions, and be able to recognize political differences and their impact on business.
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Principles of Economics
This first-year course introduces students to the basic principles of economics and economic theory. The course will cover topics including supply and demand as the basic elements of the market; analysis of the behavior of economic subjects such as individuals and businesses and explanation of their market interactions; basic theories of production and expenses; and the functioning of concurrent markets. The course will also offer an introduction to various market structures, including monopolies, oligopolies, and monopolistic competition. Finally, the course will offer an analysis of factors affecting production and economic efficacy, as well as the role of the state in economics.
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Writing Skills
This first-year course aims to prepare students to express their thoughts and ideas in English within the conventions of academic writing. The course will provide students with strategies to use when writing essays in a variety of situations related to their academic disciplines. Its approach emphasises process, training and practice in writing and critical reading. **This course is geared for non-native English speaking students and students that would like a refresher course on proper academic writing*
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Introduction to Law
This second-year course introduces students to the basic principles of Law. Generally, to distinct legal systems and legal institutions and subjects. This course will mostly cover topics and key issues of the international law; analysis international law subjects such as states, international governmental organizations, entities, and some individuals and their role in the international community.
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Theories of International Relations
This second-year course introduces students to the mainstream theories/perspectives (realism, idealism, constructivism, (neo)marxism) and issues (modernization and development, gender and globalization) in international relations. The goal of the course is to explain the above-mentioned theories and issues and show how they apply to world events and processes.
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European Union
The European Union consists of 28 member states, with a total population of more than 500 million people. Seen as a whole, it makes one of the biggest economic systems in the world, the main American trade partner and influential factor in global politics. The third-year course is designed to develop an understanding of the EU development and functioning, it’s previous and current enlargement process, economic impacts of the EU membership for new member states, candidates and potential acceding countries. It intends to discuss the economic and other aspects of adjustment to the EU internal market and policies, as well as the importance of undertaking reforms; to develop understanding of conditionality in the EU accession, interrelationship between regional cooperation and EU integration; to discuss instruments and necessary practical steps in the process of accession (case studies of new EU member states and candidates, particularly Croatia).
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Geopolitics
The term “geopolitics” and its cognates emerged at the very end of the nineteenth century in connection to new forms of nationalism and inter-imperialist competition in Europe and the world. Emphasizing the mutually constitutive relationship among power, place, and knowledge, geopolitics has most often been associated with a “realist” and state- centric approach to international relations. This third-year course is both a theoretical and conceptual history of geopolitics as the term has been defined and applied over the past hundred years, and will start with broad emphasis on medieval geopolitics. The unit of analysis will be the medieval sovereign state as well as medieval church state. Within this context a phenomenon of war will be considered first as an ontological category and second as one of the key means and resources in global geopolitical context. A history of geopolitics will also be considered. Classical text in geopolitical thought will be presented to students. Finally, contemporary geopolitics will be considered from the structure and agency approach.
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Thesis I
Successful writing of the final work is a prerequisite for acquiring a bachelor's degree in International Relations or International Business. In order for the students to be adequately prepared for such an undertaking, additional training is required. Students will focus on the content of earlier methodological courses and the methodological basis of research processes in social sciences. This third-year course prepares students for independent searches into databases of domestic and international scientific journals, proper research and quotation of used literature, development a healthy relationship with the mentor and the time they have at their disposal. The course prepares students to work in accordance with their scientific tasks and directs them towards running a successful and time-limited project of writing the final work. *This course is geared for students beginning their Thesis Paper*
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Communication Skills
The main goal of this first-year course is to develop general skills for effective communication in international relations and diplomacy. Special emphasis is on acquiring higher levels of competence, knowledge, and skills in the relevant areas of communication. Students will become familiar with the basic principles of communication, models, strategies of international communication, the importance of cultural context, the basics of verbal and non-verbal communication, barriers in communication, diplomatic and international correspondence, preparation and performing presentations.
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History of Diplomacy
Part 1 of this first-year course deals with the development of diplomacy principally in Europe, starting with the Italian states and particularly Venice in the 15th century, as one of the first states to maintain permanent embassies abroad. The course will then deal with the of diplomacy in the major European disputes and wars and their eventual settlement, starting with the religious wars in the 16th and 17th centuries, the major territorial disputes in Europe, continuing with the reorganization of Europe by the Congress of Vienna and ending with the creation of national states in Italy and Germany. By focusing on major political events and the influence of exemplary diplomatic personalities upon them and vice versa, the course will analyze the changing concepts of principally European diplomacy and the role which it played as a result of these changing concepts. In Part 2 of the course, Prof. Dr. Miomir Žužul will address the major developments in the history of diplomacy in the 20th century.
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Introduction to the History of Civilizations
This first-year course will explore the evolution of six major civilizations; Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan/Roman, Hindu, and Chinese. The course will examine the following questions: what are the similarities and what are the differences between these civilizations; which of these civilizations can truly hold the epithet of the “cradle of modern civilization; why was the social development different in Europe unlike Middle and the Far East? Following the dawn of ancient civilizations; by examining art, philosophy, religion, science, politics and social life of the time, the course will encompass the Ancient period and the Middle-Ages, up to the Renaissance and modern “Industrial era”. The goal of the course is to provide students with a critical understanding of the history of civilizations’ tradition, and what this tradition means today in the age of globalization.
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Introduction to International Relations
This first-year course is designed to introduce students to international politics, to explore important historical and contemporary questions and debates in international affairs, and to teach students to think critically about international relations. The course will help students to better understand concepts of major perspectives on international relations and to use these concepts as an analytical tool for better understanding of the phenomena of international relations.
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Introduction to Social Research Methods
This first-year course provides students with the basic knowledge and skills needed to understand, explain, interpret and conduct basic research in the social sciences with emphasis on political science. They will be introduced to the principles of social scientific research, learn how to formulate, prove and disprove hypotheses, learn how to interpret measurements, and design their own research projects. Additionally, they will learn how to approach their own thesis work with honesty and thoroughness.
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Comparative Political Systems
This second-year course will be divided into three parts:
- Introduction to the study of comparative politics
- Regimes, states, and institutions
- Special topics in comparative politics
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International Organizations
This second-year course will explore the historical idea of the “International Organization” that emerged in Europe in the 18th century; its development in the 19th century; and finally its rise in the 20th century, to become the major factor in the international life of states.
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Qualitative vs. Quantitative: Methods of Social Research
This course introduces students to the basic philosophical and ethical categories important in scientific research. Students will learn quantitative and qualitative approaches to research and writing in the social sciences, as well as how to formulate, verify and/or falsify hypotheses in the social sciences. The course will cover the methods of writing academic and scientific papers (essays, critical reviews, theses etc…), and students will study the basics of measurement, sampling, and research design.
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Diplomacy
The overall aim of the third-year course will be to introduce students to the art of diplomacy in the Western Tradition, with an emphasis on modern diplomacy, starting in the 19th century and continuing to present-day. In particular, the course will stress the evolution of the ambassador’s role over time and how the impact of such factors as technology, communications, and ideology have affected the efficacy of the diplomatic process. Students will be instructed on the evolution of what Harold Nicolson called “diplomatic method”, with emphasis on an appreciation of the changes brought about in the aims and capabilities of diplomacy as an element in the peaceful resolution of conflict.Students will be shown the relationship of diplomacy to the political system be provided with a clear account of the shape and functions of the world diplomatic system as it stands at the beginning of the 21st century: what it is, what it does, and why it is important. The course aims to provide knowledge of the nature of diplomacy; when diplomacy is appropriate; the advantages and disadvantages of different diplomatic methods; and the lexicon of diplomacy. Students will be given a strong grasp of the nature of diplomacy conceived as a specialized professional activity developed over many centuries, and be able to defend its value with authority and enthusiasm.Finally, the course will focus on practical cases in diplomacy to illustrate the role of the diplomat as well as the possibilities and techniques of diplomatic action.
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Ethics in International Relations
In this course, students will analyze the role of ethics in international relations. International ethics is one of the prerequisites of global human society. However, history shows that in making their decisions, states not only follow moral principles, but in most cases, they follow national interests, all that keeps or increases the power of individual states. There are various theories of international relations, of which some deny the role of morality (realism), while others over-estimate the role of morality (idealism). Through critical analysis of various theories of international relations and through the study of various cases, students will engage students in further discussions and obtain a broader understanding of the subject.
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Croatian Language
**This course is dependent on a minimum enrollment. The Croatian Language course explores the Croatian alphabet and basic words and phrases that students can use during their stay in Dubrovnik. Usually, students meet in the morning to discover not only the language but the cultural differences and history that this location offers.
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The Economics of Development
Why are some nations rich and others are poor? This third-year course dives into globalization through readings, videos, cases, and simulations that identify the bigger picture for how societies function. This course will analyze what is a “modern” nation with the emphasis of providing students with the tools to understand what is going on around them by doing rather than just listening.
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The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia
The key aim of the second-year course is to help the students form a non-biased understanding of the key discourses concerning the rise and fall of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia was and remains a site of competing narratives and interpretations, presented in various forms both locally and internationally, with often unpredictable moral and political effects. Hence, the course is designed so as to reflect a multitude of often dissonant voices that underpinned the state’s origins, preserved the state for a while in social-political imagination and practice, and finally contributed to its rapid, but not inevitable, dissolution in the 1990s. The course is of an interdisciplinary character, presented in a multi-media form; and it draws on ideas, reflections, and theories from different disciplines including political theory, international relations, legal theory, history, cultural studies, and critical discourse analysis.
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World Political History
This second-year course introduces students of political science and international relations with political history of the world since 1945. Important political issues since 1945 will be examined with special emphasize on political processes which had large influence on current international issues.
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The Theory and Practice of Diplomacy
The overall aim of this third-year course will be to introduce students to diplomacy in the Western tradition with an emphasis on the contemporary international politics. The course Theory and Practice of Diplomacy examines the nature of diplomacy, and its different types and their basic characteristics. Lectures will familiarize students with the activities of diplomats, and what they contribute to the conduct of international relations, within a wider historical and theoretical context.
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Microeconomics
This second-year course presents the core ideas in economics and the basic tools that are employed in order to carry out our investigation. It describes how the market system works and the advantages of that system. Microeconomics explains how scarce resources are allocated by the price system and how the allocation of resources can be changed through the introduction of restrictions on the operation of a free market and on a competitive system of prices. This course further explores the benefits of the operation of free markets and free trade and also explores some situations in which it might be necessary for society to forsake a competitive solution and instead seek to reach a collective decision regarding the allocation and production of resources. Additionally, it will examine different types of market structure and the implications of market structure for the operation of the market and for the allocation of resources.
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International Business
This course examines the strategic and operational issues that arise from the international nature of multinational corporations’ activities. Issues covered include alternative internationalization strategies, the interaction between firms and governments, dealing with global competitors, and staffing and organizational implications of cross-border operations. Students who take this course will have an improved understanding of cultural differences and career management in global organizations. Course materials will include examples from companies in Europe, China, India, and the United States.
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Current Issues in International Affairs
In this second-year course, students will become familiar with the major international and national issues by researching these topics, summarizing the essential features and by formulating an opinion in order to present their findings. Students will develop and practice communication skills including critical thinking.
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Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
This third-year course introduces students to the fields of negotiation and conflict resolution from a historical, analytical, and psychological perspective. The first portion of the course will serve as a comprehensive survey of the field of conflict resolution. Topics will include an overview of the history of conflict resolution; an analysis of modern-day conflicts and their resolutions, including case-studies such as Bosnia, Northern Ireland, and the Israeli- Palestine conflict; theories of causes and preventions of violent conflict; and ways to successfully resolve conflicts. The second portion of the course will be dedicated to an analysis of the theory and practice of one particular way to resolve conflicts: negotiation. Three different perspectives will be applied to the ‘art of negotiation:’ the institutional perspective, including a brief history of the field of negotiation and an overview of the role of institutions in negotiation; the psychological perspective, through cognitive and behavioral analyses of the psychological processes involved in negotiation and decision-making; and the analytical perspective, including theoretical models of bargaining and the analytic barriers to bargaining. The theoretical aspects of the course will be complimented with plenty of case studies and relevant examples. The third part is dedicated to the application of the theoretical knowledge discussed in the course.
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