Global Politics:
Contemporary World Affairs

The course provides an introduction to contemporary world affairs. The primary objective of the course is two – first, to enhance the understanding of contemporary global developments, with an attempt to comprehend the larger picture. Second, to identify trends leading forecasts on contemporary world affairs.

The Course will also invite senior scholars within and outside NIAS – also from within and outside India to provide lectures on contemporary world affairs.

Research Questions on Global Politics

The course focus on providing an explanation, and expects the scholars to increase their understanding on the following:

1. Contemporary World Order:

• Policies of the US, China, EU and Russia and their implications on the global order

2. Regional Security:

• South Asia, Southeast and East Asia, West Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa

3. Maritime Security:

• South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, Arctic and Blue Economy

4. Science and Security:

• Energy Politics, Climate Change, Outer Space, Nuclear Order and Disarmament, Cyber Security and Drones and Internal Security

5. International Economy and Security:

• G7-G20 Summits, WTO, World Bank, Trade and Conflict and Regional Economic Integration

Special Focus on South Asia

The Course aims to create an understanding from a South Asian perspective. Given the enormity of literature, primarily from an international perspective, there is a substantial gap in terms of approaching contemporary global issues from a South Asian perspective.

The course also aims to create a pool of scholars, thereby build capacity that would help the region in understanding issues of global politics, regional and international conflicts and also regional security in South Asia.

Enhancing Presentation Style & Writing Skills

A common issue facing young scholars is the challenge of effective communication. This course aims to address the same in terms of building basic skills of research presentation.

On the basic research tools side, the course aims to pick up different contemporary issues and make presentations – oral and power point, with an objective to convert the same into short writings to be published in the Course Portal

Effective Use of Social Media for Dissemination

The course will also recommend its scholars to maintain their own individual blogs and also help improving their tweets and related social media communication; the objective of this endeavour is to create awareness about making effective use of the social media for research and dissemination.

The course also aims to create a group of young scholars working on issues relating to peace and conflict and pool them together with an online identity.

Online Portal: Global Politics

The Course will also have an Online portal managed by the Course Instructor, where the writings of the scholars on contemporary world affairs will be published on a regular basis.

The Online portal of the Course will also have lectures by the international faculty uploaded.

II
Course Outline
Global Politics: Identifying Contemporary Issues

The course focuses on providing an explanation, and expects the scholars to increase their understanding on the following:

1. Contemporary World Order:

• Policies of Big Power: US, China, EU, Russia and India
• Institutionalism and World Politics: Role of International and Regional Organisations

2. Regional Security:

• South Asia
• Southeast and East Asia
• West Asia
• Europe
• Latin America
• Africa

3. Maritime Security:

• South China Sea
• Indian Ocean
• Indo-Pacific
• Arctic
• Blue Economy

4. Science and Security:

• Energy Politics
• Climate Change
• Outer Space
• Nuclear Order and Disarmament
• Cyber Security
• Drones and Internal Security

5. International Economy and Security:

• Globalism and Economic Diplomacy: G7-G20 Summits
• International Economic and Financial Organisation- WTO, World Bank
• Trade and Conflict
• Regional Economic Integration

III
Course Framework

For the NIAS scholars, there will be regular classes, every Wednesdays between 1000 and 1300 hrs.

Every session would involve 45 minutes of lecture, followed by 45 minutes of interactions.

The above will be followed by students’ presentations for 90 minutes

Student Presentations, followed by Short Commentaries will play a crucial role in deepening the understanding of students. Each student will be asked to make minimum two presentations and write two short commentaries every month.

The portal on Global Politics will engage the students of the course on a regular basis in following subjects on a daily basis and also prepare online databases.

Guest Lectures and International Faculty:

Since the course is also designed as an online one, this would give flexibility to invite faculty from across the world.

Academics, Think Tankers, former government officials will be requested to take guest lectures on specific subjects.

Course Alumni

Lakshmi V Menon

She can be contacted at lakshmimenon0410@gmail.com

Divyabharathi E

Shalini.E

Dhruv Ashok

Jamyang Dolma

Samreen Wani

 

 

Ann Maria Shibu

 

 

Siddhatti Mehta

Manushi Kapadia

 

 

Hely Desai

 

 

Miti Shah

 

 

Druta Bhatt

Oishee Majumdar

She can be contacted at oisheemajumdar@gmail.com

Gayan Gowramma KC

 

 

 

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer

She can be reached at seethadinesh2807@gmail.com.

Ryan Mitra

He can be contacted at ryanmitra17@gmail.com.

Komal Tiwary

Kriti

Abhishrut Singh

 

Abishek RL

Alka Yadav

Jerin George

He wishes to pursue a career in International Law. He can be contacted at jerringeorg@gmail.com 

Kritika Shukla

Vallari Parashar

Wangchuk Thinley

Sanjali Mitra

Ninaad Ghoshal

Mahath Mangal

He can be reached at: mahathandmangal@gmail.com

Raakhavee Ramesh

 She can be reached at raakhaveeramesh@gmail.com 

Titsala Sangtam

She can be reached at: titsala.anar@gmail.com 

Parikshith Pradeep

He can be contacted at parikshithpradeep@yahoo.com.

Sukanya Bali

Vijay Maidergi

He can be reached at vijay.maidergi@gmail.com.

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

He can be contacted at lakastro@gmail.com. 

Nidhi Dalal

Yashaskar Shubham

Lokendra Sharma

Sneha Tadkal

Jenice Jean Goveas

Harini Sha P

She can be contacted at harinisha.vaish@gmail.com 

Aarathi Srinivasan

She can be contacted at arrit33@gmail.com

Keerthana Rajesh Nambiar

Vishnu Prasad

Joeana Cera Matthews

Udbhav Krishna P

Porkkodi Ganeshpandian

Julia Mathew

Sarthak Jain

Vibha Venugopal

Dhanushaa P

Dincy Adlakha

Juan Mary Joseph

Wonchibeni Tsopoe

Rishma Banerjee

Rishma Banerjee is a Research Assistant in the Science, Technology, and International Relations Programme under the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the NIAS. She works in the KAS-NIAS Europe Studies Programme under the Area Studies initiative. Her research interest is in the geopolitical developments in Eastern Europe.

Rishma has been tracing the war in Ukraine on a daily basis and has written about the French presidential elections and the heatwaves in Europe.