Παρουσίαση/Προβολή

(IES196) -  ΡΕΒΕΚΚΑ ΠΑΙΔΗ (Revecca Pedi), ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΖΑΡΡΑΣ (Konstantinos Zarras)

Περιγραφή Μαθήματος

Academic Year 2023-2024

 

Title		Year	Semester
International Relations of Russia		2nd	4th
Compulsory/Elective module	Elective module
Instructor(s)	Revecca Pedi, Associate Professor  Konstantinos Zarras, Assistant Professor
Language	English
1st week	Introduction to Russia's International Relations: From USSR to Russia Historical Context and Russia’s Initial Key Challenges and Foreign Policy in the 1990s -Forsberg, Tuomas. "Power, interests and trust: explaining Gorbachev’s choices at the end of the Cold War." Review of International Studies 25.4 (1999): 603-621. -Wohlforth, W. C. (2001). The Russian-Soviet empire: a test of neorealism. Review of International Studies, 27(5), 213-235.
2nd week	Russia and Key Global Actors: Russia’s relations with the US, the EU and China We will explore Russia's relations with key global actors, including the United States, the European Union, and China. The lecture provides insights into the multifaceted dimensions of these relationships, encompassing political, economic, and strategic aspects. It examines the ways in which Russia navigates its interactions with these major players, highlighting both areas of cooperation and contention.  -Korolev, A., & Portyakov, V. (2021). China–Russia relations in times of crisis: A neoclassical realist explanation. In Russia in the Indo-Pacific (pp. 15-34). Routledge -Light, M. (2008). Russia and the EU: Strategic partners or strategic rivals. Journal of Common Market Studies, 46, 7. -Meister, S. (2022). A paradigm shift: EU-Russia relations after the war in Ukraine. Carnegie Europe -Wishnick, E. (2017). In search of the ‘Other’in Asia: Russia–China relations revisited. The Pacific Review, 30(1), 114-132. -Wohlforth, W. C., & Zubok, V. M. (2017). An abiding antagonism: realism, idealism and the mirage of western–Russian partnership after the Cold War. International Politics, 54, 405-419.
3rd week	Russia's Soft Power - the concept of the "Russian World" (Russkiy Mir) Russia's use of cultural, educational, and media tools to promote its image globally. Examination of How the “Russian World” concept Influences Russia's foreign policy, especially in Former Soviet States -Feklyunina, V. (2016) “Soft power and identity: Russia, Ukraine and the ‘Russian world(s)’”, European Journal of International Relations. Vol. 22(4), pp. 773–796. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1354066115601200. -Rotaru, V. (2018) “Forced attraction? How Russia is instrumentalizing its soft power sources in the ‘near abroad’”, Problems of Post-Communism. Vol. 65(1), pp. 37–48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10758216.2016.127 6400.
4th week	Disinformation and Information Warfare Russia's use of disinformation as a tool in international relations. Case studies, including interference in Western elections and propaganda efforts -Kastner, J., & Wohlforth, W. C. (2021). A Measure Short of War: The Return of Great-Power Subversion. Foreign Aff., 100, 118. -Geissler, D., Bär, D., Pröllochs, N., & Feuerriegel, S. (2023). Russian propaganda on social media during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. EPJ Data Science, 12(1), 35. -Yevgeniy Golovchenko, Mareike Hartmann, Rebecca Adler-Nissen, State, media and civil society in the information warfare over Ukraine: citizen curators of digital disinformation, International Affairs, Volume 94, Issue 5, September 2018, Pages 975–994, https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiy148
5th week	Russia and Ukraine Historical background and current status of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Analysis of Russia's strategy and Ukraine's response -Pedi, R. (2020) Small states in Europe as a buffer between East and West in Baldacchino, G. and Wivel, A. (eds.) Handbook on the politics of small states. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788112932.00018. -Sushentsov, A. A., & Wohlforth, W. C. (2020). The tragedy of US–Russian relations: NATO centrality and the revisionists’ spiral. International Politics, 57, 427-450.
6th week	Russia and Eastern Europe  Invited lecture: An exploration of Russia's relationships with Eastern European countries in the post-Cold War era. Analysis of the historical, geopolitical, and cultural factors that influence these relations. Discussion of regional dynamics, security concerns, and the role of Western powers in the region
7th week	Russia and the MENA – The War in Syria and Moscow’s comeback to the Middle East Historical background of Russia’s Middle Eastern policies from the Soviet era to the 21st century. The Russian intervention in Syria as a milestone in Moscow’s dynamic comeback in Middle Eastern international relations.   -Kozhanov, N. (ed.), (2022) Russian Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East: New Trends, Old Traditions, Oxford University Press. -Wehrey F, Weiss, A. (2021), Reassessing Russian Capabilities in the Levant and North Africa, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/08/31/reassessing-russian-capabilities-in-levant-and-north-africa-pub-85222  -Phillips, C. (2022). The international system and the Syrian civil war. International Relations, 36(3), 358-381.
8th week	Russia in the MENA – Moscow’s involvement in the Libyan civil war Russia’s relations with state and non-state actors throughout the MENA. Moscow’s involvement in the Libyan war. Interests, prospects and challenges.   - Wherey, F., (2018) The Burning Shores: Inside the Battle for the New Libya, Farrar, Straus & Giroux. -Ishetiar S., (2019) “Echoes of Abstention: Russian Policy in Libya and Implications for Regional Stability,” Journal of Public and International Affairs.
9th week	Russia in Africa – Reliable partner or disruptor of the regional order? Russia’s web of relations with governments and non-state actors in the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa.   -Duursma A.& Masuhr N. (2022) Russia’s return to Africa in a historical and global context: Anti-imperialism, patronage, and opportunism, South African Journal of International Affairs, 29:4 -Stronski P., (2023) Russia’s Growing Footprint in Africa’s Sahel Region, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
10th week	Russia as a Global Energy Power An overview of Russia’s energy map: resources, energy networks and market position. Hydrocarbons and nuclear energy. The transforming energy relationship with Europe and developments on energy connectivity with the East. Prospects and challenges.   Godzimirski, J. M. (2022). Energy, climate change and security: The Russian strategic conundrum. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 13(1), 16-31
11th week	Russia and the “Rest” (Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Iran) Russia’s bilateral relations with key regional powers. Moscow’s position and policies within the narrative of the “West vs the Rest”.   -Balci B., Monceau N. (eds) (2021) Turkey, Russia and Iran in the Middle East Establishing a New Regional Order, Springer.  -Cheterian V. (2023) Friend and Foe: Russia–Turkey relations before and after the war in Ukraine, Small Wars & Insurgencies, 34:7, 1271-1294 -Duggan, N., Hooijmaaijers, B., Rewizorski, M., & Arapova, E. (2022). ‘The BRICS, Global Governance, and Challenges for South–South Cooperation in a Post-Western World’. International Political Science Review, 43(4), 469-480.
12th week	Presentations
13th week	Presentations, Summing Up, Conclusions and Reflections.

 

Course Assessment:

1) Long Essay: 5000 words (60 %)

2) 2 short assignments of 1000 words (15% each=30%)

3) Participation in course:10%. 

 

Ac. Year 2022-2023                                                                                                                    

 

                                   University of Macedonia/Department of International & European Studies
                                                             Course: International Relations of Russia (IRoR)

The course is taught in English and it is offered to both foreign Erasmus students, visiting the University, and the students of the Department of International & European Studies

Teaching staff
1) Κyriakos Mikelis, Assistant Professor / Mr. (kmikelis@uom.edu.gr) &

2) Revecca Pedi, Associate Professor / Mrs. (rpedi@uom.edu.gr)

Office hours: Office hours of K. Mikelis (TOWER KZ, 430): Tuesday 17.00-18.00 & Wednesday19.00-19.45. Anyways, availability for virtual meeting at various time-slots, after e-mail arrangement

Course description
The role of Russia in the international system and its foreign policy: historical milestones, basic determining factors of Russian foreign policy, major players/institutional framework, internal identity debates/strategic culture, main security considerations/key issues, energy security considerations, Russian soft power, the role of information and the media, regional architecture, participation in the BRICS, relations with great powers (e.g. the U.S.A., China and the EU) but also with small states.

Course aim
The familiarization of the students with basic and key issues regarding Russia’s foreign policy and international role.

Teaching Method
Lecturing, answers and questions, discussion.

Evaluation content and structure:

Student papers (written form), mini-activities, and obligatory paper-presentation.
The evaluation of students is done as follows:

A. Preperation of a term paper (70%),  written form. The size of the paper is about 6.000 words

B. Course Participation. Divided to 2 sections:

B1. 10% Obligatory brief presentation of the paper in the class (exceptions may be made only for students working outside Thessaloniki). WIthout this presentation,  no passable mark is possible. Students are encoureged to do it as early as possible.

Students fill their name in empty (non-taken) topics within the following googledoc, with strict topic selcection deadline 19/3/2023 (after the deadline no selection will be allowed, and thus the course cannot be passed)=

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S5M6m7RrUAtPF2czSoJvnDF4aBwTkKKhvrfFkP5GaAs/edit

B2. Two mini activities (response paper of 2-3 paragraphs, article review of 2-3 paragraphs), to be announced

2*10%= 20%. Active participation will also be taken into account.

Indicative structure of lectures
1. Introduction to the course. Introductory remarks on international relations and especially international relations theory and international politics. Russia as an interesting case.
2. General history of Russia.
3. Russia as a great power.
4. Russian foreign policy analysis, Russian rise and V. Putin.
5. Russia and Eurasian regional architecture.
6. Russian civilizational and identity debates. Russian Soft Power.
7. Russia and energy issues/security.
8. Russia and China, Russia and the US, Russia and the Brics
9. Russia and the EU.
10. Russia and Small States
11. Rusia and information/media wars
12. Active learning
13. Summing up, general conclusions and self-reflection.

Distributed texts for the course:
Selection 1 Voskopoulos G., & Kouskouvelis I. (eds) (2011) ''Russia, the EU and the US as a Security Triangle'' Athens: Eurasia
Selective bibliography
The following bibliography is highly indicative and non-exhaustive. Most texts have been uploaded to the folder: documents.

Recommended Reading:

- Bassin, M. & G. Pozo (Eds.) (2017). The Politics of Eurasianism. Identity, Popular Culture and Russia’s Foreign Policy. London & New York: Rowman & Littlefield (parts 1-3)

- Berryman, J. (2012) ''Geopolitics and Russian Foreign Policy'' International Politics, 49, 530-544
- Bordachev, T, & Skriba, A. (2015) Russia’s Eurasian Integration Policies. Part of LSE IDEAS Reports, 16-22
- Cadier, D., & Light, M. (eds) (2015) Russia’s Foreign Policy. Ideas, Domestic Politics and External Relations. Palgrave Macmillan
- Cadier, D. (2014) Eurasian Economic Union and Eastern Partnership: the End of the EU-Russia Entredeux. In ‘The Geopolitics of Eurasian Economic Integration’ LSE IDEAS Reports, 60-65
- Freire, M. (2012) ''Russian Foreign Policy in the Making: The Linkage Between Internal Dynamics and the External Context'' International Politics, 49, 466-481
- Tsygankov, A. (2008). ''Self and Other in International Relations Theory: Learning from Russian Civilizational Debates''. International Studies Review, 10(4), 762-775

- Marange, C. ‘‘Russia’’ In Balzacq, T. et al. (eds) (2019) Comparative Grand Strategy. A Framework and Cases. Oxford University Press, 50-72

- Mikelis, K. (2018) ‘‘Eurasian Integration: Ideological and Political Underpinnings’’. In Bitzenis, A., & Kontakos, P. (eds) International Conference on International Business. ICIB 2017 & 2018 Proceedings. Thessaloniki, pp. 92-101

-Miskimmon, A. & O’Loughlin, B. (2017) Russia’s Narratives of Global Order: Great Power Legacies in a Polycentric World. Politics and Governance, 5,3, 111–120

- Neumann, I. (2008). ''Russia as a Great Power, 1815-2007'' Journal of International Relations and Development, 11, 128-151
- Osipova, Y. (2014) "‘Russification’ of ‘Soft Power’: Transformation of a Concept" Exchange: The Journal of Public Diplomacy: 5(1), http://surface.syr.edu/exchange/vol5/iss1/5<br< a=""> />
- Sil, R. (2014) ''Which of the BRICs Will Wield the Most Influence in Twenty-Five Years? Russia Reconsidered'' International Studies Review, 16(3), 456-460

- Torbakov, I. (2018). After Empire. Nationalist Imagination and Symbolic Politics in Russia and Eurasia in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Century. Stuttgart: ibidem-Verlag, esp.  ‘introduction’

- Voskopoulos G., & Kouskouvelis I. (eds) (2011) ''Russia, the EU and the US as a Security Triangle'' Athens: Eurasia, chapters 5-7

Diagrams_maps_of_regional_organization_integration_Russia.doc

Supplemental Reading
- Fawn, R. (ed.) (2003) ''Realignments in Russian Foreign Policy'' London & Portland: Frank Cass
- Jackson, N. (2003) ''Russian Foreign Policy and the CIS. Theories, Debates and Actions'' London & New York: Routledge
- Layton, S. (2014) ''Reframing European Security: Russia’s Proposal for a New European Security Architecture'' International Relations, 28(1) 25-45
- Mankoff, J. (2009) ''Russian Foreign Policy. The Return of Great Power Politics'' Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield (A Council on Foreign Relations Book)
- Melville, A., & Shakleina, T. (eds) (2005). ''Russian Foreign Policy in Transition'' Budapest & New York: Central European University Press
- Neumann, I. (1996) ''Russia and the Idea of Europe. A Study in Identity and International Relations'' London & New York: Routledge
- Sakwa, R. (2012) ''The Problem of ‘the International’ in Russian Identity Formation'' International Politics, 49, 449-465
- Thorun, C. (2009) ''Explaining Change in Russian Foreign Policy. The Role of Ideas in Post-Soviet Russia’s Conduct towards the West'' New York: Palgrave Macmillan

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Δευτέρα 28 Δεκεμβρίου 2020