02493 - International Relations (A-L)

Learning outcomes

An introductory course to the analysis of international politics and of foreign policy, 'International relations' provides the students with the basic knowledge and skills to investigate international relations at both the theoretical and empirical levels. At the end of the course, students are expected to be familiar with the current debates in IR theories; to have acquired core skills to intepret key political processes at the international, supranational and transnational levels; to have developed the ability to apply such knowledge towards the understanding of selected outcomes in international politics, also in conjunction with concepts derived from other subjcet matters in their curricula.

Course contents

 

The course is divided into two parts. The first part, common to all students in the same group, will be delivered through lectures and will cover the main theories of International Relations (IR). The second part, which is seminar-based, will see students divided into three (3) groups:


- for group AL: module 2 (group 1 and group 2) will be taught by Prof. Lucarelli, and module 3 (group 3) by Prof. Bettiza;


- for the MZ group: module 2 (group 1 and group 2) will be taught by Prof. Ceccorulli, and module 3 (group 3) by Prof. Bettiza.


During the seminars, students will explore and discuss specific IR topics, guided by the lecturers.

*‘The course is part of the University's educational experimentation project.’



PART 1 – lectures, Prof. Sonia Lucarelli


Introduction and major debates (24 and 25 February)
Study material: Chapters 1-2 M&S

Realism (26 February; 3-4 March)
Study material: Chapter 3 M&S

Liberalism (5, 10, 11 March)
Study material: Chapter 4 M&S

English School, Joint class lecture with Prof Chiaruzzi (12 March)
Study material: Chapter 5 M&S


Constructivism (18 March)
Study material: Chapter 8 M&S

Foreign policy analysis (19 March)Study material: Chapter 11 M&S

Post-positivism, Lecture to combined classes with Dr Mingardi (24 March)


Study material: Chapter 9 M&S


VIDEO: Sabaratnam, M. (2023), ‘What is …decolonising knowledge in IR’?, EISA Podcast, https://voices-the-eisa-podcast.podigee.io/16-new-episode


VIDEO: Sankaran, K. (2022), ‘What is ….postcolonial theory’? EISA Podcast, https://voices-the-eisa-podcast.podigee.io/9-what-ispostcolonial-theory


Class exercise: The war in Ukraine through the lens of different theoretical approaches (25 March)

• Mearsheimer, J. J. (2022). The Causes and Consequences of the Ukraine War. Horizons: Journal of International Relations and Sustainable Development, 21, 12–27.
• Ikenberry, G. J. (2024). Three Worlds: the West, East and South and the competition to shape global order. International Affairs (London), 100(1), 121–138.
• Ryan, K. (2023). Russia's search for ontological security and the Ukraine invasion. Australian and New Zealand Journal of European Studies, 15(1), 82-93.
• Mälksoo, M. (2023). The Postcolonial Moment in Russia’s War Against Ukraine. Journal of Genocide Research, 25(3–4), 471–481.

Critical Theory, Postcolonialism, and Global IR. Joint lecture with Prof. Matteo Dian (March 26th).

Recommended reading:

Parmar, I. (2018). The US-led liberal order: imperialism by another name? International Affairs (London), 94(1), 151–172.

Sabaratnam, M., & Laffey, M. (2023). Complex indebtedness: justice and the crisis of liberal order. International Affairs (London), 99(1), 161–180.

Dian, M. (2022). The rise of China between Global IR and area studies: an agenda for cooperation. Italian Political Science Review, 52(2), 252–267. 

Q&A (31 March)

1st midterm exam: 1 April

European security, joint class with Prof. Sonia Lucarelli (9 April)
Recommended reading

Webber, M. (2025), ‘The security governance of the European Union’, in S. Lucarelli e J. Sperling (a cura di), Handbook of European Union Governance, Elgar, pp. 67-81.

Katya Adler, "Trump's new world order has become real and Europe is having to adjust fast", BBC 16 February 2026. Disponibile su: https://bbc.com/news/articles/cddn002g6qzo?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPNTY3MDY3MzQzMzUyNDI3AAGnGScVwobcwkIxKJm6WDtrMQo9f-5285S62SV9nZlsiN3nzqrMfAsJfXRgeu8_aem_LkQz7jbxAoBwvlcAw0_W2Q

Von der Leyen, U. (2025), ‘State of the Union Address’, 10 Settembre, disponibile al sito: SPEECH_25_2053_EN.pdf [https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/speech_25_2053/SPEECH_25_2053_EN.pdf]

In the Eye of the Storm: European Security Architecture 50 Years after Helsinki, Roudtable, Munich Security Conference 2026. Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pww-Il0hHDA

 

Debate: Are we witnessing the end of the relevance of international law in international politics? (14 April)

Required reading to be completed BEFORE the lesson:

‘The Structure of International Relations: The Role of Law and International Organisations’, Chapter 5 in V.E. Parsi (ed) Introduction to International Relations, UTET, 2024. 2nd edition.

“Into the void: how Trump killed international law”, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/law/ng-interactive/2025/dec/25/how-donald-trump-killed-international-law

“President Trump may disregard international law – but other countries want to make use of it”, Chatham House: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/01/president-trump-may-disregard-international-law-other-countries-want-make-use-it

 

International Economic Policy – lecture with Prof. Eugenia Baroncelli (15 April)

Study material: Chapter 6 M&S

Geopolitics and critical geopolitics – joint lecture with Prof. Michela Ceccorulli (16 April)

Study material:

Dodds, K. (2007), Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ch: 1, 2.

Newman, D. (1998) Geopolitics Renaissant: Territory, sovereignty and the world political map, Geopolitics, 3,1, pp. 1-16.

 

The international order from a regional perspective: Round table discussion with joint classes (20 April)

 

PART 2 - SEMINARS

This part of the course takes the form of seminars: students are asked to read the assigned texts carefully and prepare to interact in class and complete the tasks/exercises assigned in class. The guiding questions in class serve to indicate where to focus attention, but do not exhaust the range of topics to be covered.

 

SEMINARS BY PROFESSOR LUCARELLI

• Comparing realistic approaches (22 and 23 April)
• Security: evolution of a concept (29 and 30 April)
• The liberal order and its crisis (6 and 7 May)
• The European Union as an international actor (13 and 14 May)
• Identity, culture and international relations (20 and 21 May)

 

SEMINARS BY PROFESSOR BETTIZA

• Realism and its many faces
• Security and the transformation of a concept
• NATO and the conflict between Russia, Ukraine, and the West
• The liberal international order and its crisis
• Clash of civilisations between identity and ideology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDING STUDENTS

The course evaluation consists of three components:

- participation in the classroom

- the outcome of the two intermediate tests *

- an overall final oral


NON ATTENDING STUDENTS

The course evaluation consists of two components:

- the outcome of a written test to be held on the day of the oral exam

- an overall final oral


* RULES OF INTERMEDIATE TESTS:

- tests are compulsory.

- if a test cannot be taken, a written justification and medical report or document of the case must be sent to the teacher.

- if you want to recover one of the tests in the summer session, you must have obtained a sufficient mark in the other.

Teaching methods

Classes and seminar

Assessment methods

ATTENDING STUDENTS:

Jørgen Møller and Georg Sørensen (2026), International Relations, 6th Edition, Egea. (M&S)

OR Previous editions: Robert Jackson, Jørgen Møller and Georg Sørensen, various editions.

N.B: The chapters indicated in the syllabus refer to the 2026 edition: always check the topic of study in the case of other editions or editions in English.

 

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

 

1. Jørgen Møller and Georg Sørensen (2026), International Relations, 6th Edition, Egea. (M&S)

 

OR Previous editions: Robert Jackson, Jørgen Møller and Georg Sørensen, various editions.

 

2. All readings related to the seminar modules “Comparing realistic approaches” and “The liberal international order and its crisis” (see syllabus);

 

3. One monograph chosen from the following:

 

a) H. Bull, The Anarchical Society, 1977 (Italian edition: La società anarchica, Vita e Pensiero)

 

b) K. Waltz, Theory of International Politics, 1979 (Italian edition: Teoria della politica internazionale, Il Mulino)

 

c) K. Waltz, Man, the State and War, 1959 (Italian edition: L'uomo lo stato e la guerra, Giuffrè)

 

d) S. Lucarelli, Cala il sipario sull'ordine liberale? Crisi di un sistema che ha cambiato il mondo 2020 (Milan, Vita e Pensiero)

Teaching tools

Tutor of the course:

Dr Dimassi Insaf

sito web: https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/insaf.dimassi2

e-mail: insaf.dimassi2@unibo.it

The tutor will be available to assist students in solving problems - practical and intellectual - related to the course. In addition, the tutor will deliver an evening course reserved for working and out-of-school students; information on this can be found at this link: https://corsi.unibo.it/laurea/ScienzeInternazionaliDiplomatiche/tutor-del-corso-di-studio 


Virtuale Platform:

All students should register for the course page on Virtual: https://virtuale.unibo.it/. There, course materials, partial exam results and other information will be available; urgent communications will be sent via that platform.

Office hours

See the website of Sonia Lucarelli

See the website of Gregorio Marino Doimo Bettiza

See the website of