Brussels School of International Studies
Tel: +32 2 641 1722 Fax: + 32 2 641 1720 www.kent.ac.uk
Brussels School of International Studies
Profile: A Specialised Graduate School in International Studies of the University of Kent at Canterbury; In partnership with the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel to offer you additional internationally respected teachers, and a campus environment; ● ●
●
Staff of international recognition; Located in the politically important and cosmopolitan “Capital of Europe”; Offering you the opportunity to read for degrees in International Relations, International Conflict Analysis, and International Law;
With students from all over the world.
Brussels School of International Studies Page Detailed Contents
2
1. A Word From The Director
3
2. Brussels: The “Capital of Europe”
5
3. The School
7
4. Graduate Programmes at the Brussels School
10
5. The MA and LLM Programmes
14
6. Course Descriptions
24
7. Methods of Assessment for the MA Programmes
33
8. Methods of Assessment for the LLM Programme
35
9. Research Degrees
36
10. Academic Facilities
38
11. Academic Activities
40
12. Social Facilities
42
13. Social Activities
43
14. Career Planning
44
15. Admissions – MA and LLM Programmes
45
16. Admissions – Doctoral Degrees
48
17. Fees and Financial Assistance
49
18. Arriving in Belgium
51
19. Training and Consultancy
53
20. The Faculty
54
21. Communications
Opposite: The rectorat Building of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Inside back cover
1
Detailed Contents
1.
A Word From The Director
3
2.
Brussels:The “Capital of Europe” 5
3.
The School
3.1
Graduate Studies at The University
7
of Kent at Canterbury 3.2
The Department of Politics and 7
Executive Courses, and Executive
12.
Social Facilities
Programme
12.1
Orientation Officer
36
12.2
Student Counselling Office
36
Course Descriptions
20
12.3
Health Centre
36
6.1
Europe in the World
20
12.4
Legal Advice
36
6.2
History and Jurisprudence of Cases
12.5
Sports Facilities
36
in International Criminal Law
20
12.6
Language Courses
36
6.3
Histories of International Conflict
21
12.7
Other Facilities on Campus
36
6.4
International Conflict Management 21
13.
Social Activities
37
13.1
The Annual International Relations Dinner
37
13.2
Student Committees
37
14.
Career Planning
38
14.1
Internships in Brussels
38
14.2
Employment After Graduation
38
3.2.1
Heritage
6.5
International Political Economy
3.2.2
Recognition
6.6
International Protection of
3.2.3
Profile
Human Rights
23
3.2.4
Publications
6.7
International Relations Theory
23
3.3
The Kent Law School
6.8
Introduction to International Law
24
3.3.1
Heritage
6.9
Legal Aspects of Contemporary
3.3.2
Recognition
3.3.3
Profile
3.3.4
Publications
8
36
6.
7
International Relations
International Problems
22
24
6.10
Philosophy and Methodology of International Relations
25
14.3
Alumni
38
6.11
Theory of International Conflict
25
14.4
The BSIS Alumni Network
38
6.12
Data Analysis
26
15. 7.
Methods of Assessment for the MA Programmes 27
Admissions – MA and LLM Programmes
39
15.1
Required Qualifications
39
Application Materials
39
4.
Graduate Programmes at the Brussels School
10
4.1
Graduate Degrees Offered
10
4.2
Our Philosophy
10
4.3
Teaching Methods, and Methods of 11
7.1
Essays
27
15.2
Encouraging Learning
7.2
Data Analysis Project
27
15.2.1 Application Form
27
15.2.2 University Transcript
4.4
Quality Assurance Practices
11
7.3
The Dissertation
4.5
Structure of the Terms
12
7.4
Examinations and Final Assessment 27
15.2.3 Letters of Reference
4.5.1
Dates of the Terms
7.5
Grading
28
15.2.4 Evidence of Competence in English
4.5.2
Hours of study
7.6
The John Burton Prize
28
15..5
Personal Statement
4.5.3
Full-time study
15.3
Deadlines
40
4.5.4
Part-time study
15.4
Application Procedures
41
4.5.5
September and January Entries
4.5.6
8.
Methods of Assessment for the LLM in Programme
29
Mobility of Students Between
8.1
Essays
29
16.
Admissions – Doctoral Degrees 42
the Centres
8.2
The Dissertation
29
16.1
Acceptance of Candidates
42
8.3
Grading
29
16.2
Application Procedures
42
43
5.
The MA and LLM Programmes 14
5.1
The MA and LLM Programmes
9.
Research Degrees
30
17.
Fees and Financial Assistance
at a Glance
14
9.1
The MPhil and the PhD
30
17.1
Fees
43
5.2
The MA in International Relations
15
9.2
Doctoral Supervision
30
17.2
Cost of Living
43
5.2.1
Introduction
9.2.1
The Supervisor
17.3
Financial Assistance
43
5.2.2
Aims
9.2.2
The Supervisory Committee
17.3.1 Students from the UK and EU
5.2.3
Objectives
9.3
The Research Training Seminar
31
5.2.4
Course Structure
9.4
Other Activities
31
5.3
The MA in International
9.5
The Doctoral Programme
31
9.6
Master of Arts by Research
31
32
Conflict Analysis
17
Countries 17.3.2 Students from the United States of America 17.3.3 Students from Canada 17.3.4 Students from Singapore
5.3.1
Introduction
5.3.2
Aims
10.
Academic Facilities
5.3.3
Objectives
10.1
Libraries and Information Services 32
5.3.4
Course Structure
10.2
The ULB Library
32
5.4
The MA in International and Political
10.3
The VUB Library
32
Risk Analysis
10.4
Other Libraries
32
5.4.1
Introduction
10.5
Electronic Information Services
5.4.2
Aims
10.6
Computing Facilities
5.4.3
Objectives
5.4.4
Course Structure
11.
Academic Activities
5.5
The LLM in International Law and
11.1
The Weekly Guest Seminar
International Relations
2
5.6
Luncheon
19
17.3.5 Students from Developing Countries 17.4
Further Information
44
18.
Arriving in Belgium
45
18.1
Location of the Brussels School
45
33
18.2
Orientation
45
33
18.3
Accommodation
45
18.4
Health Insurance
46
19.
Training and Consultancy
47
20.
The Faculty
48
21.
Communications Inside back cover
34 34
5.5.1
Introduction
11.2
Workshops on Specialised Topics
34
5.5.2
Aims
11.3
Study Visits
35
5.5.3
Objectives
11.4
Conferences
35
5.5.4
Course Structure
Over the years, this Prospectus has become quite a large document. That is because each year the School keeps growing, offering more programmes, a larger choice of courses, a greater range of guest speakers, and a wider array of academic and social activities. Recent additions to our academic staff, and more students than ever before from around the world, continue to energise the School with a fresh and vigorous intellectual, cultural, and social dynamism.Yet, in each revision of this Prospectus, the balance needs to be struck between comprehensiveness and brevity. We provide you in these pages essential information about the School so you can make an informed choice about a very important decision. At the same time, we realise the time involved to read it. The School offers much choice, but because it is a specialised School it is an integrated whole, and every word is relevant to you no matter which of our programmes interest you most. Above all, I would like you to read these pages with our philosophy and vision firmly in mind, lest it be overshadowed by the many details. I will therefore take a moment to stress here the key features of the School before you read further. Those are: cosmopolitanism, partnership and intercultural understanding, academic rigour and interdisciplinary study, and tradition.
Cosmopolitanism The Brussels School of International Studies is an integral part of the University of Kent at Canterbury, which is quite internationalised. Kent is ‘Britain’s European University’, in several senses. One is its location: Canterbury is some twenty kilometres from Dover, and the Eurostar train has brought the ‘Capital of Europe’, Brussels, only some ninety minutes ‘distance’ away. Another is in its student body. At the University of Kent at Canterbury as a whole, 24% of students are from beyond the United Kingdom, and 14% of the student body overall are from other member states of the European Union. At the Brussels School, the internationalism is much greater. At any given time, our students are of 40 different nationalities. Over 60% of students come to the School from outside Europe, and traditionally, each year nearly every continent of the planet is represented. My colleagues and I often remark, as we look out across the lecture hall, that our audience could well be the General Assembly of the United Nations. Our staff is also highly internationalised. I am Canadian, and my colleagues are American, Belgian, British, Japanese, German, and New Zealander.
1. A Word From The Director
1. A Word From The Director
The School is also located in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. The campus is situated some 15 minutes from the centre of Brussels, which is the second most international city in the world, measured in terms of the number of international organisations – over one thousand – the nearly seven hundred multinational corporations, and nearly every national embassy for which Brussels is host. The presence of the European institutions – the European Commission, Council, and Parliament – as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, makes for a colourful mix of diversity as part of every day life in Brussels. Our location also affords us the unique opportunity to benefit from the presence of global decision-makers in government, international organisations, and nongovernmental organisations for Guest Seminars. Indeed, many practitioners in Brussels have been, or are presently, our students.
Dr Jarrod Wiener, Director, Brussels School of International Studies University of Kent at Canterbury
The School is therefore an integral part of a University that is itself cosmopolitan and dynamic, and made ever more so by its location in a cosmopolitan city, with a highly internationalised staff and student body. However, we are united in our outlook: that the world is becoming smaller, while our horizons are becoming global.
Partnership and Inter-Cultural Understanding While technological advances in travel and communications have compressed geographical space, and brought Canterbury and Brussels closer in terms of ‘distance’, it is social and political attitudes that create a cosmopolitan community. In Europe, political initiatives have relaxed the impact of borders and opened the way for greater cooperation and understanding among diverse cultures. There is an exciting social process occurring in the Euro-regions, and it is one in which the University of Kent at Canterbury and our partner institutions in Brussels are part. In building across old frontiers, friendships are being forged, and new cooperative initiatives undertaken. It is our awareness that within our Euro-region we belong to a common social setting that is the hallmark of a cosmopolitan outlook; the technology of travel and communication merely assists that vision to be realised. Indeed, our being in Brussels could not have been possible without our friends at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) welcoming
continued ➢
3
us to Brussels as partners in a spirit of cooperation that, I am sure, foreshadows the way in which de-bordered social communities in Europe will continue to develop. We have the great advantage and stimulus of excellent academic and personal links with our colleagues at ULB and VUB, and we look forward to deepening those links to a range of joint activities.
Left to right: Dr Jarrod Wiener (Director) University of Kent, Prof Dr Gustaaf Geeraerts, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Prof Dr Eric Remacle Université Libre de Bruxelles.
This institutional partnership benefits students of the School in a range of ways. While our students are registered students of the University of Kent at Canterbury, and teaching is entirely in English, instruction is carried out by members of academic staff from Kent, and from our partner Universities, the VUB and ULB, which adds a Continental flavour. The ULB and VUB also provide an intellectual and social home for our students on their large campuses, and our students have access to the range of student services, including library, computing, social, medical, sports, and recreational facilities. We also witness partnership and cooperation among students of the School each year as a class identity is forged in a supportive framework of learning and understanding. In an atmosphere where everyone is different, no one is different, and we realise quickly that those things that separate humanity are often the product of misunderstanding. It is my, and my colleagues’, sincerest hope that the global decision-makers of this new century that we train at the School will take with them that experience of partnership and understanding as they enter an increasingly globalised world.
Academic Rigour and Interdisciplinary Study The Brussels School of International Studies is also a partnership in another way. The School is home to graduate programmes of two Departments of the University of Kent at Canterbury – the Department of Politics and International Relations, and the Kent Law School. Each Department views its own discipline in an interdisciplinary way, drawing insights where appropriate from sister disciplines in the Social Sciences. The courses at the School cover the range of issues in International Relations, including International Conflict Analysis, International Political Economy, European Studies, and International Law, with specialisation in each of those areas. The Department of Politics and International Relations and the Kent Law School also combine their talents at the Brussels School to offer an innovative LLM programme focusing on human rights and international criminal law.
4
The taught programmes in International Relations and International Conflict Analysis are the same as those offered by these Departments in Canterbury. Both Departments are acknowledged leaders in their fields internationally. We therefore expect of our students the same academic rigour that we expect of ourselves, but we do it within the tradition of accessible staff, in a supportive academic and social framework.
Tradition We revel in the diversity and experience that others bring, but we remain firmly rooted in the best traditions of British academic practice. Although the Brussels School, established in 1998, is relatively new, it brings with it a heritage of two leading Departments with international recognition. Each Department has over 20 years of experience in teaching and research at the cutting edge of International Relations and International Law. Each has strong traditions that have been built at the University of Kent at Canterbury. The active involvement of students in the academic and social dimensions of the School, the strong identity of its students who wear their “BSIS” colours with pride, the continuing commitment of its Alumni, and the dedication and accessibility of its staff are all aspects of a tradition about which I, and many others, are extremely proud. I hope you will read these pages with an eye not only to the demands of academic rigour which we expect, both of ourselves and our students, and to the challenges of walking in the footsteps of that tradition, but also to the cosmopolitan social group of committed students and scholars that has become the Brussels School of International Studies. We will try to inspire and challenge you, and we hope you will challenge and inspire us. I look forward to welcoming you to the School, and my colleagues and I will do our best to ensure that your time with us is both productive, and enjoyable
2. Brussels: The “Capital of Europe”
2. Brussels:The “Capital of Europe”
The Parc Cinquantennaire, Brussels. Brussels is an historic city whose past stretches back to the Middle Ages. Charles of France settled in Brussels in 977. This long history is visible in all corners, for example in the remnants of the high rampart walls constructed around the city in 1270 that are still visible today. Karl Marx spent time in exile in Brussels, and one can wander through the most beautiful historic market square to see many of the buildings and streets that are little changed since his time there.Yet, this history and ancient architecture coexists with a mixture of stunning modern buildings, notable among which are the magnificent new buildings of the European Parliament. That ancient and modern coexist in a patchwork of diversity is characteristic of Brussels, which is diverse in a range of other ways. Of its one million inhabitants, approximately one quarter is not of Belgian origin. Indeed, Brussels is a multi-cultural city that is open and welcoming to all newcomers. Brussels is officially bi-lingual, French and Dutch, though most speak English, and the high degree of internationalism has made English the working language of many in the city. In fact, there is a community of approximately 200,000 native English speakers in Brussels. International newspapers are readily available, and there are local newspapers in English, such as The Bulletin and The European Voice. English-medium television and radio stations can be received, such as BBC1, BBC2, BBC World Service, CNN, and NBC. In addition, local television stations broadcast some programming in English.
Brussels is the second most international city in the world, measured by the number of headquarters of international organisations. Brussels is host to over a thousand governmental and non-governmental international organisations, including such major bodies as the institutions of the European Union (the European Commission, European Council, and the Parliament), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe (SHAPE). There are also some 165 Embassies and Diplomatic Missions, and some 700 multinational corporations. This makes for a lively international community, with various conferences, seminars, and receptions organised in the Brussels community regularly. The School’s students therefore benefit from being able to attend public meetings of these institutions, and having such easy access to them is a veritable gold mine for research material. The Brussels community also provides a wealth of practitioners working at the cutting edge of international relations who are invited to the School for weekly Guest Seminars. Yet, despite this major presence of the world in Brussels, it remains conveniently ‘small’. With a population of only one million, Brussels is by no means a sprawling metropolis. In fact, it ranks about 450 in terms of population among the world’s major cities. Public transportation is very good, consisting of a comprehensive metro system, trolley system, and train service. The public transportation system is linked to fifty-eight metro stations and five railway stations, and
continued ➢
5
there are over 500 public buses. Fares for students are discounted heavily. Links to other capitals are excellent by train (for instance, Paris is less than 2 hours away). There is a good European road network, and the airport is located very conveniently for the centre of Brussels.
Gwenn Smith, American BA in Psychology and Global Studies, Wittenberg University (1994-1998) MA in International Relations, BSIS 2000-2001 Co-Chair, BSIS Student Social Committee “I wanted to study outside my own country and decided on Brussels for its ideal location, not to mention the easy access to the European institutions. I’ve found living and studying in such an international environment to be of utmost value for my personal and professional life. In fact, after graduation, I stayed in Brussels to undertake an internship at the European Commission. I now work in New York as coordinator of Fulbright students who come to the United States.”
Brussels is famous for its food, with one of the highest concentrations of restaurants of any city in the world. The ‘Petite Rue des Bouchers’ (street of the butchers) in the medieval centre of Brussels is famous for the fact that every building on it is a restaurant. The street is for pedestrians only, which allows the restaurant owners to construct wonderfully colourful displays of seafood on ice, and to arrange tables outside along the cobble stone walks.Yet, in all the quaintness, the astute will be aware that at the next table could be an agenda-setting conversation among people who have just left the corridors of power for a light lunch. In the heart of Brussels, the ‘Grand Place’ is certainly one of the most magnificent market squares in Europe, incorporating gothic and renaissance houses. The extraordinary city hall is topped with a golden statue of St. Michel and dominates the market place that is still in use almost every day with a market variety from flowers to antiques, to the International Christmas market in winter. Again, just to reinforce the contrasting nature of the city, the Grand Place transforms in the evenings to a lively area of bars and pubs, and the occasional laser light show above the gothic buildings entertains to thundering classical music. Typical of a European capital city, Brussels has a full cultural agenda ranging from art exhibitions, theatres, ballet, music concerts, sporting events, and a range of carnivals and special events.Yet, not far from the city centre, in fact very near to the School, is the beginning of the splendid forest park, the Bois de la Cambre, with its centuries old beech trees. Brussels’ vibrant and multi-cultural mix is also present in its social life. Countless restaurants offer specialities from all over the globe, along with Belgian specialities such as
Waterzooi, mussels with ‘fries’, or different dishes using the local beers such as Kriek. Some of the restaurants are open through the night, while the countless pubs, cafes and bars offer drinks or cocktails. Jazz Cafes bring music into the city, and many clubs invite you to dance through the night, such as Le Sud, or Bazaar and Le Siècle. Movie theatres are equally spread throughout Brussels and almost all movies are shown in the original with French and Dutch subtitles. While the multiplex Kinepolis with IMAX and the UGC theatres show the recent commercial movies, other theatres such as the Kladaradatsch, Styx, and Vendome display older, intellectual, or alternative movies. Brussels theatres are among the finest, the Theatre de la Monnaie, and the Theatre du Park show plays and pieces in different languages. On weekends, almost in each corner of the city, flea markets are open to the public, where a large variety of goods and antiques can be bought and traded. Sometimes it is amusing to just stroll through these markets like the weekly one on Jeu de Balle or on Place Sablon and see the goods and forgotten objects from the past. A variety of museums are spread around the city, covering almost all topics and art styles. Anyone will find an inspiration to her/his taste, whether this be the comic strip museum in the Zandstraat, the brewery and the chocolate museums on the Grand’ Place, or the Palais des Beaux Arts/Paleis für Schone Kunsten displaying a huge diversity of artists from all periods and countries. More relaxing and quiet time can be spent in one of Brussels’ parks and gardens, as the city ranks among the cities with the largest amount of green space per capita (27.7 square metres per person). The Foret des Soignes/Zonienwald is the biggest one with 4,000 hectares of forest area. La Cambre/Ter Kameren has parts that are closed off in the weekends for cycling and inline skating. The Park Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark is often used for jogging, and many of the students live in the vicinity.
More information about Brussels can be found at various specialist web sites, among which are the home page of the Capital of Brussels itself at http://www.brussels-online.be/ and tourist guides, for instance: http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be/En/Homeen.htm and http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/BRUSSEL.html or http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/Belgcul.html
6
3. The School
3.The School
3.1 Graduate Studies at The University of Kent at Canterbury As a student of the Brussels School of International Studies, you will be a registered student of the University of Kent at Canterbury. The programmes taught at the Brussels School are those of the University of Kent. The degree awarded for successful completion of a programme at the Brussels School is conferred by the University of Kent at Canterbury at a Congregation ceremony held at Canterbury Cathedral. The University of Kent at Canterbury was granted its Royal Charter in 1965, and since then has achieved prominence as one of Britain’s most innovative and enterprising Universities. The University’s main campus is built on 300 acres of parkland overlooking Canterbury, a medieval city. The University also has a site in the Medway, and dedicated centres for the study of International Relations at graduate level in London and Brussels. Campus life in Canterbury is based around four colleges, each named after distinguished figures – Darwin, Eliot, Keynes, and Rutherford. The Department of Politics and International Relations is housed in Rutherford College, and as a student of the Brussels School reading for the MA in International Relations or MA in International Conflict Analysis, you will become automatically a member of Rutherford College when you register. Eliot College is home to the Kent Law School; as a student at the Brussels School reading for the LLM in International Law and International Relations, you will automatically become a member of Eliot College. There are approximately 10,000 students at the University of Kent. About 1,000 of those are full-time postgraduate students, and 500 are part-time postgraduate students, studying on over 120 different degree programmes. Kent students come from all over the world – there are over 120 nationalities represented at Kent – which provides a rich cultural variety. Kent particularly prides itself on rigorous teaching, and staff renowned for their concern for the individual needs of students. This
forms the basis for a stimulating cosmopolitan atmosphere for the exchange of ideas, research and teaching.
Canterbury Cathedral
3.2 The Department of Politics and International Relations 3.2.1 Heritage The Department of Politics and International Relations was a founding Department of the University of Kent at Canterbury, and almost immediately, it became an important and dynamic group of scholars with international recognition. Since the very beginning, the department has had an excellent reputation for research, being the place where famous political authors Maurice Vile, Alec Barbrook, Bryan Keith-Lucas, and Bill Jenkins published their authoritative works on American and British Government studies, and Colin Seymour-Ure helped pioneer teaching and research about politics and the mass media. David McLellan’s world famous works on Marx and Marxism were born out of the culture of research at Kent. Chris Brown, John Burton and AJR Groom all helped to take the department to the position of international recognition in global political study that it occupies today. As a student of the Brussels School, you will take part in a heritage of
“Teaching that is informed and enhanced by staff research” “Curricula underpinned effectively by staff research” (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Subject Review Report of the Department of Politics and International Relations, November 2001)
continued ➢
7
learning International Relations that dates to the founding of the discipline at Kent by such noted scholars.
Frank Akpoviri Nigerian LLB (Hons), MBA, University of Benin, Nigeria MA in International Relations, 2001-2002
The Department has been offering the MA in International Relations since 1978, making it one of the oldest in the United Kingdom. The MA in International Conflict Analysis began in 1981. More recently, the Department also offers MA degrees in International Relations and European Studies, and Politics and Democracy Studies. The newest programme, launched in 2001, is the joint LLM in International Law with International Relations offered with the Kent Law School. 3.2.2 Recognition
"I enrolled at BSIS in pursuit of my ambition to join the Foreign Service of my country, Nigeria. Here at the School, my resolve is tested and my intellect challenged. It is often said that ‘you are what you know’, and the School is helping me to assess what I think I know! I especially appreciate the interdisciplinary approach; for virtually every problem we delve into several realms in search of defensible solutions. Of course, we also spare time to relax the nerves in social gatherings and informal discussions. I look forward with great optimism to acquiring a rich knowledge and experience for the pursuit of my planned career, and in the meantime, my interaction with my colleagues – from nearly every part of the globe – is forming part of the memories I will take with me in those years ahead."
The Department of Politics and International Relations constitutes an important and dynamic group of scholars in the area of Politics and International Relations, not only in Britain, but in Europe, and internationally. It is a practice in the United Kingdom, to ensure quality in the delivery of teaching, that all University Departments are subject to an audit from time to time by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. In its Subject Review of the Department of Politics and International Relations in November 2001, the Department was awarded 21 points out of a possible 24. The Report highlighted, in particular, that "the curricula reflect the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of the subject matter" and that it also reflects "the strong staff research base". It also praised the Department for "the composition of the teaching team [that] reflects the cultural diversity found in the student body and the nature of the subject, thereby serving to enhance the learning experience of staff and students". 3.2.3 Profile The international position of the Department has meant that its experts have always made valuable contributions to international organisations. Maurice Vile was a member of the ECPR (European Consortium for Political Research) Executive Committee in its early days, and today AJR Groom is one of
its two current British members. Professor Groom is also the Founder and for ten years was Chairman of the European Standing Group for International Relations. He was a Chairman of the British International Studies Association (BISA), and Vice-President of the International Studies Association (ISA), based in the United States. Because of this high ranking, and its international reputation sustained for over thirty years, the Department of Politics and International Relations has become home to one of the largest groups of graduate students in the field in Britain. There are some 200 graduate students following MA programmes and conducting research leading to the degree of PhD at three locations, the main campus in Canterbury, the Brussels School of International Studies, and the London Centre of International Relations. Students reading for either the MA in International Relations or the MA in International Conflict Analysis at the Brussels School follow a curriculum that is the same across each of the three centres, Brussels, Canterbury, and London. The admission requirements are the same. The core courses are based on the same syllabus. There is a mobility of teachers between the locations. All of the teaching in Brussels is in English by members of staff of Kent, and by staff of international reputation at our partner universities, the VUB and ULB. 3.2.4 Publications The Department of Politics and International Relations established a journal, Paradigms: the Kent Journal of International Relations, in 1987. In 1995 this became Global Society: Interdisciplinary Journal of International Relations (www.carfax.co.uk/gsj-ad.htm) published by Carfax Publishers (Taylor & Francis). This journal has established itself rapidly with an international reputation. In addition, the Department publishes a series of papers and monographs: The Kent Papers in Politics and International Relations. Papers relating to International Relations can be accessed at: http:// www.ukc.ac.uk/ politics/publications/index.html
“Highly supportive environment provided by academic and support staff” “The cultural diversity of the student intake enriches the student learning experience” (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Subject Review Report of the Department of Politics and International Relations, November 2001)
8
3.3.1 Heritage The Kent Law School was a founding department of the University of Kent at Canterbury. It taught its first students in the 1960s and quickly established itself as distinctive and innovative. Its situation within a Faculty of Social Sciences represented a deliberate attempt to utilise social science perspectives in the study of law. Many early (and some later) academic appointments were made consciously promoting the study of law in a wider social context. Many interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary law courses were developed, breaking down the old tradition of “black letter” law degrees. This heritage still influences law teaching at Kent. The Kent Law School has employed many eminent legal scholars, perhaps the most notable of whom was Professor Rosalyn Higgins, now a Judge (and a first woman member) of the World Court. Other significant legal scholars who have worked at Kent include Professor Clive Schmittof, Professor Ken Simmonds, Professor A W B (Brian) Simpson, Professor Claire Palley, Professor B A Hepple and Professor Peter Fitzpatrick. Recently appointed to a Chair of International Economic Law is Peter Muchlinski, previously Dean at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. The Law School has been offering LLMs for many years in International Commercial Law, European Law, Medical Law, Criminal Justice and Environmental Law. International law has been offered successfully as a component of some of these degrees, which is why the decision was taken to offer this new joint programme with international relations. In both undergraduate and graduate study, international law has been taught with an emphasis on contemporary international problems. Courses have taught international law through case studies in which extra-legal perspectives are always relevant. 3.3.2 Recognition
It has built upon this tradition by promoting innovative and high-quality research resulting in a very substantial body of published work. In addition to the area of public international law there has been widespread publication relating to critical theory, criminal justice, environmental law, feminist legal scholarship (the journal Feminist Legal Studies), international commercial law and intellectual property. Since 1996 the Kent Law School has had an information technology support officer as part of a policy of facilitating staff and student access to, and use of, on-line research tools and other internet sources. The School’s multiple award winning gateway Lawlinks (developed by the Law Librarian, Sarah Carter) reflects a teaching and research culture in which maximum use is made of IT facilities. Each year, some 70 students study for the existing LLM courses including a large number from the outside the United Kingdom. In addition, there are some 30 postgraduate research students pursuing postgraduate degrees (many in international law, or related subjects). The student body is highly cosmopolitan, because at undergraduate level the Law School has exchange programmes with many continental law schools, and many overseas students choose to study at Kent.
3. The School
3.3 The Kent Law School
Above: A view of the campus the University of Kent at Canterbury. Below: The Templeman Library, University of Kent at Canterbury.
3.3.4 Publications Staff have a substantial and increasing body of publications. Many of these are in the general area of international law ranging in subject matter from international debt and development, to democracy and its relationship with capitalism, to international property rights, international commercial law, international technology Law, international banking and economic law and the World Trade Organisation. Additionally, many publications are concerned with aspects of the European Union. The writing is concerned with both theoretical and practical perspectives and, indeed, most merge the two.
Both the Bar and the Law Society recognise Kent undergraduate law degrees for the purposes of exemption from the first year of professional examinations. 3.3.3 Profile The Kent Law School has long been known for its distinctive approach to legal education, embracing contextual, inter-disciplinary and critical and other non-traditional perspectives.
9
4. Graduate Programmes at the Brussels School 4.1 Graduate Degrees Offered Method of Study
Full-Time
Part-Time
Admission Dates
Master of Arts in International Relations
Coursework assessed by essays, examinations, and dissertation
One year
Two years
September and January
Master of Arts in International Conflict Analysis
Coursework assessed by essays, examinations, and dissertation
One year
Two years
September and January
Master of Arts in International and Political Risk Analysis*
Coursework assessed by essays, examinations, and dissertation
One year
Not available
September only
LLM in International Law with International Relations
Coursework assessed by essays, examinations and dissertation
One year
Two years
September and January
Master of Philosophy in International Relations
Research and thesis
Two years
Three years
Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations
Research and thesis
Three years
Four years
By mutual agreement
By mutual agreement
* New Programme, to begin September 2003, subject to approval by the University. A highly selective group of students will be chosen for the pilot intake. See page 22 for details about this programme. The details concerning these programmes are correct at the time of going to press, May 2003.
4.2 Our Philosophy International Relations, International Conflict Analysis, and International Law, as studied and taught at the Brussels School of International Studies, focus on the fundamental bases of the subject, be they conceptual, methodological, or philosophical in nature. This emphasis in part reflects our belief that an education in theory, methodology, philosophy and ethics is an essential basis for the analysis of current affairs and is of permanent value. As the dramatic developments of the last few years in Europe and elsewhere illustrate, in the modern world, current affairs do not stay ‘current’ very long. This emphasis also reflects a view about the relationship between ‘theory’ and ‘practice’. In the words of the great economist John Maynard Keynes, “practical men who believe themselves exempt from any intellectual influences are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority who hear voices in the air are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribblers of a few years back!” Put another way, theory is unavoidable and the only important question is whether it is conscious or unconscious. Nevertheless, empirical work is in no way neglected and forms an important and integral element in the teaching and research programme, thus leading to a well-balanced course of study. We have a strong nucleus in international conflict analysis, international political economy, globalisation, and international organisation, especially in the
10
political, economic and security aspects of the UN system, and European organisations. In international law, the intention is that an appreciation of the subject is acquired through the consideration of contemporary or recent international events. For some courses, at least, this will require an appreciation of current international events as and when they arise. Consequently, the subject matter is both flexible and changes regularly.
4.3 Teaching Methods and Methods of Encouraging Learning Teaching staff of the School employ a number of methods of instruction. Consistent with the University’s quality assurance and enhancement practices, each method is designed to ensure that you derive maximum benefit from the lectures and seminars, and that you use independent study time to its full advantage. Teaching on all MA and LLM programmes is by lecture/seminar format, small group work, and simulations as appropriate. For each module (course), there is a formal lecture each week for at least one hour’s duration. Each lecture is intended to provide you with an introduction to a particular theme or topic, to make you aware of main issues through a structured summary of the current state of debate on a topic, and to provide you with navigation points through the main literature.
Both full-time and part-time students attend the same lecture. It is normally the case that part-time students attend their seminars in the evenings, while full-time students attend their seminars during the day. However, it may also be the case that the groups are mixed for seminars, which adds an important dimension to the programme: full-time students benefit from the contributions of different types of practitioners of international relations, whether they be from diplomacy, the military, industry, or international organisations. You will be encouraged to work both independently, and as part of a group. Independent study is vital to develop research skills: for the preparation of essays, term papers, and the dissertation. All of this written work is designed to help you develop the skills necessary to distil complex arguments and issues to their essential elements, and to express your own critical ideas succinctly, clearly, and in an organised manner.You will also be encouraged to work independently on presentations that you may be asked to make in seminars, perhaps by leading the discussion on a particular topic, and to contribute generally to seminar discussions to develop oral communication skills. This is to develop the ability to organise and to think quickly about complex issues, and to develop skills necessary for reasoned argumentation. However, you will also be encouraged to work in groups for the preparation specified projects to develop skills necessary for cooperation in group project work, as well as to develop entrepreneurial and leadership qualities.
same way. The courses taught on the programme are inspected through an annual report to the Faculty, which includes feedback elicited from students on both formal written (anonymous) course evaluation forms, as well as feedback provided by students at the End of Term Review Sessions. The students’ comments are compiled into a composite report that is written by each Programme Convenor and submitted to the Head of Department, and thence to the Dean who subsequently reports to the University Senate. The End of Term Review Sessions, held on the last day of each term, provide an open forum for students to provide feedback about each term, including all of the courses, Guest Seminars, Workshops, and other activities. Student Representatives are elected to pass along student comments in an anonymous way if a student wishes to use that facility, but the spirit of these sessions is informal, designed to create a constructive dialogue between students and staff. These informal feedback sessions are taken very seriously, both for the current year and in our thinking about the future evolution of the programmes. The Minutes of these sessions are reported to the Brussels School Academic Board. This is because the School recognises that the long-term success of its programmes, and the maintenance of its international reputation, depends on satisfying student needs, so student assessment is a vital input. In fact, this informal feedback session has been in place in Canterbury for some thirty years. Many of the current practices of the Brussels School owe to the constructive feedback of previous students.
The quality of the provision of all MA and LLM programmes at the Brussels School is managed through an elaborate process.
There is also a formal Staff-Student Liaison Committee, whose ambit covers all aspects of the School, not only the courses. The students, ensuring that there is at least one Representative from each MA and LLM programme, elect the Student Representatives early in each academic year. These Representatives, as well as all Programme Convenors and the Director of the Brussels School attend the Staff-Student Liaison Committee. The Minutes of the Staff-Student Liaison Committee Meetings are reported to the student body, to the Department of Politics and International Relations, to the Kent Law School, and to the Brussels School Academic Board Meetings.
First, academic standards are ensured through a range of quality assurance and enhancement practices of the University of Kent. The Faculty of Social Science evaluates each programme as a whole. Each course taught on the programmes is evaluated in the
The Brussels School Academic Board includes, the Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations of Kent, the Director of the ULB Institut d’Etudes européennes, the Head of Department of Political Science at the VUB, the Director of
4.4 Quality Assurance Practices
Robert Palmer American Bsc Physical Science (emphasis Physics, Minor in Asian Studies), Northern Arizona University MA in International Relations, 2001-2002 "I came to BSIS having worked in the Administration of United States President William Jefferson Clinton. I was then a Press Secretary on the year 2000 US Presidential Campaign. As a young professional, I chose BSIS for several reasons. Most importantly, it provided me the opportunity to add a unique dimension to my existing professional experience. In addition, BSIS offered the benefit of being in the "Capital of Europe" – politically speaking – while offering the reputation and international recognition of the University of Kent at Canterbury. And most enjoyably, as an American, it provided an opportunity to spend a year in Europe and to learn a new language. I look forward with enthusiasm to resuming my duties in public service with the many advantages I will acquire this year at BSIS."
4. Graduate Programmes at the Brussels School
Each lecture is followed by a small group seminar (discussion group) for at least one further hour each week. The seminar is intended to provide you with the opportunity to engage with other students and with the course convenor for a structured discussion of substantive issues, and to clarify the designated reading material. Where appropriate, the seminar is a forum for students to present project work.
Campaign presentation for the election of student representatives.
continued ➢
11
Year
2003-04
Angela Behboodi, Canadian, BA Hons, joint specialisation in International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies University of Toronto MA in International Relations, BSIS 1999-2000 “After graduating from the School in September 2000, I began working at the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) through a young professional’s skills enhancement programme. I am now a consultant with the UN agency and I credit the School for giving me a strong foundation on which to build a career in international affairs. I truly value the year I spent in Brusselsengaging in discussions at BSIS and building friendships with excellent people in and outside of school”.
Michaelmas Term (12 weeks)
Christmas Holidays
Lent Term (12 weeks)
Easter Holidays
Trinity Term (6 weeks)
Monday 22 September to Friday 12 December
Saturday 13 December to Sunday 4 January
Monday 5 January to Friday 26 March
Saturday 27 March to Sunday 18 April
Monday 19 April to Friday 28 May
Table 4.5.1 These dates are correct as at May 2003. Accepted candidates will be notified of the effective dates in the registration package. the Brussels School of International Studies, and two Student Representatives. The concerns and suggestions of students at the Brussels School about academic and academic-related issues are therefore taken very seriously at high levels within the three associated Universities. The External Examiner for each programme ensures quality in different ways. All degrees have an external examiner, who is a distinguished academic from another University. The current External Examiner at the Brussels School is Professor John Vogler, from the University of Keele in the UK. The role of the external examiner is to guarantee the quality of the degree, its comparability with degrees awarded elsewhere by UK universities, and the fairness of the assessment procedures. Examination and dissertation assessment is always undertaken independently by two members of staff and is reviewed by the external examiner who has the right to see all work produced by candidates. The external examiner produces an annual report on the examination procedures for the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent. Furthermore, every three years an external reviewer formally reviews each programme.
4.5 Structure of the Terms The Brussels School of International Studies operates the same teaching year as the main campus in Canterbury (and the London Centre of International Relations). That is one comprised of two 12-week teaching terms and one 6-week teaching term. The dates of the teaching terms are therefore harmonised, as are the terms in which particular courses are taught. The intention of this is as much to facilitate the movement of staff between the centres, as it is to avoid any impediment to the mobility of students between the centres.
4.5.2 Hours of Study All of the taught programmes consist of a total of 1,800 hours of study. Each course (module) represents 180 hours of study.You will have classroom contact with each of your teachers for at least two hours a week for each course. A further 13 hours of private study is required for each course each week. You will spend the balance of the hours attending the range of academic activities and working on your Dissertation, all of which is described further below. 4.5.3 Full-time Study By far, the majority of students reading for the MA or LLM programmes at BSIS are full time students (over 90%). As a full-time student, your programme will last a full 12 months. In each of three terms, there is a range of courses and other academic activities. The summer months are spent preparing the Dissertation.
Normal Academic Cycle for Full-time Students Term 1
• Three Modules
September to • Guest Seminars December
• Workshops Term 2 January to March
• Three Modules • Guest Seminars • Workshops • Student Conference
Term 3
• Examinations
April to June
• Dissertation Supervision Workshops
Summer Recess
• Dissertation Writing
August
• Examiners Meeting, and formal completion of programme
September
• Submission of Dissertation
4.5.1 Dates of the Terms For planning purposes, prospective applicants may wish to note the (provisional) dates above.
12
The precise dates of the terms for each year are provided in table 4.5.1.
There is considerable flexibility in teaching arrangements to accommodate students’ particular needs and problems in trying to combine employment or other commitments with a part-time degree programme. Part-time students complete the normal curriculum of six Modules over a period of 24 months, in a sequence to be arranged in consultation with the programme Convenor. The Dissertation is submitted at the end of the second year, thus permitting two summer recesses in which to complete it. For additional covenience, part-time students follow evening classes. For illustration, the rhythem of the academic cycyle for part-time students is as follows: Academic Cycle for Part-time Students • One Module, or Two Modules
• Remaining One, or Two Modules
January to March
• One Module, or Two Modules
• Remaining One, or Two Modules
Term 3
• Examinations
• Examinations
April to June
• Dissertation
• Dissertation
• Supervision
• Supervision
• Dissertation Writing
• Dissertation Writing
Term 1 September to December
Term 2
Summer Recess
The precise dates of the terms for each year are provided in table 4.5.1.
• August of Year 2: Submission of Dissertation
However, as illustrated below, students who begin in January have more opportunity to undertake an internship over the summer recess without pressure of other programme commitments. For students who begin in September, the 12-month programme is organised as follows:
Term 1 September to December
Term 2 January to March
Term 3
Modifeid Pattern of the Academic Year – 18 month – for Students who Begin in January Term 1 January to March
• 3 Modules Plus other academic activities
Normal Pattern of the 12-month Academic Year for Students who Begin in September
Term 2 Summer Recess
• Students may work on the dissertation, or undertake a summer internship
• 3 Modules Plus other academic activities
Term 3
• 3 Modules Plus other academic activities
• 3 Modules Plus other academic activities
April to June
• Examinations Plus dissertation supervision and other academic activities
Summer Recess
• Completion of Dissertation, and perhaps summer internship
August
• Submission of Dissertation
April to June
September to December
• Dissertation supervision Plus other academic activities
January
• Examinations
April
• Submission of Dissertation
June
• Examiner meeting, and formal completion of the programme
4. Graduate Programmes at the Brussels School
4.5.4 Part-time Study
September • Examiner meeting, and formal completion of the programme The precise dates of the terms for each year are provided in table 4.5.1. By contrast, for a student who begins in January, the programme extends to 18 months in order to accommodate the examination cycle. It is always the case that students must sit the examinations as a precondition for being permitted to progress to the Dissertation. Thus, the programme for January entry is as top right.
4.5.5 September and January Entries Both full-time and part-time students may begin the MA and LLM programmes either in September or in January. The vast majority of students begin the programme in September. However, for various reasons, some students may wish to take a few months away from their studies between the completion of the undergraduate degree and the commencement of graduate studies, in which case beginning in January is a practical alternative. Part-time students may also find it convenient to have the opportunity to begin in January. Applicants considering a January start should note, however, that both the rhythm of the academic year, as well as the overall duration of the programme, is different for students who opt to begin in January.
4.5.6 Mobility of Students Between the Centres The harmonised structure of the teaching year means that students reading for either the MA in International Relations or the MA in International Conflict Analysis may choose to spend a term in Canterbury or London. Likewise, a student from Canterbury or London may choose to spend a term in Brussels, perhaps while pursuing an internship.
5.The MA and
13
LLM Programmes
5.1 The MA and LLM Programmes At a Glance, 2003-2004
Teaching at the School is informed by the research expertise of staff. Therefore, the courses offered on these programmes may vary according to the research specialisations of staff. * Not all modules are assessed by examination. Some are weighted heavily on coursework. See the conventions in this Prospectus.
14
MA in International Relations
MA in International Conflict Analysis
MA in International and Political Risk Analysis
LLM in International Law with International Relations
Term 1
• International Relations Theory • Choice of elective module: • Theories of International Conflict • Histories of International Conflict • International Law • Legal Aspects of Contemporary International Problems • Negotiation and Mediation • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
• Theories of International Conflict • International Relations Theory • Choice of elective module: • Histories of International Conflict • International Law • Negotiation and Mediation • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
• Data Analysis • International Risk Policy • Economic Risk Assessment • Visiting Speakers Programme • Workshops on Specialised Topics
• Legal Aspects of Contemporary International Problems • International Law • Theories of International Conflict • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
Term 2
• Philosophy and Methodology of International Relations • Choice of elective module: • International Political Economy • International Conflict Management • US Foreign Policy • International Protection of Human Rights • The Former Yugoslavia • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
• International Conflict Management • Philosophy and Methodology of International Relations • Choice of elective module: • The EU and Conflict Management • The Former Yugoslavia • International Protection of Human Rights • Domestic Institutions and Conflict Management • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
• Political Risk Analysis • Choice of two electives among specialist modules offered in Canterbury to enable each student to gain a specialisation • Visiting Speakers Programme
• International Protection of Human Rights • International Political Economy • Choice of: • International Criminal Law • International Economic Law • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
Term 3
• Examinations* • Workshops on Specialised Topics • Dissertation Workshops • Student Conference • Tour of Brussels Institutions
• Examinations* • Workshops on Specialised Topics • Dissertation Workshops • Student Conference • Tour of Brussels Institutions • Dissertation on a topic in International Conflict Analysis
• Dissertation Supervision • Visiting Speakers Programme
• Workshops on Specialised Topics • Legal Writing and Methodology • Student Conference • Tour of Brussels Institutions • Dissertation
Summer Period
• Submission of Dissertation
• Submission of Dissertation
• Submission of Dissertation
5.2.1 Introduction This MA programme will provide you with an advanced training, by way of coursework and dissertation, in the general methods, scope, theories, and findings in the field of International Relations. It provides a development of an undergraduate specialisation in the field of International Relations or a cogent discipline; it gives a systematic preparation for original postgraduate research or for a demanding international career; and it constitutes a programme of training for those who have graduated in other fields and wish to transfer to International Relations. The programme is built around the tripartite structure of Theory, Method and Substance. There are ways of looking at the world (theories), philosophical and empirical means of investigating the world (methods), and conclusions as to what we believe we know about the world (substance). Taken together, these constitute a comprehensive coverage of the subject, and while separated for purposes of instruction, they are conceived on an integrated basis. Our approach to International Relations is that this field of enquiry is firmly embedded in, and informed by, the Social Sciences as a whole. The rapid pace of globalisation is quickly blurring the boundaries of the state. Traditionally, state borders used to regulate the flows of things “foreign” into the state, yet today borders are becoming ever more permeable to the transnational flows of goods, finance, ideas, communications, images, and crime and terrorism. Traditional thinking is also that state borders define the boundaries of a political community, in the sense that domestic politics is qualitatively “different” than international politics.Yet, individuals increasingly participate in growing networks of “international civil society”, where political activities take place transnationally. Thus, both the external and internal political functions of borders are dissolving, and the rapid changes taking place in global society make it difficult to conceive of International Relations by focusing only on the state as the principal unit of analysis. Because of that, the field to which the discipline of International Relations used to lay exclusive claim is increasingly, and necessarily, informed by insights from sociology, political economy, psychology, anthropology, and international law. “Globalisation” might be new, but on the other hand, it might not. Indeed, processes of
transnationalism were apparent in the 1970s when Kent began its approach to International Relations. The Kent approach never took as axiomatic the differentiation between domestic and international politics, and this is seen most characteristically in the writings of John Burton and AJR Groom, as well as in recent research in the Department and at the School. We have therefore preferred not to focus on the state and on diplomacy as the only important aspects of the international system, though surely they are important aspects. We also include the range of complex social relations across what we call the “political sociology of world society”. However, it is because of our emphasis on interdisciplinary study that, apart from the stipulated core courses, students reading for the MA in International Relations are able to choose elective courses from both the MA in International Conflict Analysis and the LLM in International Law with International Relations. The programme therefore can be ‘tailor made’ to suit the interests and aspirations of individual students. Students following this programme are encouraged to speak with the Programme Convenor, Dr Wiener, to receive guidance as to which mix of courses will best prepare them for their chosen careers. Thus, the MA in International Relations offers a solid grounding in the theories and concepts of International Relations, informed by the wider body of thought in which it is located. It draws from practical analysis of current issues in major areas of international affairs. It adopts a critical approach to the manner in which scholars, and decisionmakers, lay claim to knowledge. 5.2.2 What does this Programme have to offer?
Penny Farrar, British, BA, Electrical Engineering, Sheffield University (1988) Several years with the International Committee of the Red Cross as Head of Office (Nagorny Karabakh), Delegate (Bosnia-Herzegovina), and Assistant Coordinator (Kigali, Rwanda) MA in International Relations, BSIS 2000-2001
5. The MA and LLM Programmes
5.2 The MA in International Relations
“After several years as an Aid worker, my particular motivation for studying International Relations at BSIS was to gain a broader understanding of the type of conflict and post-conflict situations in which I have worked. In the field, faced with dayto-day practical problems, it is sometimes very difficult to try to piece together the broader picture of how and why such situations arise. The Brussels School has given me the opportunity to take a reflexive step back to develop a more analytic and theoretical approach to understanding the complexities of world politics. I have always enjoyed working in an international environment and the “internationalness” of the Brussels School has been a big plus for me. Reflected in the students on the course, all with very different background experience, this has made our seminar discussions all that more interesting. I really feel that the course has given me a very solid base, which will be invaluable for my future work.”
• Inter-cultural understanding, cooperation, and cosmopolitanism reflected in the staff and student body; • An insight into the dynamics of international relations, across a number of issue areas, and the different ways of approaching them, so as to enable students to engage in a number of career paths; • An insight into the nature of change as an endemic feature of politics on an national, regional and global scale; an understanding of the causes of change; and ways in which to manage change; • An insight into the role of various international actors – state, and non-state – as actor on the international scene; • Training in research methods in the social sciences; continued ➢
15
Dr Daase’s informal revision seminar for examination preparation.
• A solid foundation in to the philosophical and epistemological aspects of the study of international relations; • Insights into the complex relationship between the concerns of domestic and international politics; • Research-informed teaching; • Wide choice of specialised modules; • Extra-curricular learning opportunities; • A friendly campus, and a highly active study centre with high student morale and dedicated teaching staff; • The vast majority of our students are successful in finding employment within the first six months of graduation or go on to further study; • The possibility to gain a truly international experience while studying international relations through the encouragement of student mobility across the three centres of the Department 5.2.3 The MA in International Relations aims to: • provide students with a research-active teaching environment which gives them a good grounding in the study of international relations, including its political, social, and economic aspects; • examine how state, non-state and supranational actors behave and interact through a dynamic appreciation of different levels of analysis; • ensure that students acquire a solid understanding methodologies for the study of international processes; • ensure that students acquire a solid knowledge of theories of international relations, the heritage and development of the discipline, its major debates, its inherent nature as an interdisciplinary study, and a critical appreciation of the essentially contested nature of politics in general and international relations in particular; • ensure that students acquire an advanced understanding of the relationship between theoretical, methodological, and empirical content of the issue-areas studied; • develop students’ general research skills and personal skills (transferable skills). 5.2.4 Programme outcomes: The programme provides opportunities for you to develop knowledge and understanding that is specific to International Relations, as well as to develop intellectual skills and transferable skills that are normally associated with those who have completed successfully an advanced programme of study. These intellectual and transferable skills open a wide range of windows to future careers.
16
In terms of Knowledge and Understanding, you will learn: • How to understand the nature and distribution of power in the international systems; problems of political order; the social, economic, historical and cultural context within which international actors operate; • How to examine current challenges to international order, cooperation, identity, social formations, and global issues, and possible strategies to address them; • How to locate the changing role of the state in the context of globalisation and regional integration and the implications for international peace and security. • How to conceptualise the different kinds of actors on the international scene, their respective interests and influence in a range of issue-areas; • How to understand key historical and theoretical issues in international relations. You will also gain familiarity with appropriate bibliographical sources; • How to apply general theoretical and conceptual frameworks to the analysis of specific issues; • How to utilise research methods, and evaluate critically their application in the scholarly literature; • How to design and conduct a research project (primarily, your dissertation) demonstrating awareness of epistemological and methodological principles; • How to carry out an independent research project and write in a scholarly manner demonstrating familiarity with academic conventions; • How to recognise key ontological, theoretical, and methodological problems of international relations; Lectures and seminars provide the opportunity for you to acquire this knowledge and understanding. The seminar discussions and group work in particular will provide you with an opportunity to develop a critical engagement with political phenomena. The dissertation, also, provides an opportunity for independent work, under supervision from academic staff, enabling you to design and carry out a research project. Intellectual Skills are in: • Understanding the nature and significance of international relations; • Applying concepts, theories and methods used in the study of international relations, the analysis of political events, ideas, institutions and practices; • Evaluating different interpretations of political issues and events; • Describing, evaluating and applying
Intellectual skills and general research skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme. Each module, whatever the format of teaching, involves the critical reflection of key themes, verbal discussion, and the written analysis and interpretation of the relevant material.You are introduced to ways in which social-science perspectives can be employed to interpret a range of political issues. Lectures encourage a critical awareness of political phenomena and an appreciation of the diverse ways of interpreting them. The lectures provide you with an outline of the respective topic and focus on methodological as well as practical problems. In coursework and the dissertation, you are trained to develop general research skills and to sustain methodological as well as substantive arguments. You will receive initial guidance on how to identify, locate and use material available in the library and in online resources. Comprehensive reading lists are provided for each module at the outset, as are guidelines for the production of essays. Discussion of theoretical and conceptual issues are integrated into all modules.You will also be encouraged to develop critical skills by evaluating a comprehensive sample of political perspectives and texts. Transferable Skills are in: • Communication. You will be encouraged to communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing; to organise information clearly and coherently; and to use communication and information technology for the retrieval and presentation of information. • Information technology: You will be required to produce written documents; and undertake online research. • Working with others: You will be encouraged
to define and review the work of others; to work co-operatively on group tasks; to understand how groups function; and to collaborate with others and contribute effectively to the achievement of common goals; • Improving own learning: You will be encouraged to explore your own personal strengths and weaknesses, and time management. There are opportunities, especially at the End of Term Review sessions and through the Staff-Student Liaison Committee, to review your working environment (especially the student-staff relationship).You will also develop autonomy in learning, and be expected to work independently, and demonstrate initiative and selforganisation. Important research management skills include the setting of appropriate timescales for different stages of the research with clear starting and finishing dates (for instance, through a dissertation); presentation of a clear statement of the purposes and expected results of the research; and developing appropriate means of estimating and monitoring resources and use of time. • Problem solving: We will emphasise the need to identify and define problems, help you to explore alternative solutions, and, importantly, to discriminate between them. • Personal career development: You will be encouraged proactively to manage your own career progression and development. In this, you will be supported in developing skills in researching and retrieving information on opportunities for internships and employment and continuing personal and career development. In various seminars you will have an opportunity to present your work to colleagues, and you will also attend and contribute to workshops and conferences. We will also encourage you to engage in selfdirected learning and the use of researchbased teaching materials and methods. All modules require regular written work, and we will give you regular feedback to help develop your power of presentation, analysis and communication.
Milana Homsi, Canadian, BA Hons, Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Toronto MA in International Relations, BSIS 2000-2001
5. The MA and LLM Programmes
different approaches to collecting, analysing and presenting political information; • Developing a good understanding of the main epistemological issues relative to research in the social sciences, including the major theoretical and epistemological debates in the social sciences; • The implications of the use of alternative methods in social science research in their fields of study; • Archival and documentary research, interpretation of texts, the use of electronic search materials appropriate for political analysis
“The Brussels School offers a superb opportunity to experience the practical aspects of International Relations. Like other students, I took advantage of one of the many internships available here. Mine was a 5-month internship with International IDEA, a Stockholm-based international organisation that promotes democracy-building and electoral assistance. At IDEA, I helped organise an important conference on Human Rights and Democratisation in Brussels with the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency. I also participated in IDEA’s annual Democracy Forum in Sweden, where I acted as the Rapporteur for a working group on Authoritarian States and the Internet. Since my interests lie at the juxtaposition of technology, law and democracy issues, working for IDEA allowed me to see how my academic interests can turn into a career. Through this internship, I have made valuable contacts with experts in my field, honed my public speaking skills and most importantly, learned how to juggle a successfully demanding work and study schedule – factors that will prove useful as I continue my career-building in a technology law programme in Canada.”
Through the coursework and planning the dissertation, you will also gain skills in the management of time to meet deadlines. Through supervised dissertations you will be given the opportunity to acquire essential skills of writing and presentation such as organising an extended argument; using references and appendices; using graphics, if required; making citations; preparing research findings in a variety of ways; and using internet-based research tools.
17
MA in International Relations Term 1
Term 2
• International Relations Theory • Choice of elective module: • Theories of International Conflict • Histories of International Conflict • International Law • Legal Aspects of Contemporary International Problems • Negotiation and Mediation • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics • Philosophy and Methodology of International Relations • Choice of elective module: • International Political Economy • International Conflict Management • US Foreign Policy • International Protection of Human Rights • The Former Yugoslavia • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
Term 3
• Examinations* • Workshops on Specialised Topics • Dissertation Workshops • Student Conference • Tour of Brussels Institutions
Summer Period
• Submission of Dissertation
* Where required Details of this programme are correct at May 2003. Teaching at the School is informed by the research expertise of the staff. Therefore, the courses offered on this programme may vary according to the research specialisations of staff.
18
Team working skills are developed through group work, workshops and the studentorganised graduate International Relations conference. Personal and career development skills are supported through Visiting Speakers Programmes. Effective communication of ideas, problem solving and research skills are continually taken into account in assessing all areas of a student's work, and regular feedback and the final mark reflects this. Group work skills and skills of time planning and management are not formally assessed. These programme outcomes have references to the national subject benchmarking statement for Politics and International Relations, the ESRC Postgraduate Training Guidelines 2002 and the Department’s Self-Assessment Document submitted to the Quality Assurance Agency. 5.2.5 Course Structure The programme is divided into three parts. The first part consists of compulsory modules that introduce students to key theoretical, methodological and philosophical foundations of the discipline. The second part covers optional modules (electives), while the third part of the programme consists of the dissertation. In keeping with the aims and objectives outlined above, the programme is designed so that students develop a knowledge of the theoretical and philosophical debates in the discipline, have access to their application in specialised modules, and develop a capacity to utilise these in their research project, the dissertation. The structure of the programme is as follows. Details of each course is provided left, under “Course Descriptions”.
5. The MA and LLM Programmes
5.3 The MA in International Conflict Analysis 5.3.1 Introduction Conflict, in its many forms, is a permanent feature of human society. While not all conflict is destructive, the violent conduct of conflict has caused innumerable deaths and indescribable pain and suffering. It is this kind of deadly conflict that International Conflict Analysis addresses. It tries to understand its causes, to explain its effects and to describe its dynamics in order to prepare actors, be they state governments, international organisations or individuals, to better manage conflict peacefully, or to prevent it in the first place. Traditionally, International Conflict Analysis has focused on inter-state war. Indeed, the discipline was established to investigate the “causes of war and the conditions for peace” among sovereign states. A great deal of knowledge has been acquired on the peaceful settlement of inter-state disputes. This knowledge is very important and it is still growing. Today, however, the vast majority of conflicts and potential conflicts are internal conflicts, most often in states undergoing major political, social, and economic transition and dislocation. Those conflicts have different causes, different effects and certainly different dynamics. They need innovative theories of communal and ethnic conflict and new approaches to conflict management and prevention. When international conflict changes, International Conflict Analysis has to change as well. This is the reason why we have constantly updated our programme introducing fresh insights from the theory of conflict and innovative policy strategies as developed in the field by practitioners and academics alike. The University of Kent at Canterbury is internationally renowned for its expertise in International Conflict Analysis. In the early 1980s, the Department of Politics and International Relations introduced a programme that went beyond the traditional scheme of International Relations and Strategic Studies by focusing on the deep roots of conflict and the ways of resolving them. Conflict resolution and conflict prevention became its trademark. Since then, the Department has build on this reputation developing its expertise and elaborating its capacity for research, teaching and consultancy. Members of academic staff have themselves been involved in the hallmark ‘Problem Solving Workshops’ in a variety of conflicts, including Cyprus, Moldova,
Northern Ireland, and South Africa. For these reasons, the UKC programme in International Conflict Analysis has constantly ranked among the best worldwide. The close connection between theory and practice has always been a priority of the University of Kent at Canterbury. In this respect, the Centre for Conflict Analysis, founded by John Burton and currently directed by AJR Groom, functions as a loose network of scholars in British Universities and abroad who are particularly concerned with studies of international mediation, and act as facilitators in inter-communal and international conflicts. By studying the causes of war, understanding the dynamics of conflict and finding ways to resolve deep-rooted hatred we can help to manage and even to prevent deadly conflicts. Many people in governments, foreign services, international organisations and nongovernmental organisations dedicate their work to the cause of peaceful conflict management and resolution. To become part of this effort, a thorough understanding of international conflicts, their causes, effects and dynamics, and the ways of dealing with them is essential. By studying International Conflict Analysis at the Brussels School, you will acquire the conceptual and theoretical skills, as well as the empirical and historical knowledge, to understand international conflicts.You will also be able to differentiate different forms of conflict and learn about the appropriate ways of managing them peacefully.You will learn
how international organisations can contribute to world peace and under what conditions international institutions are robust and stable. In addition, you will gain important analytical skills. 5.3.2 What does this Programme have to Offer? • An insight into the causes and effects of international conflicts and the means to manage them peacefully, or to prevent them in the first place; • An insight into the change of conflict environments on an national, regional and global scale; • An insight into the role of various international organisations as motor of and actor in international conflict resolution; • Training in research methods in the social sciences; • A solid introduction to the philosophical and epistemological foundations of the study of international conflict; • Insights into the complex relationship between the concerns of domestic and international politics; • Cosmopolitan staff and student body; • Research-informed teaching; • Choice of specialised modules; • Extra-curricular learning opportunities; • A friendly campus, and highly active study centre with high student morale and dedicated teaching staff; • The vast majority of our students are successful in finding employment within the first six months of graduation, or go on to further study continued ➢
19
5.3.3 The MA in International Conflict Analysis aims to: • Provide you with a research-active teaching environment that gives you a good grounding in the study of conflict and war, cooperation and peace; • Examine how state, non-state and supranational actors behave and interact in conflict situations; • Ensure that you acquire a solid understanding of methodologies for the study of conflict and peace; • Ensure that you acquire a solid knowledge of theories of the causes and dynamics of different kinds of conflict and the means to overcome them; • Ensure that you acquire an advanced understanding of the historical, cultural, social and institutional context of conflict in its many forms; • Develop your general research skills and personal skills (transferable skills). 5.3.4 Programme outcomes: The programme provides opportunities for you to develop knowledge and understanding that is specific to International Conflict Analysis, as well as to develop intellectual skills and transferable skills that are normally associated with those who have completed successfully an advanced programme of study. These intellectual and transferable skills open a wide range of windows to future careers. In terms of Knowledge and Understanding, you will learn: • The nature and significance of conflict as a human condition; • Current political challenges to international peace and security, and possible strategies to address them; key theoretical problems of war and peace; • Key historical and theoretical issues in international conflict and the study of war and peace, together with familiarity with appropriate bibliographical sources; • How to apply general theoretical and conceptual frameworks to the analysis of specific conflicts; • How to utilise research methods and evaluate critically the application of ideas in the scholarly literature; • How to design and conduct a research project demonstrating awareness of epistemological and methodological principles; • How to carry out an independent research project and write in a scholarly manner demonstrating familiarity with academic conventions; • The different kinds of actors on the
20
international scene, their respective interests and influence in conflict situations; • The changing role of the state in the context of globalisation and regional integration and the implications for international peace and security; Lectures and seminars provide the opportunity for you to acquire this knowledge and understanding. The seminar discussions and group work in particular will provide you with an opportunity to develop a critical engagement with political phenomena. The dissertation, also, provides an opportunity for independent work, under supervision from academic staff, enabling you to design and carry out a research project. Intellectual Skills are in: • Bibliographic and computing skills, enabling you to gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and primary sources; • The identification, investigation, analysis, formulation and advocacy of solutions to conflict and conflict-related problems; • The ability to develop reasoned arguments, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement to reflect on, and manage, your own learning, and seek to make use of constructive feedback from peers and staff to enhance their performance and personal skills Intellectual skills and general research skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme. Each module, whatever the format of teaching, involves the critical reflection of key themes, verbal discussion, and the written analysis and interpretation of the relevant material.You are introduced to ways in which social-science perspectives can be employed to interpret a range of political issues. Lectures encourage a critical awareness of political phenomena and an appreciation of the diverse ways of interpreting them. The lectures provide you with an outline of the respective topic and focus on methodological as well as practical problems. In coursework and dissertation, you are trained to develop general research skills and to sustain methodological as well as substantive arguments. You will receive initial guidance on how to identify, locate and use material available in the library and in online resources. Comprehensive reading lists are provided for each module at the outset, as are guidelines
Transferable Skills are in: • Communication. You will be encouraged to communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing; to organise information clearly and coherently; and to use communication and information technology for the retrieval and presentation of information. • Information technology: You will be required to produce written documents; and undertake online research. • Working with others: You will be encouraged to define and review the work of others; to work co-operatively on group tasks; to understand how groups function; and to collaborate with others and contribute effectively to the achievement of common goals; • Improving own learning:You will be encouraged to explore your own personal strengths and weaknesses, and time management. There are opportunities, especially at the End of Term Review sessions and through the Staff-Student Liaison Committee, to review your working environment (especially the student-staff relationship).You will also develop autonomy in learning, and be expected to work independently, and demonstrate initiative and selforganisation. Important research management skills include the setting of appropriate timescales for different stages of the research with clear starting and finishing dates (for instance, through a dissertation); presentation of a clear statement of the purposes and expected results of the research; and developing appropriate means of estimating and monitoring resources and use of time. • Problem solving: We will emphasise the need to identify and define problems, help you to explore alternative solutions, and, importantly, to discriminate between them. • Personal career development: You will be encouraged proactively to manage your own career progression and development. In this, you will be supported in developing skills in researching and retrieving information on opportunities for internships and employment and continuing personal and career development. In various seminars you will have an opportunity to present your work to colleagues, and you will also attend and
contribute to workshops and conferences. We will also encourage you to engage in selfdirected learning and the use of researchbased teaching materials and methods. All modules require regular written work, and we will give you regular feedback to help develop your power of presentation, analysis and communication. Through the coursework and planning the dissertation, you will also gain skills in the management of time to meet deadlines. Through supervised dissertations you will be given the opportunity to acquire essential skills of writing and presentation such as organising an extended argument; using references and appendices; using graphics, if required; making citations; preparing research findings in a variety of ways; and using internet-based research tools.
MA in International Conflict Analysis Term 1
• Theories of International Conflict • International Relations Theory • Choice of elective module: • Histories of International Conflict • International Law • Negotiation and Mediation • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
Term 2
• International Conflict Management • Philosophy and Methodology of International Relations • Choice of elective module: • The EU and Conflict Management • The Former Yugoslavia • International Protection of Human Rights • Domestic Institutions and Conflict Management • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
Term 3
• Examinations* • Workshops on Specialised Topics • Dissertation Workshops • Student Conference • Tour of Brussels Institutions • Dissertation on a topic in International Conflict Analysis
Team working skills are developed through group work, workshops and the studentorganised graduate International Relations conference. Personal and career development skills are supported through Visiting Speakers Programmes. Effective communication of ideas, problem solving and research skills are continually taken into account in assessing all areas of a student's work, and regular feedback and the final mark reflects this. Group work skills and skills of time planning and management are not formally assessed. These programme outcomes have references to the national subject benchmarking statement for Politics and International Relations, the ESRC Postgraduate Training Guidelines 2001 and the Department’s Self-Assessment Document submitted to the Quality Assurance Agency.
5. The MA and LLM Programmes
for the production of essays. Discussion of theoretical and conceptual issues are integrated into all modules.You will also be encouraged to develop critical skills by evaluating a comprehensive sample of political perspectives and texts.
Summer • Submission of Dissertation Period
5.3.5 Course Structure
* Where required
The programme is divided into three parts. The first part consists of compulsory modules that introduce students to key theoretical, methodological and philosophical foundations of the discipline. The second part covers optional modules (electives), while the third part of the programme consists of the dissertation.
Details of this programme are correct at May 2003. Teaching at the School is informed by the research expertise of the staff. Therefore, the courses offered on this programme may vary according to the research specialisations of staff.
In keeping with the aims and objectives outlined above, the programme is designed so that students develop a knowledge of the theoretical and philosophical debates in the discipline, have access to their application in specialised modules, and develop a capacity to utilise these in their research project, the dissertation. continued ➢
21
5.4 MA in International and Political Risk Analysis This is a new programme that we intend to offer from September 2003, subject to formal approval by the University. A highly selective group of students will be chosen for the pilot intake. Both preliminary enquiries and applications are invited. 5.4.1 Introduction There is growing awareness of heightened risk in a range of facets of social life. In international security, the threat of conventional warfare has been replaced by the risks of terrorist attacks, of asymmetric conflict, and of organised crime. In the international economy, there is pervasive risk: there are heightened concerns of risk to society brought by globalisation; in international business operations, there is risk to people, and to material and intellectual assets. There is also a range of legal risks of cross-border transactions that become more complex commensurate with the number of different legal systems involved in any one international issue. There is also a growing ‘market’ in risk. Governments are creating new offices for risk management. States are undertaking comprehensive overview of domestic and international security requirements to meet those risks. In the international economy, insurance, derivatives, hedges, and other means exist to manage risk have developed as means to insure businesses. The number of private firm consulting on particularly security and risk, and the analysis of risk potential has increased exponentially over the past few years. This programme will train students both in the analysis of risk, and in the development of imaginative mechanisms through which that risk might be managed. Political Risk Analysis is an established field; indeed it is among the most applied and practical fields of political science.Yet, we will bring to this our distinctive international outlook, and our interdisciplinary approach, to offer a truly innovative programme. The purpose of the programme is to provide an advanced training, by way of coursework and Dissertation, in the methods, scope, theories, and findings in a variety of fields as these relate to the risk in its security, political, social, and economic dimensions, so that students emerge capable of contributing in a practical way to ongoing debates and constructs for the management of heightened risk.
22
5.4.2 What Does The MA in International and Political Risk Analysis Have to Offer? The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas. The programme outcomes have references to the subject benchmarking statement for Politics and International Relations, the ESRC Postgraduate Training Guidelines 2001 and the Department’s Self-Assessment Document submitted to the Quality Assurance Agency. Through this programme, you will gain knowledge and understanding of: 1 How to apply general theoretical and conceptual frameworks to the analysis of specific risks in domestic and international settings; 2 Current political, economic, social and technological challenges to international peace and security and possible strategies to address them; 3 How to utilise qualitative and quantitative research methods and evaluate critically their application in the scholarly literature and in policy papers; 4 Key theoretical problems of measuring uncertainty and making predictions; 5 How to design and conduct a research project demonstrating awareness of epistemological and methodological principles of risk analysis; 6 The nature of political, economic, social and technological risks; their emergence and dynamic; 7 How different kinds of actors (experts/laypersons, states/ international organisations, great powers/small powers etc.) perceive of, and react to, risks differently; 8 The changing role of the state, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations in addressing risks in a globalised world; 9 How to carry out an independent research project and write in a scholarly manner demonstrating familiarity with academic conventions; 5.4.3 The MA in International and Political Risk Analysis Aims To: 1 Provide you with a research-active teaching environment which gives you a good grounding in the study of risks in domestic and international affairs; 2 Examine how political, economic, legal, and social risks emerge, how they are perceived, how they are addressed, and how they affect political and social actors and structures;
Intellectual Skills are such that successful completion will allow you to: 1 Gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources; 2 Identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems; 3 Develop reasoned arguments, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement; 4 Reflect on, and manage, your own learning and seek to make use of constructive feedback from peers and staff to enhance their performance and personal skills;
5. The MA and LLM Programmes
3 Ensure that you acquire a solid understanding of qualitative and quantitative methodologies for the study of risk; 4 Ensure that you acquire a solid, interdisciplinary knowledge of theories of risk encompassing, inter alia, economic, sociological, psychological and cultural approaches; 5 Ensure that you acquire the necessary sills for advanced risk assessment and prediction; 6 Develop your general research skills and personal skills (transferable skills). 5.4.4 Programme outcomes:
Transferable skills are in enabling you to: The programme provides opportunities for you to develop knowledge and understanding that is specific to the analysis and management of risk through an interdisciplinary approach, as well as to develop intellectual skills and transferable skills that are normally associated with those who have completed successfully an advanced programme of study. These intellectual and transferable skills open a wide range of windows to future careers. In terms of Knowledge and Understanding, you will learn: 1 To understand the nature and significance of risk in political, economic and social contexts; 2 Apply concepts, theories and methods used in risk analysis to analyse and measure uncertainties in international and domestic politics; 3 Evaluate different interpretations of risks and opportunities in political, economic, social affairs; 4 Describe, evaluate and apply different approaches to collecting, analysing and presenting political, economic, and technical information; 5 Develop a good understanding of the main epistemological and methodological issues relative to risk analysis, including the major theoretical debates between different strands of risk research; 6 Relate the practical implications of the use of alternative quantitative and qualitative methods in risk analysis to policy oriented research; 7 Develop qualitative methods of data analysis: archival and documentary research, interpretation of texts, the use of electronic search materials appropriate for political analysis; 8 Develop quantitative methods of data analysis: introduction to measurement theory, analysis of official data sets, and the processing and coding of political data at the aggregate level.
1 Communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing (including, where appropriate, the use of IT); organise information clearly and coherently; use communication and information technology for the retrieval and presentation of information, including, statistical or numerical information; 2 Numeracy: make sense of statistical materials; integrate numerical and nonnumerical information; understand the limits and potentialities of arguments based on quantitative information; 3 Information technology: produce written documents, for instance policy briefings; undertake online research; communicate using e-mail; process information using databases; 4 Working with others: define and review the work of others; work co-operatively on group tasks; understand how groups function; collaborate with others and contribute effectively to the achievement of common goals; 5 Improving own learning: explore personal strengths and weaknesses; time management; review working environment (especially student-staff relationship); develop autonomy in learning; work independently, demonstrating initiative and self-organisation. Important research management skills include the setting of appropriate timescales for different stages of the research with clear starting and finishing dates (through a dissertation); presentation of a clear statement of the purposes and expected results of the research; and developing appropriate means of estimating and monitoring resources and use of time. 6 Problem solving: identify and define problems; explore alternative solutions and discriminate between them; 7 Personal career development: students are encouraged to proactively manage their own career progression and development and are supported in developing skills in
23
researching and retrieving information on opportunities for internships and employment and continuing personal and career development. 5.4.5 Course Structure: Due to the complex nature of the problems of risk and risk management, you will require the highly specialist knowledge of the academic staff. The Department of Politics and International Relations will therefore bring to bear its significant expertise to this programme by involving academic staff based in Brussels.
Michaelmas Term • Data Analysis • International Risk Policy • Economic Risk Assessment • Visiting Speakers Programme • Workshops on Specialised Topics Lent Term • Political Risk Analysis • Choice of two electives among specialist modules offered in Canterbury to enable each student to gain a specialisation • Visiting Speakers Programme Trinity Term • Dissertation Supervision • Visiting Speakers Programme
In the Michaelmas Term You will be provided with conceptual and methodological tools for the analysis of risk in its various forms.You will be encouraged to participate in the work of the Centre for International Risk Analysis.You will also be exposed to a range of international issues through the weekly Visiting Speakers Programme, to which academics and practitioners from the Brussels Community are invited to make presentations on aspects of their work. In the Lent Term You will gain knowledge of problems of risk in empirical areas, in which to apply and use the methodological tools gained in the Michaelmas Term, and to assess critically and to develop policies to manage risk. The Visiting Speaker Programme continues.
24
You will also be able to choose an area in which to gain specialised knowledge through a choice of elective modules. For instance, you could choose modules in the field of Conflict Analysis, for instance. The Programme Director will guide you in that choice of modules, having discussed your preferred career path. In the Trinity Term You will undertake the preparation of a dissertation on a topic of your choice, chosen in consultation with the convenor, bearing in mind the expertise available in the Department.You may also choose to focus on European policy, or consult with the many international organisations and nongovernmental organisations particularly in the field of security. Please Note 1. Intake only in September: This programme is designed to build on knowledge in a cumulative fashion, beginning with conceptual tools in the first term that you will then need to progress to the analysis portion of the programme in the second term, before bringing all of these skills to bear on your dissertation. Because of the cumulative progression of knowledge, it is not possible to begin this programme in January. Students will be accepted to the MA in International and Political Risk in September only.
5.5.1 Introduction Traditionally international law and international relations have been taught as discrete subjects, in spite of their close relationship. The LLM in International Law with International Relations aims to provide a level of integration that will allow each discipline to be informed by the other. Such an interdisciplinary approach will be particularly appropriate to the needs of those involved with, or hoping to work for international non-government agencies, foreign affairs departments and international law firms. The course is particularly concerned with international humanitarian law. This programme enables students both to understand and evaluate public international law and its role and potential (and limitations) in international affairs, and it considers the theoretical bases of international law. The purpose of the programme is to provide an advanced training by way of coursework, in the general methods, scope, and theories of international law with an emphasis upon international humanitarian law and international relations. Consequently, students will be able either to develop their undergraduate specialisation or to receive a programme of training that will allow them to transfer their knowledge of other fields to that of international law, international relations and conflict analysis. 5.5.2 What Does The LLM in International Law with International Relations Have to Offer? • The enhancement of legal knowledge, critical awareness and research skills in International Law with International Relations; • Teaching by a range of specialists with nationally and internationally distinguished reputations in a wide range of relevant fields; • The opportunity to study in a cosmopolitan and multilingual environment (Brussels) while following courses in English; • The opportunity to study alongside, and learn from, exceptionally able and enthusiastic fellow students from many countries; • A qualification that is highly regarded internationally.
5.5.3 The LLM in International Law with International Relations Aims to:
25
5.5 The LLM in International Law and International Relations
• Provide you with a postgraduate qualification of value if you intend to play a leading role in any field of public international law; to provide you with detailed knowledge and high level of understanding of a range of specialised subject areas; and to provide you with more broadly-based communication skills of general value in your search for postgraduate employment. • Provide you with a sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the institutional structures, key legal principles and particular contexts of international law and international relations. • Provide you with a degree of specialisation in areas of public international law of individual interest from amongst the range of options that are available and which require students to engage with academic work which is at the frontiers of scholarship. • Encourage you to develop a critical awareness of the operation of public international law, particularly in contexts which are perceived to be controversial or in a state of evolution. • Encourage the production of original and evaluative commentary that meets high standards of scholarship. • Encourage you to develop critical, analytical and problems solving skills which can be applied to a wide range of legal and non-legal contexts. • Develop the skills of academic legal research, particularly by the written presentation of arguments in a manner that meets relevant academic conventions. • Assist those students who are minded to pursue academic research at a higher level in acquiring a sophisticated grounding in the essential techniques involved by following a specialised module in research methods. 5.5.4 Programme outcomes: The programme provides opportunities for you to develop knowledge and understanding that is specific to International Law, as well as to develop intellectual skills and transferable skills that are normally associated with those who have completed successfully an advanced programme of study. These intellectual and transferable skills open a wide range of windows to future careers. In terms of Knowledge and Understanding, you will learn:
25
LLM in International Law with International Relations Term 1
• Legal Aspects of Contemporary International Problems • International Law • Theories of International Conflict • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
Term 2
• International Protection of Human Rights • International Political Economy • Choice of: • International Criminal Law • International Economic Law • Guest Seminars • Workshops on Specialised Topics
Term 3
• Workshops on Specialised Topics • Legal Writing and Methodology • Student Conference • Tour of Brussels Institutions • Dissertation
Summer Period
• Submission of Dissertation
Details of this programme are correct at May 2003. Teaching at the School is informed by the research expertise of the staff. Therefore, the courses offered on this programme may vary according to the research specialisations of staff.
26
• The institutions and structures of public international law, and the interrelationships between these; • The key concepts, policy issues, principles; and relevant sources of public international law and relevant international relations; • The substantive law relevant to a range of key areas of public international law; • The theoretical perspectives and academic debates which underlie the substantive areas of public international law; • The practical contexts in which the law operates; • The importance of evaluating public international law alongside its theoretical and practical contexts. • The relationship and interrelationship between public international law theory and practice, and international relations theory and practice.
Primarily, these intellectual skills are developed through seminar preparation and participation. This provides the opportunity for different interpretations of law and policy to be scrutinised critically and for alternative positions to be assessed comparatively. Seminar argumentation may usefully be directed towards those areas that allow most scope for discussion and debate, and corresponding feedback. In addition, module assessments allow for, and encourage, evaluative discussion and the presentation of such discussion in accordance with the conventions of academic writing.You will also be encouraged to develop relevant skills to a high level of sophistication in your dissertation, and this provides an important opportunity for diverse skills to be brought together in a sustained written presentation exercise.
The lectures provide an opportunity for the module convenor to convey an account of the general context of the subject, an exposition of the key issues and to identify areas for seminar discussion. Prescribed reading, particularly for seminar preparation, consolidates this knowledge. Seminars are focused upon more detailed discussion of particular matters and usually based upon students presenting arguments and introducing a discussion of critical issues. Seminar presentations require students to formulate their views on the area under consideration, and to engage with other students in debate.
Transferable Skills are in enabling you to:
Intellectual Skills are such that successful completion will allow you to: • Apply effectively the knowledge of public international law and international relations theory to a wide range of situations where relevant practical or theoretical issues are under consideration. • Evaluate issues according to their context, relevance and importance. • Gather relevant information and access key sources by electronic or other means. • Formulate arguments on central issues and areas of controversy, and be able to present a reasoned opinion based upon relevant materials • Recognise potential alternative arguments, and contrary evidence, to a student’s own opinion and present a reasoned justification for preference. • Demonstrate an independence of mind and ability to offer critical challenge to received understanding on particular issues. • Reflect constructively on your learning progression.
• Identify relevant issues from potentially complex factual situations; • Undertake research from a diverse range of sources; • Summarise detailed and complex bodies of information concisely and accurately; • Formulate arguments in verbal presentations and defend these against opposing views; • Present information and arguments in written form, in accordance with academic conventions, and appropriately to the intended readership; • Evaluate personal performance. These programme outcomes have references to the University Plan 2002-2003, and the University of Kent at Canterbury Teaching Strategy 5.5.5 Course Structure The programme of study has four complementary components. The first provides an appreciation of public international law. One module in this component considers public international law generally, particularly concerning itself with the sources, methods and institutions of international law; the other module considers the practical significance of international law by considering its role and potential in a range of contemporary international problems. The second component focuses upon international humanitarian law. Here, the two relevant modules are one considering the international protection of human rights, and another concerned with the history and jurisprudence of cases in international criminal law. The third component consists of two modules drawn from other MA programmes at the School. These both contrast with, and are complementary to, the
5. The MA and LLM Programmes
modules in international law. The final component is research and writing. The final six-week term is devoted to research methodology and legal writing skills. This is in conjunction with the beginning of the writing of the required dissertation with some original research by each student.
5.6 Executive Courses, and Executive Programme The Brussels School understands that many people who are working in the various institutions, organisations, and government departments in Brussels are not able to commit to even a part time programme of study. Work schedules are often heavy, and inflexible. Demands for travel are frequent. A two-year MA programme might therefore simply not be possible.Yet, professionals also demand, perhaps more than any others, fresh ideas, insights, and the ability to step back from daily problems to conceptualise solutions in a more serene environment – one populated by experts whose research is at the cutting edge of those very problems. The School also benefits from the insights that these individuals can bring to the classroom discussions. It is for these reasons that the School has developed, from September 2002, the Executive Courses. An Executive Course enables you to take only the module, or modules, that are of most interest to you, or of most direct relevance to your work, or career.You may choose among any of the modules offered at the School at any given time, and receive a certificate of completion for that module. The course fee is on a pro-rata basis (the normal programme fee, divided by seven.) Should you wish to do so, the Executive Programme enables you to accumulate, over the course of six years, sufficient credit to be awarded the Master of Arts in the specialisation you have chosen – International Relations, International Conflict Analysis, or International Law with International Relations. Thus, the Executive Programme consists of essentially one module per year, and a final Dissertation. Students following the Executive Programme must demonstrate, through the normal assessment procedures for each module, successful mastery of the learning outcomes for each module. Assessment methods vary between modules – some are assessed entirely on the basis of coursework and research papers; others through a mixture of papers and a final examination. To be awarded credit for the module, the student must achieve the minimum pass grade. The eventual award of
the MA degree will be made according to the normal assessment conventions, outlined in this Prospectus on page 383. Students must also ensure, in consultation with their individual supervisor, that they have taken the appropriate range of compulsory and elective modules to satisfy the programme requirements. If you would like to discuss the option of either an Executive Course, or the Executive Programme, please contact Dr Wiener, Director of the School, at the coordinates provided at the end of this Prospectus. The following provides a short description of each course. Full course outlines, including the reading lists, will be presented in class. Prospective students wishing to see any of the complete course outlines may obtain them by request to the School.
27
6. Course Descriptions
6.1 Domestic Institutions and Conflict Management Course Convenor: Dr Theo Jans
Stephanie Soondar American BBA (Hons) Economics MA in International Relations, 2001-2002 "I began my professional training in the Office of Policy and Planning for the City of Philadelphia, and then entered the United States Senate as a staffer called to serve a number of different roles over an extended period of time. The climax of my career was in taking the initiative to place my own name on the public ballot for determination of a publicly elected position. I came to BSIS to enhance this professional experience with the accolade of an excellent education, and I believe BSIS will refine my academic experience. I intend to become an attorney with an international practice, and my ultimate goal is to re-enter American politics, and be held responsible for leading my nation, with success and dignity, through the world and its international relations. The demands I expect to be placed upon me will require not only an intimate knowledge of international relations and the politics that define them, but also the astute diplomatic ability to negotiate and conclude decisions with peer nations. The international community assembled by BSIS, both students and faculty, bring with them the unique perspectives of their nations, and the distinguished individual accomplishments of their own diligence and intelligence. It is my honor to be able to participate in such a notable group, building my training for the leadership and analytical decision making that will be demanded of me later."
The course addresses theories and cases of ethno-national conflict. The course consists of three sections. First, the students are familiarised with the concepts of ethnicity and nationalism. This includes a conceptual analysis, a presentation of theories on ethnic mobilisation and on the causes of conflict. The second part of the module is dedicated to the presentation of institutional techniques used for the accommodation of ethnonational conflicts. Federalism, consociationalism, electoral provisions, group rights and negotiation systems are discussed in depth with a clear presentation of the advantages and limitations of each technique. The third part of the course deals with concrete cases of institutional conflict regulation in Belgium, Canada, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Georgia and Cyprus. This module aims to develop: • An understanding of ethnicity, nationalism and institutional conflict regulation. • An appreciation of the advantages and drawbacks of different institutional solutions to ethno-national conflict. • A comprehension of ethno-national conflicts and their regulation in a number of case-studies (Canada, Belgium, South Africa, Georgia, Cyprus) The objectives of this course are to enable students to: • Be fully familiar with theories of ethnicity, nationalism and conflict regulation • Outline the main institutional techniques used for conflict management. • Demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of institutions to accommodate ethnonational conflicts • Make a critical evaluation of concrete institutional arrangements and their conflict-reducing potential. • Apply the major theoretical approaches to a number of concrete instances of ethnonational conflict regulation. Indicative Reading: • Eriksen Thomas Hylland. Ethnicity and Nationalism. Anthropological perspectives. Boulder Colorado: Pluto Press, 1993, 173 pp. • Newman (S.). “Does modernization breed ethnic political conflict.” World Politics, vol. 44, no. 3, 1991, pp. 451-478.
28
• Horowitz (D.L.). Ethnic Groups in Conflict. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985. • Lapidoth (R.). Autonomy. Flexible Solutions to Ethnic Conflicts. United States Institute of Peace Press, Washintopn D.C., 1997. • Lustick (I.). “Stability in deeply divided societies: consociationalism versus control.” World Politics, vol. 31, no. 3, 1979, pp. 325344. • Hampson (F.O.). Nurturing peace.Why Peace Settlements Succeed or Fail. United States Institute of Peace Press: Washington D.C., 1996. • Zartman (I.W.) ed. Elusive Peace. Negotiating an End to Civil Wars. The Brookings Institution: Washington D.C., 1995.
6.2 The European Union in the World Course Convenor: Professor Dr Eric Remacle This course offers a detailed examination of the European Union as a key actor in international relations. This involves an analysis of the Union’s history including its internal political identity and institutional structure, and its role as policy-maker. The course considers the Union as an international actor with differing forms and spheres of external policy: economics and trade, the provision of development aid, international political influence, and the emerging security and defence mechanisms of the so-called Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and its military dimension, the Common European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP). Throughout, the focus is on recent developments, drawing on a range of appropriate theoretical perspectives. This course aims to develop: • An empirically informed understanding of the European Union as an international actor; • An appreciation of the utility of theories of integration drawn from International Relations, Political Science, and other disciplines in studying the European Union; • The application of the key transferable skills needed both for studying the Union as an international actor and for communicating the results of this through essays, seminar presentations, and groups discussions. The objectives of this course are to enable students to: • Be fully familiar with the forms of contemporary European Union relations with the outside world;
religious, and cultural beliefs over the past hundred years which has claimed to uphold the inherent dignity and universal rights of humans in the interests of society as a whole.
Indicative Reading:
This course examines the origins and causes of particular conflicts, illustrating empirical material (historical, political/organisational, economic) as well as narratives of the parties, through the lens of conflict theory. Different types of conflicts are examined, ranging from modern inter-state war to ethnic intra-state conflict, in order to illuminate the various dynamics of conflict initiation, rootedness, and the potential for resolution of different types of conflicts. The emphasis is particularly on the origins and causes of war in the 20th-century context. The diplomatic history leading to the various conflicts discussed is not the dominant focus. Instead, the political, economic, and ideological background to, influence on, and consequences of, selected conflicts are stressed. Moreover, though the military aspects of certain conflicts are discussed in terms of impact and outcome, this course does not concentrate on battles and warfare per se. In other words, this is not a course in military history. The aim rather is to study the impact of the World Wars (but especially the First World War) and selected post-1945 conflicts from a social science perspective. Other problems of interest will be the success and failure of collective security, revolutionary and civil wars, the role of nationalism, regional disputes, and the recent attempts at “humanitarian” intervention in the post-Cold War period.
C Bretherton & J Vogler, The European Union as a Global Actor C Archer & F Butler, The European Union: Structure and Process D Dinan, Ever Closer Union? An Introduction to the European Community S Hix, The Political System of the European Union N Nugent, The Government and Politics of the European Union C Rhodes & S Mazey (eds.), The State of the European Union: Building a European Polity? A Sbragia (ed.), Euro-Politics: Institutions and Policymaking in the ‘New’ European Community Fritz Scharpf, Governing in Europe W Wallace (ed.), The Dynamics of European Integration W & H Wallace (eds.), Policy-Making in the European Union
6.3 History and Jurisprudence of Cases in International Criminal Law Course Convenor: Dr Yutaka Arai Although the ethical foundations of International Criminal Law can be traced to antiquity in many cultures, formal courts and tribunals governed by regular procedures only began to hold perpetrators accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and crimes against peace in the later part of the nineteenth century and in response to the wars and atrocities of the twentieth century. This module illuminates the development of International Criminal Law as a process of fusion between on the one hand laws and usages of war intended to maximise military and political efficiency in the deployment and use of armed forces by instilling discipline and order, and on the other hand a relatively rapid codification and elaboration of the ‘dictates of humanity’, a political mixture of social, economic,
6. Course Descriptions
• Comment critically on current developments and major external policies including the Common Foreign and Security Policy; • Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary political discourse on the EU in the world including such issues as the capability/expectations gap, ‘fortress Europe’, and the role of the Union in world politics; • Evaluate the historical and theoretical aspects of European integration and what these reveal of the construction of a European political identity on the world stage.
Indicative Reading: Roberts, G Crimes Against Humanity Best, G War and Law Since 1945
6.4 Histories of International Conflict Course Convenor: Professor Mike Palo
This course aims to: • Illustrate through the use of cases and examples the dynamics of the causes of different kinds of conflicts; • Analyse reasons why the 20th century has been so conflict-ridden, despite efforts by governments to establish international organisations and mechanisms to preserve peace.
continued ➢
29
The objectives of this course are to enable students to: • Understand the complexity of different kinds of conflicts, as an empirical complement to the courses on the ‘Theories of International Conflict’ and ‘International Conflict Management’; • Develop a firm grounding in the histories of different 20th century conflicts; • Understand how European societies were transformed by total war during the first half of this century; • Understand why the transition from colony to nation-state in the Cold War era has been so conflict-ridden internally and externally. Indicative Reading Robert Art and Kenneth N Waltz (eds.), The Use of Force N Ferguson, The Pity of War Holger H. Herwig (ed.), The Outbreak of World War I: Causes and Responsibilities James Turner Johnson, Just War Tradition and the Restraint of War David Kaiser, Politics and War: European Conflict from Philip II to Hitler John Keegan, A History of Warfare Evan Luard, Conflict and Peace in the Modern International System: A Study of the Principles of International Order William H McNeill, The Pursuit of Power: Technology, Armed Force and Society since AD 1000 Thomas G. Paterson and Robert J McMahon (eds.), The Origins of the Cold War Robert I Rotberg and Theodore K Rabb (eds.), The Origin and Prevention of Major Wars
6.5 International Conflict Management Course Convenor: Dr Christopher Daase This module presents an overview of the different concepts and approaches to international conflict management; develops analytical tools for analysing and evaluating different conflict management strategies; illuminates the moral dilemmas involved; and examines the conditions under which certain strategies of international conflict management will be more or less likely to succeed. The aims of this course are to: • Present an overview of different concepts of, and approaches to international conflict management; • Develop analytical tools for analysing and evaluating different conflict management strategies; • Demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses
30
of different strategies and sensitise students to the normative dilemmas involved in political decisions about them; • Determine the conditions under which certain strategies of international conflict management might be more of less likely to succeed. The objectives of this course are to enable students to: • Explain and use key concepts in the theory and practice of international conflict management; • Develop and apply criteria for the evaluation of different forms of international conflict management; • Evaluate and explain success and failure of different international conflict management efforts; • Draw on a variety of sources of information on international conflict management; • Make presentations on a current conflict, outlining the historic roots of and current causes, discussing the options for conflict management, and arriving at reasonable conclusions on which strategy might be the most promising; • Develop the transferable skills required for an active career in international conflict management. Indicative Reading: J Bercovich (ed.), Mediation in International Relations J Burton, Conflict: Readings in Management and Resolution J P Lederach, Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies C R Mitchell, Problem-Solving Exercises and Theories of Conflict Resolution D Sandole, Paradigms,Theories, and Metaphors in Conflict and Conflict Resolution
6.6 International Economic Law Course Convenor: Harm Schepel The intellectual and institutional history of international economic law has aptly been described in one phrase – ‘From politics to technocracy – and back again.’ The separation of economic development from political and civil rights, upon which policymaking in the World Bank and the IMF is largely based, is coming under increasing criticism. GATT/WTO law has developed into a highly contentious set of institutions, rules and principles delineating ‘acceptable’ forms of economic regulation from ‘unacceptable’ ones. This course will trace these developments, and provide a thorough grounding in the institutions, rules and principles of international economic policymaking. The
‘International Political Economy’ in the 1970s, there is a strong movement to bring the classic philosophical questions of the much older discipline to bear on contemporary global problems, and this is the theme of this course.
6. Course Descriptions
focus will be on the legal conceptualisation of economic and social rights on the crossroads of classic international human rights law and the liberal order embodied in international economic law. The aims of this course are to:
• Appreciate the potential and the limits of law and legal institutions in the regulation of the international economy and society; • Recognise the normative dimensions underlying the legal doctrines governing international economic policymaking; • Bring to bear insights and concepts from international relations theory and international political economy on issues of international economic law.
Such an appreciation cannot be achieved without knowledge of the main theories and debates in International Political Economy as they developed in historical context. This course therefore traces the rise of capitalism as a world system with the practice of Mercantilism and the process of state building; the Liberal-Mercantilist debate of the late 1700s to mid 1800s, the Depression of the 1930s, and the post 1945 liberal international economic order. Structuraldependency theories are examined in the context of the rise of alternatives to the postwar order. With this background, the course examines the evolution of the World Bank in development issues, the evolution of the International Monetary Fund, and the transformation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade to the World Trade Organisation. Substantive issues in international trade are examined, such as trade in services, trade in agriculture, traderelated intellectual property rights and traderelated investment measures. The globalisation of foreign direct investment is examined, as well as the relationship between the state and multinational corporations.
Indicative Reading:
The aims of this course are to:
M J Trebilcock & R Howse, The Regulation of International Trade. J H Jackson, W J Davey & A O Sykes, Legal Problems of International Economic RelationsCases, Materials and Text. J H Jackson, The World Trading System – Law and Policy of International Economic Relations.
• Apply the main theories, concepts, and approaches of International Political Economy to contemporary issues; • Present the functions of the main instruments of governance of the international political economy; • Develop in depth analyses of the key concepts used in the explanation of different facets of the international political economy; • Inculcate a reflexive attitude towards various schools, approaches, and traditions of interpretation.
• Provide a significant introduction to the institutions, concepts, principles, and rules of international economic law; • Place the legal and regulatory order created by the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO in the context of competing theories and ideologies of economic and social globalisation; • Provide a conceptual framework for critical inquiry into the tensions inherent in the relationship between free trade, democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The objectives of this course are to enable students to:
6.7 International Political Economy Course Convenor: Dr J Wiener The globalisation of the international economy has raised key debates about the ‘proper’ relationship between the economy and society. From outcries about patents for pharmaceutical products in developing countries, to demonstrations outside meetings of the international economic institutions, it is evident that particular visions of political economy are embraced by some, and rejected by others. What should be the ‘proper’ balance between market rationality and social objectives always has been the fundamental concern of classical political economy. While International Relations appropriated the field of
Eva Malisius, German Undergradute Degree: Political Science, History and Public Law from the Albert-Ludwigs Universität in Freiburg, Germany, with a year at Michigan State University MA in International Relations, BSIS 1999-2000 “I did some internships in Brussels after I graduated with the MA, but soon decided to continue my studies and to come back to the School to read for the PhD in International Relations, applying a sociological approach to identity construction in the European Union. What I enjoyed most at BSIS was the combination of a challenging intellectual environment with a vibrant student community. I was involved in the Social Committee, organising the IR Dinner and the first BSIS yearbook, so I am continuing that involvement with an active role in founding our Alumni Network.”
The objectives of this course are to enable students to: • Recognise the normative dimensions of choices about the allocations of resources, and of the instruments of governance in the international economy; • Understand the scope and limits of theoretical concepts in light of developments in the globalising international economy; • Develop transferable skills for active involvement in issues of the global political economy.
continued ➢
31
Indicative Reading: G T Crane & A Amawi (eds.), I S Gill & D Law, The Global Economy: Perspectives, Problems and Policies R Gilpin,The Political Economy of International Relations S Strange, States and Markets: An Introduction to International Political Economy R Stubbs & G Underhill (eds.), Political Economy and the Changing Global Order
6.8 International Protection of Human Rights Course Convenor: Dr Yutaka Arai The course charts the emergence of International Humanitarian Law from the often capricious and contradictory “Dictates” and largely uncodified “Laws of Humanity” in the nineteenth century to the present day by examining the development of key theses through international instruments, official policy statements, judicial decisions, and opinions of jurists. A consideration of the evolution and norms of the Universal Human Rights System precedes an analysis of those rights. Problems of universalism and cultural relativism are examined. Economic Social and Cultural rights are compared and contrasted with Civil and Political rights, and the methods of international protection and development of rights are studied. Regional protection arrangements are also considered. Questions of humanitarian intervention and the role of the United Nations are examined. Recent developments both in the concept of human rights and in their promotion and protection are of particular interest and contemporary cases will be chosen for analysis. Underlying the course is a critical examination of the exercise of power in the promotion or protection of human rights.
6.9 International Relations Theory Course Convenor: Dr J Wiener The purpose of this course is to investigate critically the basic approaches (frameworks or theories) to the academic study of International Relations. Few writers fall completely and exclusively into a single school. This is hardly surprising since there is no ‘royal road’ to wisdom and knowledge in the field. Indeed, rather than a well-trodden path to the far-distant frontiers of knowledge, there is a field lacking in clear boundaries. This is both exasperating and exciting: it is exasperating because students and scholars alike would welcome certainty but we have little beyond competing conjectures, nevertheless it is exciting because the assiduous and intelligent student can reach the frontiers of knowledge quickly and perhaps even help to push them back. Topics include: the origins and early development of International Relations as an academic discipline; the Realist approach, such as statecentricity, power, the balance of power, national interest, nationalism, imperialism and international law; critiques of Realism through an examination of systems thinking, interdependence, the cybernetic approach, issue-areas studies, functionalism, global approaches, the World Society approach, and theories of social power; normative theory and ethics, critical theory, and postmodernism. The aims of this course are to: • Present an overview of the major theories in the discipline of International Relations in their historical context; • Develop in depth analyses of key concepts used in the explanation of international relations and trans-national politics; • Demonstrate and evaluate the utility of different modes of explanation in world politics; • Inculcate a critical and reflexive attitude towards the various schools, approaches, and traditions of interpretation in international affairs.
Indicative Reading While no single text is prescribed, Steiner and Alston International Human Rights in Context, 2nd ed 2000, will be essential. • Evans (ed.), Human Rights 50 Years On • R Falk, Human Rights Horizons • Charlesworth and Chenkin, The Boundaries of International Law: A Feminist Analysis
32
The objectives of this course are to enable students to: • Explain and use key concepts in the study of International Relations; • Assess and utilise key theories in the analysis of contemporary issues; • Understand the scope and limits of International Relations theory; • Develop interpretations of past and contemporary events in International Relations;
6. Course Descriptions
• Recognise the normative dimensions of different forms of social explanation as applied to world politics. Indicative Reading • Ken Booth and Steve Smith, International Relations Theory Today • A J R Groom & Margot Light, Contemporary International Relations: A Guide to Theory • William C Olson & A J R Groom, International Relations Then and Now: Origins and Trends in Interpretation • Paul Viotti and Mark Kauppi, International Relations Theory: Realism, Pluralism, Globalism • Chris Brown, Understanding International Relations • Mervyn Frost, Ethics in International Relations
6.10 International Law Course Convenor: Professor Dr Erik Franckx This course provides a foundation introduction to International Law, intended both for non-specialists reading for the MA in International Relations and the MA in International Conflict Analysis, as well as for those pursuing the specialist LLM in International Law and International Relations. It investigates the sources and genesis of international law, and such topics as the law of the sea, the law of international organisations, development, and human rights. International Law is a branch of law in full expansion. Recent developments are therefore emphasised, while at the same time not losing sight of the historical framework through which they were formed. This course aims to: • Present an overview of contemporary international law; • Develop in depth analyses of key concepts used in the explanation of legal rights and duties that regulate the relations among nation states and international organisations, including some duties owed to individuals and private entities as well as the rights exercised by the latter on the international level; • Demonstrate and evaluate the utility of different modes of explanation in international law where, because of the wide variety of actors all trying to support their position by legal reasoning, such theories are manifold; • Inculcate a critical and reflexive attitude towards various schools, approaches, paradigms, and traditions of interpretation in international law.
The objectives of this course are to enable students to: • Assess and utilise theories as well as actual state practice in contemporary international law; • Explain and use key concepts in the study of international law; • Understand the scope and limits of state practice in the progressive development of contemporary international law; • Recognise the normative dimensions of the different sources of international law. Indicative Reading • M Shaw, International Law • Brownlie, Principles of Public International Law • P Malanczuk, Akehurst’s Modern Introduction to International Law • R Wallace International Law • D Harris, Cases and Materials on International Law • I Shearer, Starke’s International Law
continued ➢
33
6.11 Legal Aspects of Contemporary International Problems Course Convenor: Wade Mansell This module provides students concerned with non-domestic law with a consideration of the role of public international law in the ordering of the international community. This is achieved by a consideration of judiciously chosen contemporary international problems and the input of international law both into their structuring and into their resolution. The topics covered change from year to year as contemporary disputes evolve, and the choice of topics also depends upon the express interests of the class. Topics might include: Palestine and Israel; Humanitarian intervention with special reference to Kosovo, East Timor and Sierra Leone; The right to self-determination with special reference to Cyprus, Quebec and Chechnya; The creation of an international criminal court; Jurisdiction in international law and immunity with special reference to General Pinochet; Changing concepts of sovereignty in international law; Governmental illegitimacy in international law; and Gender issues in international law. In all cases, the relationship between public and private international law will also be made manifest. The aims of this course are: • To provide a significant introduction to the concepts, principles and rules of international law by considering contemporary international events; • To provide ways of considering the relevance of international law to particular disputes; • To provide an appreciation of both the possibilities and the limitations of legal method in international disputes; • To provide a consideration of the relationship between international law and power; • To consider the operation of the institutions of international law, especially the United Nations and the International Court of Justice and to evaluate their effect. The objectives of this course are that students will: • Appreciate the possibilities and limitations of international law in international dispute resolution; • Be able to predict the relevance or otherwise of international law to particular disputes;
34
• Be able to formulate arguments in international law directed towards particular outcomes; • Be able to evaluate critically the role of international law and particular disputes; • Be aware of the arguments about the eurocentricity of international law; • Be able to evaluate the relationship between international law and social, political and economic reality. Indicative Reading: • Cassese A, International Law in a Divided World • Malanczuk P, Akehurst’s Modern Introduction to International Law Van Dervort ., International Law and Organization • Shearer I, Starke’s International Law Wallace R., problems and Process: International Law and How We Use It Byers M (ed.), The Role of Law in International Politics • Goodwin-Gill and Talmon (eds.), The Reality of International Law
6.13 Negotiation and Mediation Course Convenor: Dr Juan Diaz The study of negotiation and mediation will provide an important element of the overall pattern of knowledge that we seek to impart to students studying International Relations and International Conflict Analysis at the MA level. It also provides a specific focus for the application of social theory to an important area of practice. This module aims to develop: • An understanding of the major theoretical approaches to negotiation and mediation; • An appreciation of how the theories of negotiation and mediation may be developed into techniques for dealing with international conflict; • A grasp of the epistemological, ontological and methodological underpinnings of the major theories of negotiation and mediation being used today; • A comprehension of how theories of negotiation and mediation relate to the major general theories of IR The objectives of this module are to enable students to: • Outline the the major features of contemporary schools of thought on negotiation and mediation; • Demonstrate a familiarity with the main
Indicative Reading: • R. Lewicki, J, Litterer, et. al,. Negotiation • Abiodun Williams, Many Voices: Multilateral Negotiations in the World Arena • C.R. Mitchell and K. Webb (eds.) New Approaches to International Mediation • Jacob Bercovitch and L. Hornik (eds.), Resolving Conflict:The Theory and Practice of International Mediation • Mitchell, C and Banks, M Handbook of Problem Solving • Paul F. Diehl, International Peacekeeping: With a New Epilogue on Somalia, Bosnia and Cambodia • Mark Hoffman, "Defining and Evaluating Success: Facilitative Problem Solving Workshop in an Interconnected Context"
6.13 Philosophy and Methodology of International Relations Course Convenor: Professor Dr Gustaaf Geeraerts The analysis of International Relations faces methodological problems that are not unique to the field. Some of these problems have their origin in questions relating to the philosophy of social science or to the very possibility of “knowledge” in general. This course complements the specialist courses of the School by locating their specific concerns in the wider framework of “science” and “social science”. Students are thereby invited to take a distance from their immediate interests in International Relations and International Conflict Analysis to learn how these interests are often specific expressions of questions that have been with social science since its beginnings. Methods and concepts are presented which help to deal with these problems. The course incorporates lectures on “epistemologies” (answers to the question of how knowledge is possible) as historical phenomena, underlying not only the abstract thoughts of philosophers and scholars but also the concrete actions and expectations of statesmen and diplomats. “Science” is seen not just as a particular mode of observing, but as a cultural
disposition which permeates all levels of social life, including the level of government. Initial lectures stress that the methodological problems to be dealt with are not specific to us as observers of society, but need to be addressed, implicitly or explicitly, by the political actors whose actions we intend to study. The course addresses fundamental problems in the social sciences, such as when a “new” theory should replace an “old” one, and in this context, the evolution of theories in International Relations is discussed. Such problems in the philosophy of the social sciences as “relativism” between the past and the present is addressed, as well as different ways of re-entering the past into the present as “historical knowledge”. Methodological problems involved in dealing with high degrees of complexity and prediction are examined. The relationship between theory and practice is elaborated, particularly the extent to which our “norms” for social and political behaviour can be justified in “scientific” terms.
6. Course Descriptions
texts of the rival theories of negotiation and mediation; • Make a critical evaluation of the theories that are currently dominant in the sub-field of negotiation and mediation theory; • Apply the major theoretical approaches to the study of particular case studies where negotiation and mediation have been called for.
Training in the use of electronic research resources, VUB computing laboratory.
Indicative Reading: • A F Chalmers, What is This Thing Called Science? • S Gordon, The History and Philosophy of Social Science • C J Brown, International Relations Theory: New Normative Approaches • M Hollis & S Smith, Explaining and Understanding International Relations • K Webb, An Introduction to Problems in the Philosophy of Social Science
6.14 Theories of International Conflict Course Convenor: Dr Christopher Daase The primary aims of this course are to examine the causes and effects, the processes, and dynamics of human conflict at different levels of analysis. It is designed to provide students with a thorough grounding in both empirical conflict analysis and the critical/normative approaches to the study of conflict and peace. The course stresses the interdisciplinary nature of the study of international conflict and encourages students to think critically about questions relating to the origins and dynamics of conflict. In doing so, students will be able to relate empirically oriented approaches with those utilising social and political theory to uncover the bases of violent human conflict. Although the focus of this course is on the international aspects of human conflict, it deals not only with international conflicts proper, i.e. conflicts and wars between sovereign states, but also with conflicts and
continued ➢
35
wars between states and sub-state actors (i.e. guerilla warfare and terrorism), and with conflicts among sub-state actors or communities (i.e. civil war and ethnic conflict). For each respective kind of conflict concepts and typologies are discussed (What is “conflict”, “war”, “violence”, “terrorism” etc.), different explanations of their causes are examined (e.g. the impact of rational decisions, misperceptions, power imbalances, domestic propensities), and attempts to understand their dynamics (e.g. the impact of “identity” and “war economies”) are assessed.
The objectives of this course are to enable students to:
The course aims to:
Indicative Reading:
• Present an overview of different approaches to the study of international conflict in terms of their ontology, epistemology and methodological premises and understandings; • Develop in depth analyses of key concepts used in the explanation of different forms of conflict, especially inter-state war, guerrilla war, terrorism, and ethnic conflict; • Demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of different modes of explanations as to inculcate a critical and reflexive attitude towards various traditions of conflict analysis; • Sensitise students to the normative and ethical dimensions of conflict and war as to remind that conflict is not only a matter of interest and power, but also of human pain and suffering.
• Explain the key concepts in the study of international conflict while recognising that these concepts are essentially contested; • Utilise and apply major theories of conflict to empirical cases; • Make use of a variety of sources of information about international conflicts, including online resources; • Appreciate the ethical and normative dimensions of conflicts.
• R Gilpin, War and Change in World Politics • JG Stossinger, Why Nations Go to War • CR Mitchell, The Structure of International Conflict • J W Burton, Resolving Deep Rooted Conflict • T R Gurr (ed.), Handbook of Political Conflict:Theory and Research • M I Midlarsky (ed.), Handbook of War Studies • M Nicholson, Explanation, Understanding and the Causes of War • J Vasquez, The War Puzzle • K Waltz, Man,The State and War
6.15 United States Foreign Policy Course Convenor: Professor Mike Palo This course focuses on the evolution of US foreign policy from the Second World War to the Present. The topics that are investigated most thoroughly are the Origins of the Cold War; the Wars of Containment in Korea and Vietnam; US Security Policy, the Arms Race, and Arms Control; the Cuban Missile Crisis and other examples of US Crisis Management; the US Role in NATO during and after the Cold War; US Policy vis-à-vis the European Union; US Policy vis-à-vis the Soviet Bloc before 1989; US Policy vis-à-vis Latin America; US Policy vis-à-vis SubSaharan Africa; US Policy vis-à-vis the Middle East; US Policy vis-à-vis South Asia; US-Chinese Relations; US-Japanese Relations; and US Policy in the Post-Cold War World with a special focus on the Gulf War and its aftermath, the "humanitarian" interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo, and the "War on Terrorism" since 11 September 2001. US foreign policy is analysed in terms of historical context, the interaction between the geopolitical perceptions of policy makers and the constraints of domestic politics, ideological motives, financial and commercial parameters and objectives, and the dichotomy between intentions and
36
This module aims to develop: • An understanding of US foreign policy in terms of the personalities, perceptions, and intentions of policy makers via the study of specific case studies. • An appreciation of why a study of US foreign policy cannot be neglected if we are to find solutions to current conflicts. • A comprehension of the role that the US has played in international relations since World War II. The objectives of this course are to enable students to: • Be fully familiar with the key figures and main events in US foreign Policy since 1945. • Demonstrate an awareness of the problems of perception in the making of US foreign policy and how crises and conflicts are often the products of misperception. • Make a critical evaluation of primary and secondary source material relating to the history and making of US foreign policy. • Apply the major theoretical approaches to international relations, conflict analysis, and crisis management in the context of US foreign policy since 1945. Indicative Reading: • Bruce Cumings, The Origins of the Korean War • John Lewis Gaddis, We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History. • Gabriel Kolko, Anatomy of a War:Vietnam, the United States, and the Modern Historical Experience. • Melvyn P. Leffler, A Preponderance of Power: Security, the Truman Administration, and the Cold War. • Thomas J. McCormick, America's Half Century: United States Foreign Policy in the Cold War. • Robert McMahon, Cold War on the Periphery:The United States, India, and Pakistan. • Dennis Merrill and Thomas G. Paterson, eds. Major Problems in American Foreign Relations, vol. II, Since 1914, 5th ed.
6.16 Data Analysis
7. Methods of Assessment for the MA in International Relations and the MA in International Conflict Analysis
outcomes. The approach is both historical and social scientific, in that specific cases will be studied in terms of distinctiveness and comparative value. Every effort will be made to understand US foreign policy in light of current theoretical debates in IR and Conflict Analysis.
Course Convenor: Dr Theo Jans Students may elect to audit this module as a non-assessed element of the programme. This course assumes no prior knowledge of quantitative methods or mathematical skills. It introduces students to the fundamentals of quantitative methods in the social sciences. Techniques of presenting data and of statistical inference are presented. The course comprises practical sessions in the Computer Laboratory. The use of software packages such as SPSS for Windows and IR-relevant data thus illustrate the concepts previously introduced in theoretical terms. A major teaching aim will be to overcome the psychological blocks that many nonnumerate students have when faced with statistics. The aims of this course are to: • Familiarise students, in a non-technical way, with basic statistical techniques; • Enable students to read, interpret and critically assess arguments drawing on basic statistical methods; • Provide students with the necessary skills and computer literacy to use software packages such as Excel and SPSS for Windows for the analysis of quantitative data. The objectives of this course are to enable students to: • Evaluate critically arguments supported by quantitative work; • Select and evaluate statistical tests appropriate for the question at hand; • Understand, and use competently, fundamental concepts of statistics and data analysis; • Enter, code, manipulate, and examine data and data sets with Excel and SPSS for Windows. Indicative Reading: A S C Ehrenberg, A Primer in Data Reduction: An Introductory Statistics Textbook D Rowntree, Statistics without Tears: A Primer for Non-mathematicians J D Singer (ed.), Quantitative International Politics: Insights and Evidence J D Singer, Models, Methods, and Progressive World Politics: A Peace Research Odyssey
continued ➢
37
7. Methods of Assessment for the MA in International Relations and the MA in International Conflict Analysis The objective of the assessment method is to ensure that students can demonstrate the required ability to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively while demonstrating the discipline in approach which ensures informed judgements together with the ability to communicate conclusions clearly. The learning of students is assessed on a continuing basis and by a number of means. Strengths in some areas can thus compensate for weaknesses in other areas. For the purposes of assessment, the MA in International Relations and the MA in International Conflict Analysis are conceived in two ‘stages’. Stage 1 consists of the coursework, while Stage 2 consists of the Dissertation.
written documents, and an intensive one-day ‘Dissertation Workshop’. Further intensive Dissertation Workshops are held in Term 3 to provide detailed feedback in a collective context. The test – and the Dissertation is essentially a test – is whether you are then able to conduct independent research to a suitable conclusion without further help. No substantive supervision is provided over the summer recess (however, over the summer, a Dissertation duty-officer is on call to advise on technical questions and to deal with exceptional problems). The Dissertation is normally submitted on the last Friday of August.
The Final Classification of the Degree Stage 1 Each of your six modules is assessed in the manner that is appropriate for the learning outcomes specified for that module. Thus, for some modules the assessment may be entirely through coursework and research papers. For other modules, there might be a combination of essays and examinations. The precise assessment – as well as the weighting given to each – is stipulated in each module outline. This mixture of assessment is designed to test a range of subject specific, cognitive, and transferable stills. Each programme as a whole is designed to ensure that each student will be exposed to a variety of assessment methods, and the workload between modules will be broadly similar. The pass mark for all modules is 50%. You must achieve a satisfactory standard in Stage 1 to be allowed to progress to the second, Dissertation, stage. Adequate performance will normally be defined as an overall grade of 50% in each of the six modules. Stage 2 Beginning in Term 1, Convenors of the degree programmes will allocate supervisors for your Dissertation, in consultation with you, and with due regard to the topic you have chosen.You will be required to produce a document in Term 2 outlining your proposed research topic. Considerable help will be given to you in choosing a topic, deciding on its conceptual, methodological, bibliographic, and data requirements. This help will take the form of personal coaching,
38
An Examiners’ Meeting, which includes the External Examiner, is normally held early in the new academic year. Candidates may be called for a viva voce examination where necessary to determine borderline cases. You will have passed the MA if you achieve a minimum average of 50% across the six modules, and a minimum of 50% for the Dissertation. You may be awarded the MA with Merit if you achieve an average mark of 60% or above, but less than 70%. You may be awarded the MA with Distinction if you achieve an average mark of 70% across the six modules and the Dissertation. (By convention, it is a tradition in the British grading system that marks above 70% are rarely awarded. A mark of 70 is Distinction.)
7.5 The John Burton Prize Professor John Burton made significant advances in the discipline in terms of our theoretical understanding of international relations, in the study of international conflict, and, importantly, by making practical innovations in the resolution of conflict. John Burton also played a crucial role in establishing International Relations at the University of Kent, where he taught for several years until his retirement. Each year, the Department of Politics and International Relations honours a student in his name for the best performance in one of its MA programmes with the award of a prize.
Each of the modules is assessed in the manner that is appropriate for the learning outcomes specific for that module. Candidates must attain an average of at least 50% in their essays. Up to two essays that have obtained less than 50% may be resubmitted but no resubmitted essay will ordinarily be awarded a mark greater than 50%.
8.1 The Dissertation A student must choose a research topic in consultation with a module convenor. The resulting dissertation must be between 15,000-20,000 words and be submitted by the end of the students’ period of registration. The Dissertations are marked by two internal examiners and by an external examiner. Grades are based on marks out of 100. The standard categories of marks are: Fail below 50%; Pass 50-59%; Merit 60-69%; Distinction 70% and above.
8.2 Grading There are two meetings of the Board of Examiners for the LLM programme per year. The first takes place during June/July to discuss the students’ progress and to decide formally which students will be allowed to proceed to the LLM dissertation. The examiners will meet again following the grading of the Dissertation to make the final decision on the award of degrees. Candidates may be required to attend an oral examination.
The final class of degree awarded is determined according to the following conventions: I
The degree of LLM will be awarded to a student who attains an average mark of 50% or more for module assessments and attains a mark of 50% or more for a dissertation. II The degree of LLM with Merit will be awarded to a student who attains an average mark of 60% or more for the modules and a mark of 60% or more for a dissertation, with no module assessment mark below 50%, but who does not qualify for the award of LLM with Distinction. III The degree of LLM with Distinction will be awarded to a student who attains an average mark of 70% or more for the modules and 70% or more for a dissertation, with no module assessment mark below 55%. IV Where a student fails to attain an average of 50% for the module assessments or of 50% for the dissertation, the student may be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma providing that the conventions for the award for the Diploma are satisfied. V Alternatively, the Board of Examiners may allow the student to resubmit a dissertation where this has been awarded a mark of less than 50%.
8. Methods of Assessment for the LLM in International Law and International Relations
8. Methods of Assessment for the LLM in International Law with International Relations
39
9. Research Degrees
Chris Berzins, Canadian/Latvian Citizenship BA, Psychology, University of Ottawa / University of Latvia MA in International Relations, BSIS 1998-1999 “After graduating from the School, I was an Intern at the European Commission, and then worked for Kreab Brussels (A European Affairs Consultancy). I am now trudging through a PhD in International Relations at the London School of Economics, and I am Editor of the LSE’s Millennium: Journal of International Studies.”
The Brussels School of International Studies offers MA, MPhil and PhD degrees by Research and Thesis. Candidates undertaking research degrees must submit for examination a thesis which demonstrates their ability to undertake an original investigation, to test a hypothesis, and to understand the relationship of the theme under investigation to a wider field of knowledge. A thesis for the MA must normally be 30,000 words; for the MPhil it must normally be between 50,000 and 60,000 words; and for the Doctorate, between 80,000 and 100,000 words. A thesis submitted for the award of Doctorate must be an original contribution to knowledge or understanding in the field of investigation. Originality is a prime requirement of a PhD thesis. This may be construed in a number of ways. It may be the application or testing of a known theory to a novel case, the utilisation of sources of information hitherto unused, the development of theory or the introduction of a new approach, or the creation of a new theoretical synthesis. It is a sine qua non that the candidate must be able to defend the thesis on the grounds of its originality.
9.1 The MPhil and the PhD Our aim is that all successful candidates emerge as fully trained researchers, whether they proceed to an academic career or another vocation. All PhD candidates are initially registered for an MPhil degree (Master in Philosophy). There are two main reasons for this. The first is that neither the candidate nor the faculty can see the future: the candidate may decide for personal reasons that he/she wishes not to continue. Secondly, neither the candidate nor the faculty can be sure when the candidate begins that he/she is able to write a sustained doctoral thesis. Even the most gifted MA student may find it difficult to adapt to the life of a researcher. The initial registration as an MPhil student assures that many hard years of work will not be in vain should circumstances arise that prevent the candidate from reaching the ultimate goal of the PhD. However, after four terms of research and writing, if progress is deemed satisfactory in a formal review of their work (an “Upgrading Seminar”), candidates may then be transferred to PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) registration. A range of procedures has been implemented to ensure that students receive the best possible supervision to assist them to achieve the Upgrading to the PhD registration. These
40
are: our procedures for Doctoral supervisor, the Supervisory Committee appointed to each candidate, and the Research Training Seminar.
9.2 Doctoral Supervision 9.2.1 The Supervisor Research students have regular contact with their supervisor. The role of the supervisor is to guide the research. Supervisory styles differ from one supervisor to the next, and a supervisor’s strategy in any one case depends largely on the character of the research, and of the working style of the researcher. However, it is the duty of the supervisor not only to comment on work produced by the student and to deal with technical and stylistic points. It is also to assist the student with planning a research strategy and design. This can include, for instance, mapping the research schedule, assisting the student to conceptualise the manner in which a piece of work fits into the whole of the thesis; and to assist the student to conceptualise the location of the thesis as a whole in the wider body of knowledge in the discipline. 9.2.2 The Supervisory Committee All candidates are appointed a Supervisory Committee in addition to the supervisor. The Supervisory Committee is composed of three members of staff, which includes the supervisor. This provides each student with greater staff involvement, and comments and ideas from different perspectives. All candidates for research degrees are expected to present draft chapters, progress reports, and field trip reports to their Supervisory Committee at regular intervals. Members of the committee provide comments on the material presented, ensuring supervision of the highest standard. Candidates are expected normally to present a piece of work at least once a term. The supervisor and Supervisory Committee also provide training in writing and presentational skills, research organisation and design, thesis construction, the correct use of references and appendices, the use of libraries and archives, and the use of on-line electronic research and search facilities. To ensure effective monitoring of student progression and achievement, a six-monthly report on the progress of the student is submitted to the Chairperson of the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee.
MPhil and PhD candidates are normally expected to attend the Research Training Seminar. These are formal seminars that are run mainly by the students, but with a good deal of staff participation. Each student is required to present at this seminar a piece of work – whether that be a research outline, the results of a bibliographic search, or a fieldtrip report – once per term. The student’s work normally will have been submitted to the supervisor for comment before presentation at the seminar to permit time for revisions if necessary. The student’s work is then circulated to the staff, who read and prepare comments on the work. It is also given to another student, who will lead the seminar with comments on the work after the author of the paper has made a short presentation. Staff will then make their comments. The seminar is designed to be constructive. It is far better to learn to defend a point against familiar faces than it is to walk in to an oral defence with the External Examiner with no prior experience. The seminar therefore also functions to prepare students in the art of making presentations, presenting their ideas, and defending a point. The culmination of this – as well as other similar experiences, such as presenting papers at conferences – will prepare the student for the ultimate defence of the thesis.
All of this is designed to integrate research students into the academic life of the School, and to maintain regular contact between research students and staff.
9. Research Degrees
9.3 The Research Training Seminar
9.5 The Doctoral Programme Candidates who are judged to be in need of supplementary coursework to complete their academic background, particularly with respect to research methodology, are required to enrol in the Doctoral Programme in their first year of registration. This normally includes the following elements: • Such substantive or theoretical courses as are deemed necessary; • Philosophy of social science; • Research methods, including the use of information technology; • Quantitative research methods.
Pierre Trudel, Canadian, Senior Staff Officer, Canadian Delegation to NATO BA, History, University of Manitoba (1990) NATO Defense College (1998-1999) MA in International Relations “I read for the MA in International Relations on a part-time basis. This programme offers me the flexibility to combine my studies with professional demands at NATO. It has been a very positive experience, and I greatly value the support I have received from the staff of the School”.
There are other objectives to this seminar. One is to regularise contact among MPhil/PhD students among themselves and between them and staff. Researching a PhD otherwise can be quite a lonely experience. Another objective of the seminar is for students to share information and experiences. For instance, a student sharing her/his experience on a field trip may provide useful information on how best to obtain information.
9.4 Other Activities In addition, all research students are required to attend the regular organised activities of the Brussels School, including the Workshops and Guest Seminars. Doing research can be lonely; participation in these activities can ensure that research students feel that they are an integral part of the School and its academic vibrancy – which they are. In fact, MA students may look to MPhil/PhD students for guidance, and certainly staff will look to the MPhil/PhD students to lead with questions at Guest Seminars.
41
10. Academic Facilities
A computing room at the VUB campus.
As a student of the Brussels School of International Studies, you have the same access as students of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) to facilities on the main VUB/ULB campus. Although these Brussels Universities share a large campus area, they are distinct universities, and therefore there are two libraries, two computing centres, and two of most other student services. Because of special agreements with these universities, students of the Brussels School have access to the range of facilities. Moreover, as students of the Brussels School are registered as students of the University of Kent, they may have access to the facilities at the campus in Canterbury and at the London Centre of International Relations. While the facilities in Brussels are more than adequate for day-to-day needs, students may wish to take advantage of specialised libraries in Canterbury and London for research work, or for the preparation of the dissertation.
10.1 Libraries and Information Services Students of the Brussels School of International Studies have full access to the libraries of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Holdings in the libraries of both the VUB and ULB are very good in International Relations and International Conflict Analysis, given that the Université Libre de Bruxelles has a research centre in international relations and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has an undergraduate programme at its Centre for Peace and Security Studies. There are also strong holdings in the area of International Law, as both universities are well known for research and teaching in this area. Holdings in European Studies are also very good, as the Université Libre de Bruxelles has a European studies institute (l’Institut d’Etudes Européennes). There are many sources in English. The Brussels School has prepared a “Guide to International Relations Resources” at the libraries of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles that outlines in more detail the resources listed below.
10.2 The ULB Library The ULB library catalogue is called CIBLE, and can be consulted online at http://www.bib/ulb.ac.be/. The ULB library consists of 4 main libraries and a number of specialised libraries, scattered around the
42
campus. The libraries of most interest are the law library, the library for human sciences and the library at the Institute for European Studies. Approximately 2 million books and journals are housed in these libraries.
10.3 The VUB Library The VUB library catalogue is available online at http://www.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/index_en.html The VUB library contains some 400,000 volumes. Most of these can be found at the Central Library; the remainder is decentralised in various departments and faculties of the University.
10.4 Other Libraries There are two important centralised search facilities of all library holdings in Belgium available from both the ULB and VUB library home pages. These are: * The CCB, the Belgian Union Catalogue, contains all titles of monographs from the computer catalogues of the most important academic, research and special libraries in Belgium. This catalogue is produced on behalf of the National Conference of University Chief Librarians. Every year an updated version of this catalogue is put on-line. The CCB database contains approximately 4,400,000 records from 28 libraries. * Antilope, the union catalogue of periodicals held by the Royal Library and other Belgian universities, research and special libraries. The Antilope database contains approximately 170,000 titles in 80 Belgian libraries, and is updated weekly. The inter-library loan systems of the VUB and ULB libraries offer readers the opportunity to have resources delivered for a short time to the campus if students are unable to travel to the library where the resources are stored. However, there are many libraries relevant to International Relations only a short metro-ride from the School. Among these are: the Central Library of the European Commission, the Library of the Embassy of the United States of America, and the Library of the Catholic University of Brussels. The Templeman Library of the University of Kent at Canterbury has strong holdings in the area of Politics and International Relations. It also houses the library of the Conflict Research Society – a specialist library in mediation. There are also many regional and specialist libraries in London and other centres which all members of the Department of Politics and International Relations can use, subject to
10.5 Electronic Information Services As a student of the Brussels School, you will have a personal password identifier that will enable you to have remote access from Brussels to many of the online information services available through the Templeman Library gateway. There is an extensive and rapidly increasing range of electronic sources available to students including on-line data bases (Web of Science, Social Science Citation Index, International Bibliography for the Social Sciences, UnCover), full text journal services (Academic Press, Blackwell, Cambridge University Press, Carfax, Kluwer Academic Publishers and Oxford University Press), many of which can be accessed remotely from Brussels. The web page of these information services is at http://library.ukc.ac.uk/library/resources.htm. Students reading for the LLM in International Law and International relations will, in addition, have access to the Electronic Law Library, called “lawlinks” at: http://library.ukc.ac.uk/library/info/subjectg/la w/lawelec.htm. This is an award-winning portal constructed by the Law Librarian at the University of Kent. It offers: • Full-text access to articles of some 1,000 law journals; • Justis, which contains law reports, including reports on human rights; • Butterworths, which includes Halsbury’s Law Direct, Legislation Direct, All England Direct, and Law Direct; • Westlaw, which contains UK case law and legislation; • Lexis, which contains UK case law and legislation, and a full-text journal retrieval system; • Lawtel, which includes Human Rights Interactive, full-text legislation, case law, and transcripts; • Current Legal Information, for current law databases and a journals index; • Index of Legal Periodicals; • Zetoc, which provides online search of contents pages of some 20,000 journals held in the British Library;
• Clover Newspaper Index, with an intex to articles published in newspapers since 1987. Lawlinks won the “Portal/information resource” category from Lex Website Awards 2000. Lex writes “This is simply the most comprehensive and well-organised collection of links to primarily hard law sites -including legislative bodies”. The site was also awarded the “GotTrouble.com 2000 Internet Award”. These follow the first “Site of the Week” award by LawZone (www.lawzone.co.uk) a well-known legal portal.
10. Academic Facilities
conditions, such as the Chatham House library at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London. The Department has produced a Library Guide that provides both a full introduction to International Relations resources at the University’s main library and a near comprehensive list of library resources in London for students of International Relations.
10.6 Computing Facilities A few days after registration, you will receive a student card with a pin code that will enable you log in to the computers on campus, and to obtain an email account. In the first few weeks of the academic year, you will be introduced to and trained in the use of rich and varied research materials available on the Internet. Vesalius College has computing facilities to which students of the Brussels School have full access. Moreover, students at the Brussels School have full access to the public computers and printers on the campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles, which comprises hundreds of desktop computers (MacIntosh and PC), X-terminals and workstations. The VUBnet, for instance, uses very fast Cray, Sun, and Silicon Graphics processors, with fibre-optic links and ethernet cabling to provide very quick internet access. Some computer rooms are open twenty-four hours a day. It is sometimes the case that there can be pressure on the computer laboratories. Some facilities therefore have wireless internet connections. Students with their own laptops will be able to take advantage of this facility. You will also receive an email account from the University of Kent, which has a webmail system.
11. Academic
The library building of the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
43
Activities
For more information about current activities at the School, visit the BSIS students web site, at www.BSIS.BE
11.1 The Weekly Guest Seminar Luncheon It is a tradition at the School to invite a practitioner from the Brussels community each week, at lunchtime, to give a Guest Seminar. These Seminars are an integral part of the programme and are attended by staff, MA students, and Doctoral candidates. We feel this is of crucial importance for the students, for several reasons. Events of international significance occur throughout the academic year that could not possibly have been anticipated in advance to include in the teaching curriculum, and the Guest Seminars is the forum in which these are included. A range of different politicians, diplomats, journalists and others, are able to discuss in depth a wide range of specialist issues, and it is often the case that practitioners will illuminate issues with much greater clarity than the media. Finally, the insights of practitioners often help staff to illuminate for students the more generalisable features of international relations embedded within current events. Guest speakers in the year 2000-2001 have included the following people, to whom the School is most grateful for their participation in the Guest Seminar series: Mr Dirk Drijbooms, (Director, Brussels office of International IDEA); Mr Dominic Schnichels (DG Competition, European Commission); Dr von Bethlenfalvy (International Organisation for Migration); Professor Albert Maes (formerly Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to the State of Israel); Dr Lucy Ford (former UKC student, now at the European Parliament); Dr Schmidt-Kuster (Foratom); Mr Bromcke (Secretary-General, European Banking Federation); Mr Hans Wolters (Director, Brussels office of Greenpeace); and Mr Volker Malisius (Counsellor, and Permanent Delegation of Germany to NATO).
simulations. The Workshops are designed to encourage group participation. In addition, they introduce students of the Brussels School to a range of different members of staff. Previous Workshops have included: Professor Clive Church, “The Treaty of Nice” Professor Mervyn Frost, “Human Rights in a World of States” Professor AJR Groom, “The United Nations and Global Governance” Dr Gisela Hendriks, “European Monetary Union” Dan Hiester, “The US Nuclear Posture Review” Dr Vivienne Jabri, “Critical Security Studies” Dr Peter Mandaville, “Globalisation and Identity: The Case of Islam” Dr Ian Manners, “Globalisation and the European Union” Dr Stefan Rossbach, “Religion and Politics: The Cold War” Dr Thomas Saalfeld, “Rational Choice and International Relations” Professor Richard Sakwa, “Normative Aspects of the Chechen Sucession Bid” Professor Colin Seymour-Ure, “Media and War” Dr Keith Webb, “Ending Wars” Professor Andrew Williams, “New World Order Projects of the Twentieth Century”
11.3 BSIS Student NGO In May 2002, three BSIS students reading on the MA in International Conflict Analysis programme organised the formal opening of an NGO they founded called Brussels against Nukes (BAN). This is a chapter of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), based in California, USA. The Brussels chapter focuses on nuclear weapons issues such as nonproliferation, and academic research on the politics of nuclear weapons, and organises a monthly event. BAN encourages BSIS
11.2 Workshops on Specialised Topics
Professor Richard Sakwa, conducting a workshop on “Normative Aspects of the Chechen Sucession Bid”.
44
Over the course of the first two terms, there are six Workshops led by members of staff of the Department of Politics and International Relations, in other words, about two per term. These are substantive exercises, each of about four hours duration, that concentrate on cutting-edge empirical and theoretical material in the discipline. Topics vary according to staff research interests, and the format varies according to the nature of the topic covered. The Workshops can take the form of a presentation followed by prepared remarks by students, or student debates, group work, and
From left to right: Michelle Myers, Jonas Tryggvason, Erol Hofmans, and guest speaker, Mr Meindert Stelling, president of Jurists for Peace.
11.4 BSIS Africa Forum In May 2002, a group of students with a keen interest in Africa established an academic forum for discussion of African conflict and peace issues. The idea for the BSIS Africa Forum grew out of a student conference on the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This conference itself was a response to a perceived lack of coverage of African issues in international relations research as well as a wish to develop innovative and holistic conflict management strategies for the continent. The Forum’s aim is to create space for continued discussion on African conflict and peace issues. In particular, the objectives of the Forum are to promote research on African conflict and peace strategies and to create an opportunity for students to use the theoretical knowledge gained in the course of their studies in a practical context. The Forum will host one major annual conference as well as a series of smaller Africa-related events during the academic year. In addition, the Forum will establish a research program with a focus on the publication of scholarly articles as well as more policy-oriented papers. The Forum will also institute an annual prize for the best student paper (essay or dissertation) relating to African conflict and peace issues. The fist annual conference of the Africa Forum, scheduled for September 2002, will be on "African Democracy", with a special session on Zimbabwe. More information about the Africa Forum can be found on the BSIS Student Web Site, at: www.bsis.be Communication should be directed to the Africa Forum at
[email protected]
conflict and competition. This was evident during the conflict in Bosnia, for instance, when inter-institutional rivalries among the major international organisations prohibited effective conflict management and shattered the noble idea of European security being safeguarded by a system of "interlocking institutions". The failure to cooperate remains unexplained as of today, due to a lack of understanding of inter-institutional collaboration and cooperation problems. This Working Group, under the direction of Dr. Christopher Daase, seeks to develop the theoretical and methodological basis for the analysis of inter-institutional relations and by conducting empirical case studies to shed light on the conditions of inter-organisational cooperation. This in turn will allow for new strategies of "interlocking institutions" and the development of more effective global governance structures. Students of BSIS – including MA, LLM and PhD – are encouraged to become involved actively in the Working Group.
11.6 Study Visits Each year, students of the Brussels School are joined by their fellow students from Canterbury and London to attend a “Brussels Tour”. Organised by the Brussels School, this normally extends over an entire week in mid-May. The tour comprises visits to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe), the European Union, the European Parliament, and other organisations. While the week’s schedule can be hectic, there is ample opportunity for other activities in the evenings and students normally organise parties and BBQs such that the Brussels Tour becomes a truly memorable experience.
Heike Buss, German, State Examinations in Law, 1991 and 1994 Currently at the European Commission, Directorate General for Agriculture MA in International Relations, BSIS 1999-2001 “I liked about BSIS that the students were an interesting mix of cultural and academic backgrounds. The differences in age and experience made the discussions very lively – inside and outside the classroom.”
11. Academic Activities
students – current, and future – to become involved in the work of the organisation. (Please note that while the School encourages such student initiatives, it is not itself affiliated with any NGO).
11.7 Conferences Having welcomed Canterbury and London students for the Brussels Tour, the Brussels School students have their hospitality returned when they go to Canterbury for the Kent Annual Tri-Centre International Relations Student Conference. The theme in 2001 was “Governance and Globalisation”. These are true student conferences, with MA and PhD students from Brussels, Canterbury, and London participating as speakers and discussants of each other’s papers. The 2001 Conference grew to become even more internationalised, with students from Sciences-Po from Paris also attending. The conference is normally held in the University Senate Building, with its views of the Canterbury Cathedral, and is attended by some 150 students. Paper-givers and discussants find this a very good opportunity to gain feedback on ideas for their dissertations, and all present, including staff, find the discussion intellectually stimulating.
11.5 Working Group on Interlocking Institutions Why do International Organizations have such a hard time cooperating with each other? This is the question a new working group at BSIS addresses. It starts from the assumption that normally to solve international problems more than one international organisation is needed – particularly in the case of ‘complex emergencies’ and other humanitarian disasters. However, the division of labour and cooperation among international organisations on the ground at any given time is not simply a technical question, but is in itself a source of
BSIS students deliver a paper on responses to terrorism, Senate Camber, Canterbury, May 2002.
45
12. Social Facilities
A university is a place to study. However, it should also be a place where you feel at home and at ease. The School offers such support in a number of ways. The social departments both of the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel are also there to help you. The Cultural Department coordinates various services and organisations: art workshops, an orchestra, a choir, and numerous student organisations. It also organises cultural events and activities. On a regular basis, there are concerts, movies and exhibitions to attend.
12.5 Sports Facilities
12.1 Orientation Officer
Traditionally, the Brussels School has a football (soccer) team, that meets the Canterbury team on the Kent playing fields on the afternoon before the Annual Student Conference.
Staff of the Brussels School can advise students on a range of issues. In addition, there is an Orientation Officer at Vesalius College who can advise on such matters as accommodation, student jobs and work permits, health insurance, local authority registration, cultural activities in Brussels, and student budgeting.
12.2 Student Counselling Office A student counselling office can help students with career plans and academic performance. A Centre for Social, Legal and Relational Problems is available at the VUB, at which psychological and social workers to help with social, personal, and relational problems. Qualified legal advice is available for such issues as housing contracts. At the ULB “Psycampus”, you can get in touch with a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a social worker.
12.3 Health Centre There is a Health Centre for students and staff. The Centre can be used in cases of illness or accident, for general health information, to obtain prescriptions, and for preventive health care. There is also a dental service. Other specialised services are offered within or in connection with the Health Centre. For major medical treatment, students are advised to use the VUB University Hospital.
12.4 Legal Advice “Info-Droit ULB”, the legal advice office of the ULB, can advise on a range of legal questions ranging from rental contracts to family allowances and taxation.
46
As a student of the Brussels School, you are entitled to the full use of the extensive sport facilities on the VUB and ULB campuses for a nominal fee. Facilities are available for aerobics, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, dance, diving, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, ice-skating, judo, karate, mini-soccer, artistic gymnastics, table tennis, power-training, riding, rowing, sailing, sauna, skiing, swimming, squash, tennis, volleyball, water polo, wind-surfing, and yoga.
12.6 Language Courses Many students wish to take advantage of their time in Brussels to learn one or more local languages. Language instruction is available from both the ULB and VUB for very reasonable student rates. L’Institut des Langues Vivantes et Phonetiques at ULB offers French courses twice a year, once in October and once in January. Applicants are required to take a test so that their level of knowledge can be assessed. The VUB begins French courses once a year, on 1 September. Private tuition outside VUB and ULB is also available, though these tend to be considerably more costly. There are also regularly advertisements on the campus bulletin boards by French and Dutch native speaking students who offer private lessons, or indeed who will exchange instruction in their language for lessons in English.
12.7 Other Facilities on Campus There are campus restaurants and cafeterias that offer subsidised meals. There is a branch of the Fortis Bank on the campus at which accounts can be opened in Euro, US dollars, pound Sterling, or any major currency.
13. Social Activities
13. Social Activities
BSIS Football Team, victorious – again. Canterbury Playing Fields, May 2002.
13.1 The Annual International Relations Dinner There has been for some twenty years at Kent a tradition of holding an annual Dinner to mark the end of the teaching year to which a Guest is invited to attend at High Table. The Guest is normally a diplomat, politician, or senior member of an international organisation. This tradition has been pursued in Brussels, and has been well attended by students, staff, Brussels School Alumni, and their partners.
13.2 Student Committees Students are encouraged to become involved in a number of ways. In addition to the Student Representatives, the students normally elect a Social Committee, which acts as a focal point for all manner of social activities. Social Committees have in the past organised student social functions, created the BSIS Alumni Association, and through the Social Committee successive generations of students have had produced hats, T-Shirts and other items bearing their Class Logo. One of the striking features of the Brussels School, of which the staff are very proud, is the high degree of solidarity, identity, and commitment of students to their School, both while they are students and thereafter as Alumni.
Gathering for the traditional Thanksgiving lunch, November 1999.
47
14. Career Planning
Alumni Profile Warren Turner, MA in International Relations BSIS, 2000-2001 "My main reason for studying the MA in International Relations was to enhance my understanding of global problems and their causes. My particular interest is in poverty and global inequality, and throughout the year I was challenged by the faculty at the Brussels School to think more critically about the complexities of these and other current issues. I now have a deeper understanding of global problems and this has helped me in my career with Australia's Agency for International Development (AusAID). Providing aid for international development is morally correct, it is in developed countries' national interest, but it is not an exact science and therefore methods are open to criticism just like all theories of international relations. Thankfully, at the Brussels School I learned why there are few exact sciences in the world. While this renders analysing development policy difficult, and at times frustrating, it certainly makes for an immense challenge".
Alumni Profile Peter Durante, MA in International Relations BSIS, 1999-2000 "During the last few months of my studies at BSIS, I was offered a position with Royal Dutch Shell through their graduate recruitment programme. As part of the process, I was offered several different positions within the group of companies, ranging from commodities trading to public relations. The offer I accepted was as a global market analyst for Shell Aviation in London where I worked in several areas, including new market entries, global finance, e-business, marketing and supply chain management. For the last six months, I have been seconded to one of our customers – Air Canada - in Montreal, where I help manage the purchasing, trading, risk management of the airline's billion dollar jet fuel portfolio in Canada, the US, Asia, Europe and South America. Though some people in the business community may think that there is a 'B' missing in an MA, I've found that the diverse range of coursework, research opportunities, perspectives and cultures I experienced at BSIS have been integral to my success in international business."
48
14.1 Internships in Brussels The Brussels School of International Studies has developed good relations with the Brussels community, in particular with public relations consultancy firms, nongovernmental organisations, and some international organisations, for the purpose of creating opportunities for the students to pursue internships. These internships are voluntary, and normally begin in the Trinity Term and extend into the early summer months. It is not guaranteed that students will secure an internship, but the record thus far is excellent. Most of these internships are unpaid, but the students are able to gain valuable work-experience in their chosen field, and very often, they are able to collect primary material for the dissertation while pursuing the internship.
14.2 Employment After Graduation Graduates of the Brussels School of International Studies enjoy a very high success rate in pursuing their chosen careers shortly after graduation. Some, who pursued internships during their studies, were offered contracts immediately after graduation and opted to remain in Brussels. These former students are now working with political consultancies in Brussels. Others have joined their country’s diplomatic service, entered international organisations, or have chosen to undertake the “stage” at the European Commission, or internships elsewhere. Alumni in Brussels are normally willing to advise current students about opportunities or to help obtain information for the dissertation, which again illustrates the Brussels School “Esprit de Corps”, of which we are proud. Graduates of the Kent MA programme in International Conflict Analysis have variously found employment with government agencies and foreign services, the EU institutions and other international governmental organisations, in nongovernmental organisations and the charitable sector, and in commercial/financial institutions as well as the media. The Brussels School advises students about their career plans, and students have access to the advice of the Careers Advisory Service at the University of Kent. The web site is: http://www.ukc.ac.uk/careers/
The Careers Advisory Service has produced a booklet specifically for graduates of International Relations related graduate programmes.
14.3 Alumni Prospective applicants sometimes wish to speak with Alumni to find out more about the School from a student’s perspective, and how the School prepared them for their chosen careers. For this reason, we have established “BSIS Alumni Ambassadors” who are willing in principle to email, or to speak with prospective applicants. Because our Alumni work in diverse careers, prospective applicants wishing to speak with an Alumnus should contact Dr Wiener in the first instance, giving some indication of the kind of career they wish to pursue after graduation. Dr Wiener will be pleased to ask an Alumnus working in that area to email the prospective student.
14.4 The BSIS Alumni Network The BSIS Alumni Network was founded through a student initiative in the spring of 2001 to create a lively network that communicates on many levels, to keep Alumni in touch with each other, with the School, with current students, and with the IR field. This includes coordinating reunions, receptions, and maintaining a web site and an email list. Recent events showed the lively interest of both Alumni and students to exchange ideas and experiences, and just to sit together and chat. Building on this success, the Alumni Forum is being established, which will meet four times a year, bringing together Alumni and students to discuss current affairs. Alumni have also agreed to be contacted by students and to share their experiences in their respective fields, and to help where possible with internships and employment. The Brussels School has developed a close-knit community, and it is the intention of the Alumni Network to continue, and to expand, that community past graduation.
For more information about Alumni Network can be found on the BSIS students web site, at www.BSIS.BE
Please Note: The Brussels School of International Studies does not offer its programmes through distance learning. For Master students, attendance at lectures and seminars is compulsory. For Doctoral candidates, regular attendance at the Research Seminar and regular contact with the Supervisor is essential. For all degree programmes, the staff of the School takes special care to monitor student progression and achievement throughout the academic year. The close contact between staff and students, and among students, is an important part of the learning experience at the School. Candidates wishing to study by correspondence should therefore seek an alternative institution.
15.1 Required Qualifications All applicants for the MA and LLM programmes at the School must possess a Bachelor degree or equivalent. The standard of the degree should normally be at minimum an Upper Second Class Honours degree from a recognised British University, or a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0 under the American system from an accredited institution. Applicants with degrees from other educational systems are asked to contact the School if they are unsure about the equivalence of their degree. The Bachelor degree need not be in International Relations or in Law. Suitable first degrees include but are not limited to Anthropology, Economics, History, International Relations, Law, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. The School encourages diversity and the many insights on the disciplines that those with other academic backgrounds can bring. Applicants with first degrees in subjects other than these are encouraged to contact the School before making an application. The School also recognises that those with different specialisations often become involved in international affairs through the course of their careers, or for other reasons, and wish to gain insights through academic study. Such applicants are encouraged to contact the School before making an application.
15.2 Application Materials There is no application fee. A complete application will comprise: • The Application Form; • An Official University Transcript; • Two Letters of Reference; • Applicants whose native language is not English must also provide evidence of acceptable competence in English.
15.2.1 The Application Form: Applications to register for a higher degree should be made on forms obtainable from the Brussels School of International Studies or included with this Prospectus. Applications may also be made online, at: http:// www.ukc.ac.uk/studying/postgrad/gradapply.h tml Alternatively, the online application form may be printed and sent to the School along with the other application materials. 15.2.2 An Official University Transcript. The School does not supply an envelope for this, as the format of the transcript varies from one University to another. Applicants are not obliged to wait until their final transcript is issued before applying to the School. The School recognises that making appropriate arrangements to study in a different country takes time and preparation, and we wish to provide prospective students with an indication of their chances of acceptance as early as possible. Applicants are encouraged to send an unofficial copy of the transcript, showing the courses and grades awarded to date, along with the application. This will provide the Admission Tutors an early indication of an applicant’s abilities, and on this basis the Tutors may decide to make a conditional offer to the applicant. A conditional offer would normally stipulate that a place on the programme is reserved for the applicant subject to the applicant achieving the School’s minimum standard in the final degree result.
15. Admissions – MA and LLM Programmes
15. Admissions – MA and LLM Programmes
In all cases, applicants must arrange for their University to send an official transcript to the School when the final degree result is released (ie., showing the class of the degree for UK students, the final GPA for students in the American system, or the final examination results for others). The transcript will be acceptable if it is certified as an original copy by the issuing institution and sent to the School directly from the issuing institution. 15.2.3 Two Letters of Reference. Two envelopes can be obtained for this purpose from the Brussels School of International Studies, if they are not included with this Prospectus. Please note that these envelopes are supplied for convenience only and it is not necessary for the referees to use these envelopes. References must be originals, and they must be in English. Photocopies and translations will be accepted only if they have been certified as true copies by the issuing authority or by a certified translator. The envelopes must be signed across the seal by the referee.
49
References may be sent to the School at the address provided at the end of this Prospectus directly by the referees. However, applicants may choose to collect the references to include with their application package, and in this way be assured that no reference letters will be missing from the application. The references should normally be from teachers who are familiar with the applicant’s academic achievements. Ideally, the reference letter will include: how well and in what capacity the referee knows the applicant; a statement on the applicant’s academic performance and how this reflects the applicant’s potential; the ability of the applicant to work with others, particularly in a multi-cultural environment; and the applicant’s potential to make a contribution to international affairs. The School recognises that many applicants are mid-career professionals for whom it may be some years since the applicant studied at a University, and that such applicants may experience difficulties in obtaining academic references. In such cases, letters of reference from employers may be accepted, provided the referees are supervisors or others in positions more senior than the applicant. If there are difficulties in obtaining references, as for example in the case of mature student applications, the applicants should contact the School. Both letters of reference normally must be received before a final decision can be made on an application. However, if the application is otherwise complete apart from one letter of reference, the Admission Tutors may decide to make a conditional offer where the condition would be receipt of a satisfactory second letter of reference. 15.2.4 Evidence of Competence in English. Where English is not the candidate’s normal working or mother tongue, evidence of competence in written and spoken English must be included. Acceptable evidence includes: • A minimum British Council International English Language Test (IELTS) test result of 6.8; • A TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a score of 600 or above, on the paper-based examination, or a score of 250 or more in the computerised examination; • A grade of “B” in the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English; • A grade of “A” in the Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English.
50
If an applicant’s English language ability is not at this level, the applicant may attend the Postgraduate Diploma in Academic and English Language Skills on the campus in Canterbury. This programme is for students who meet the University’s academic entry requirements for postgraduate study but who do not have the requisite English language qualification. Applicants must apply simultaneously for the Postgraduate Diploma in Year One, and the chosen Master’s degree in Year Two. The programme aims to equip students with the linguistic, academic and technical knowledge and skills to perform successfully on a programme of graduate study. Further information about this option is available on request. 15.2.5 A Personal Statement is not a formal requirement of the application. However, applicants are encouraged to send a letter of introduction with the application to provide as much information about themselves that they feel relevant to their application and that the Admission Tutors should take into consideration. The Admission Tutors will read carefully all information that is provided. Such letters of introduction normally include: relevant academic or professional experience; the applicant’s career goals and personal objectives; reasons for wishing to undertake the programme to which application is being made; reasons the applicant believes he or she will perform well in the programme; and reasons why she or he wishes to study at the Brussels School of International Studies. Applicants may also send a curriculum vitae with the application package if they wish to do so. Applicants are asked not to send essays or other writing samples unless specifically asked to do so by the Admission Tutors.
15.3 Deadlines There is no application deadline. However, applicants are advised to apply as early as possible. As a general guideline, the School receives the majority of applications from November to March for entry the following September. Applicants should note that the demand for places is higher for the session beginning in September. Applicants for scholarships or other awards should note the relevant closing dates of the funding institutions.
All application materials must be sent to the School, at the address provided at the end of this Prospectus. The School will acknowledge receipt of all applications materials as quickly as possible. If an applicant has not received an acknowledgement within a reasonable amount of time, she or he is encouraged to contact the School to ensure that materials have not gone astray in the postal system. Packages sent by registered post or by courier are normally the most secure. The School will normally contact the applicant to remind him or her that an element of the application is missing. However, due to the volume of applications it may not be possible for the School to send a reminder more than once. It is therefore incumbent on the applicants to ensure that all materials are sent to the School. All applications are reviewed by two Admission Tutors. The Admission Tutors for the MA in International Relations and the MA in International Conflict Analysis are Dr Wiener and Dr Daase. They may be contacted informally before an application is made.
Admissions for the LLM in International Law and International Relations are reviewed by the Kent Law School. Applicants for this degree should contact Wade Mansell if they wish to discuss informally their application. The Admission Tutors review each application independently, and will then confer about the merits of each candidate. If the Admission Tutors feel they require additional information about the candidate before a decision can be reached, they may: contact the referees to provide additional information, and/or contact the applicant for an interview. The interview may be by telephone or by video conference if the applicant lives outside Belgium. The Admission Tutors then make a recommendation to the University. The formal decision to admit a student is taken by the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee of the University on the recommendation of the Admissions Tutors. Only the Graduate Office in Canterbury is empowered to make the formal offer of a place, though the Admission Tutors may inform applicants of their recommendation.
15. Admissions – MA and LLM Programmes
15.4 Application Procedures
51
16. Admissions – Doctoral Degrees
16.1 Acceptance of Candidates Several factors are taken into account when accepting a candidate for a research degree. First, the applicant’s past record and achievements are noted. It is usual that applicants for the MPhil/PhD will hold a good MA degree, although other relevant experiences are sometimes considered sufficient. This might be, for example, diplomatic or other practical experience, or evidence of research skills in the form of publications. Second, when applying, the candidate should state a topic upon which he or she wishes to conduct research. This is assessed with respect to its feasibility, although it is realised that there will normally be some change in the nature of the topic in the course of developing the research. Third, the topic is considered in the context of the supervisory skills available within the School. While there is a wide range of expertise available, it is sometimes the case
52
that an applicant’s proposal falls outside the range of competence in the School. In such a case the applicant is often given informal advice about other universities to which application may be made. The University’s quality assurance practices are such that there is a limit to the number of research students that each member of staff may supervise at any given time. Acceptance to the MPhil/PhD programme is therefore exceptionally competitive.
16.2 Application Procedures The procedure for applying to the MPhil/PhD is the same as for applications to the MA programme (see above). However, in addition applicants are required to submit a brief outline (about 3,000 words) of the research project they wish to investigate and the reasons why they are interested in the particular area(s) chosen, as an attachment to their applications.
In all cases, the confirmation of an offer of a place is dependent on the applicant producing satisfactory assurances that the fees can be paid and that maintenance for the required period of registration is available. If the applicant is receiving a postgraduate award of some kind, this may be self-evident, but if the candidate is self-financing a certificate from a bank or similar guarantee will be needed indicating sufficient funds for the duration of the course. Fees are normally paid annually in advance, or at registration. In some cases the School is able to agree a payment schedule over the duration of the programme. Part-time students who follow the MA programme over 24 months pay the normal fee for the 12 month programme on a prorata basis (ie. half of the normal fee each year). Students for research degrees pay the normal annual fee for each year of their period of registration (for the period of registration for each degree, see Table under “Graduate Degrees Offered” in this prospectus).
17.1 Fees All fees are subject to revision from time to time, but it is envisioned that the fees for the following academic years will be as shown: Entry January 2003 Entry September 2003
Euro 9,000 Euro 10,500
Entry January 2004 Entry September 2004
Euro 10,500 Euro 11,500
17.2 Cost of Living It is estimated that full-time students are likely to require approximately Euro 12,200 to cover other expenses throughout the year. Some overseas students will also have to make provision for extra travel and possibly for warm clothing. For purposes of planning and for scholarship and loan applications, this may break down according to the following estimate: • • •
Accommodation: Meals Other Expenses
Euro 4,700 Euro 4,500 Euro 3,000
17.3 Financial Assistance The School regrets that it is not able to offer financial assistance beyond the general schemes administered by the University, outlined below.
17. Fees and Financial Assistance
17. Fees and Financial Assistance
The web site of the Graduate Office contains a wealth of information about possible external sources of funding, and is available at: http://www.ukc.ac.uk/registry/ pgstudy/funding/ 17.3.1 Students from the UK and EU Countries For UK and EU candidates wishing to engage in research in International Relations, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has recognised the Department of Politics and International Relations for which the University may nominate candidates for Research Training Awards. Such recognition takes the form of Mode A recognition, which is given to those departments which provide research training to students in the early stages of their registration. The ESRC also allocates quotas of Advanced Course Awards to individual degree programmes. The Department of Politics and International Relations may nominate one candidate into an open competition for the receipt of these awards. Students from the United Kingdom wishing to undertake full or part-time study for taught masters’ degrees have often been able to obtain Career Development Loans from the following banks: Barclays, the Cooperative, The Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale. These loans are administered by the Department for Education and Employment. Applicants may apply to borrow between £300 and £8000 to pay for up to 80% of course fees, plus the full cost of books, materials and other related expenses. Students undertaking vocational courses are eligible to apply, which broadly speaking means those that can be shown to improve employment prospects. Applicants can obtain a Career Development Loan booklet which includes further information and an application form by phoning free (within the UK) on 0800 585 505 between 9am and 9pm, Monday to Friday. The University of Kent at Canterbury is also a participating member of the ERASMUS Exchange scheme. 17.3.2 Students from the United States of America Established in 1953, the Marshall Scholarships offer top quality US students the opportunity to study, with full funding, at any British university for at least two years. (Please note that students already studying for a degree at a British university are not eligible to apply). Candidates must be a US citizen at the time of application and
hold a minimum GPA of 3.7 (or A-) after Freshman year; have graduated with a first degree from a US institution after April 30, 1997; not already studying in Britain or hold a British degree. Up to 40 new scholarships are awarded annually. Candidates can apply in any discipline leading to the award of a degree from any British university. The scholarship is worth approximately $26,000 per year. The closing date is normally in October. Full details on regional application centres and the on-line application forms are available at: www.acu.ac.uk/marshall/index.html or by writing to Alison Corbett, Education Information Officer, The British Council USA, The British Embassy, Washington DC, Direct line: + 202 588 7837 email:
[email protected] The Fulbright Commission has available awards for US citizens who wish to undertake postgraduate study in the United Kingdom. Further information is available from the Education Advisory Service, Fulbright House, 62 Doughty Street, London, WC1N 2LS, UK. Telephone 0171 404 6994, Fax 0171 404 6874. e-mail
[email protected]. Students from the United States of America may be interested to note that the University of Kent will process and receive Federal Stafford Loans. Further information on Stafford Loans can be found at:http:// www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/ 2000-1/stafford.html 17.3.3 Students from Canada Students from Canada may be interested to note that we accept and process Canada Student Loans. For more information please refer to http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/
53
17.3.4 Students from Singapore This scholarship scheme aims to support Singapore citizens in pursuing Masters degrees by research. Those eligible to apply for the scholarship will hold a First Class Honours degree. The address to contact is: Centre Director, Contact Singapore (London), Charles House, Lower Ground Floor, 5-11 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR. 17.3.5 Students from Developing Countries Students who are candidates for research degrees may apply for an award from the Fees Support Scheme for Overseas Research Students. This was established by the UK Secretary of State for Education to provide awards for the partial remission of tuition fees to overseas research students of outstanding merit and research potential and is highly competitive. To apply, a separate letter to that effect should be enclosed with the application form. Completed application forms for the scheme normally need to be returned to the School by the beginning of May. The University of Kent also participates in the Overseas Development Administration Shared Scholarship Scheme. Initial enquiries should be made through the local British Council Office, and this should be indicated on the application form. This is open to all applicants from developing Commonwealth countries. In this scheme, the University is able to nominate one graduate candidate from a Commonwealth developing country for an award to undertake a coursework Master’s degree. Students receive a maintenance and clothing grant, book and travel allowance from the Overseas Development Administration and their tuition fees are waived by the University. Awards cannot be extended or renewed. At the end of the award, candidates are required to return to their home country. If an applicant wishes to apply for an award under this scheme he or she should indicate this on the application form when applying to study for a postgraduate programme at this University. The closing date is normally in April. The Overseas Bursary Committee is normally able to offer one or more awards each year to overseas students who are unable to complete their education in their own countries because of religious, political, social or cultural persecution. The bursaries are financed by donations from the staff and students of the University of Kent and the campus unions. In addition, the University
54
waives the tuition fees of bursary holders. Enquiries should be made to the Secretary of the Overseas Bursary Fund Committee, The Registry, The University of Kent at Canterbury, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, UK.
17.4 Further Information The following publications, which are available at British Council Offices in your home country, will have lists of trusts and sources of grants to which you may apply: The Educational Grants Directory, Directory for Social Change, Radius Works, Back Lane, London, NW3 1HL, UK. The Grants Register, Macmillan Press Reference Books, 4 Little Essex Street, London, WC2R 3LF, UK. Useful information may also be obtained from the following reference materials: Commonwealth Universities Yearbook (and the handbook of their association), 75th ed, Association of Commonwealth Universities, 2000. John Foster House, 36 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PF. Study Abroad, published by UNESCO, Cultural Organisation, 7 Place de Fonteray, 75700 Paris, France. Higher Education in the European Community: A Handbook for Students, published by The Commission of the European Community.
Ordinarily, students from the EU and other Western European countries do not need a student visa to study in Belgium, although they must register with the municipal authorities once they arrive. Non-EU citizens need a student visa and a temporary residence permit. Application procedures may vary according to the nationality of the applicant. Applicants are advised to check with the Belgian representatives in their country of residence.
18.1 Location of the Brussels School of International Studies The Brussels School Office is located at Boulevard du Triomphe/Triomflaan, No.34, which is across from the joint campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Lectures and classes take place on the VUB campus, as well as at the ULB Institut d’etudes Européennes, which is a short and pleasant walk away through a small ‘quartier’ of student bars and restaurants. The BSIS Offices can be reached as follows:
However, accepted candidates may wish to familiarise themselves with Brussels before arrival. Some useful links are as follows. (For a short-term hotel or accommodation, it will be useful for you to know that the campus is located at the post-code B-1160). Generally, there is quite a good publication for newcomers to Brussels, which also has a web site: http://www.living-in-belgium.com/ The telephone directory (both white and yellow pages) is available online at: http://www.belcast.be/ Maps of Brussels are available at: http://www.trabel.com/brussels-mapslist.htm For information about the Brussels airport (Zaventem), including transportation to the centre: http://www.trabel.com/airport.htm/ The Eurostar home page is: http://www.eurostar.com For general information about the city, including practical information, the home page of the Capital of Brussels itself is quite informative: http://www.brussels-online.be/
By Car as is: The VUB/ULB campus is situated at the Generaal Jacqueslaan/Avenue Général Jacques, near the Waversesteenweg/Chaussée de Wavre and the Kroonlaan/Avenue de la Couronne. The Bld. du Triomphe is one of the main boulevards alongside the campus. The Brussels School offices are across the street from entrance No.6 of the VUB. For those coming from outside the city, the School can be reached through the Ring road through Route E411 to Triomflaan / Bld. du Triomphe. By Metro The School is a short walk from the Petillon Metro Station. By Train The Etterbeek train station is located very nearby and provides regular connections with the Brussels North station.
18.2 Orientation Orientation activities include campus tours, and introductions to the campus facilities. The schedule of these activities is given at the Orientation Meeting following each Registration.
http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be/En/ Homeen.htm There is a tourist guide (including a “rough guide” to Brussels) at: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/BRUSSEL.html There are lists of hotels in Brussels at: http://www.hotels-in-belgium.com http://www.driveeurope.com/cc2_2.htm http://www.brussels-hotels.com/ http://www.atlas-hotel.be/ http://brussels.funtastikeurope.com/Brussels/ BrusselsHotel.html Students find that a youth hostel located in the Brussels city centre is a very good and inexpensive, and this is where we normally arrange for students from Canterbury and London to stay while attending the tour of the institutions in Brussels with BSIS students. The hostel can be contacted at: Sleep Well Youth Hotel 23 rue du Damier 1000 Brussels Belgium Phone: +32 2 218 50 50 Fax: +32 2 218 13 13 http://www.hostelseurope.com/sleepwell.html
A review of this hostel can be found at: http://www.bugeurope.com/ hostels/be001.html Other hostels in Brussels are listed at: http://www.timeout.com/brussels/accom/ Budget.html
18.3 Accommodation
18. Arriving in Belgium
18. Arriving in Belgium
The Brussels School regrets that it is not able to offer campus accommodation. Both the VUB and ULB reserve their limited campus accommodation for their students who receive bursaries. The remainder of the ULB and VUB students also must take offcampus accommodation. The School realises that many students may not speak French or Dutch, the two official languages of Brussels, and that it takes time to become accustomed to a new city. In addition to helping students find appropriate accommodation, we are also more than happy to telephone landlords to make appointments. If prospective students wish to see an example of the type of private accommodation that is available in Brussels at any given time, one of the local newspapers, The Vlan can be consulted online at http://www.vlan.be. It is in French, but it allows you to search in terms of type, price and location. The location of BSIS is at the intersection of three communities (Communes): Etterbeek, Oudergem/Auderghem and Elsene/Ixelles. The cost of a room can range from Euro 200 – Euro 250 per month (usually with all services included). The cost of a studio or apartment can range from Euro 300 upwards. If services are not included, you should count some Euro 40 to Euro 55 per month extra for electricity, heating, and water. Prospective students may also wish to examine Belgian student web sites. An example is http://www.qlb.be, which, apart from the student related information, contains advertisements for accommodation. The School also maintains lists of rental agencies that can be supplied on request. There is also the possibility of taking over the apartment of a graduating BSIS student, or of sharing accommodation with current students. To find out if there are such possibilities, please contact Anja Sablon, who will make the necessary enquiries. Qualified legal advice is available from the ULB and VUB for rental contracts.
55
18.4 Health Insurance Health insurance can be carried over from one EU country to another. Students from EU countries should therefore bring with them the necessary forms from their health insurance (or social security) office to be handed to a health insurance company in Belgium, which will determine what contribution, if any, should be paid. Health insurance is compulsory in Belgium. If you are not covered yet, either by transferring your insurance from your home country or by a travel insurance that also covers health insurance during your stay abroad, you are advised to see one of the many so called “mutualités” (in French) or “ziekenfondsen” (in Dutch) as soon as possible. Here are a few addresses of health insurance companies in the BSIS neighbourhood: Mutualités Chrétiennes Chaussée de Wavre 1706, 1160 Brussels, 02/673 7978 Avenue Chasse 2, 1040 Brussels, 02/648 1057 Avenue A. Buyl 110B, 1050 Brussels, 02/647 6428
Mutualités Socialistes Chaussée de Wavre 1659, 1160 Brussels, 02/673 8620 Chaussée de Wavre 706, 1040 Brussels, 02/647 7112 Chaussée d’Ixelles 211, 1050 Brussels, 02/649 5064
Euromut – Mutualité Libre Avenue Paepedelle 87, 1160 Brussels, 02/662 0751 Avenue de la Couronne 334, 1050 Brussels, 02/640 6505 Partena Rudy Wynen, 0476/94 65 56 Students who have no earned income in Belgium, or who are not EU citizens, must
56
join a health insurance plan. However, there is a waiting period of six months from the moment of registration with an insurance company before the insurance becomes effective. During this time, there is no entitlement to claim any reimbursement for health care costs. Therefore, students from outside the EU are advised to make appropriate enquiries before arrival about travel insurance that will cover medical expenses during their stay in Belgium. Indeed, the School recommends non-EU nationals to obtain travel insurance from their home country that includes health cover for their period of stay in Belgium.
19. Training and Consultancy
19.Training and Consultancy
Staff of the Department of Politics and International Relations have much experience in consulting national governments, international organisations, and nongovernmental organisations on a range of issues relating to international relations. Members of the Department have acted in an advisory capacity to the European Commission, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and various agencies of the United Nations.
The Brussels School of International Studies can arrange, on request, tailored training programmes, including day-training courses, short courses, workshops, and other advisory services for businesses, governments, nongovernmental organisations and international organisations.
The Graduate School has particular strengths in the area of international conflict analysis, and it has been for many years the base for the Centre for Conflict Analysis, which is an inter-university research organisation established in 1964, whose members are very active in a variety of conflict situations such as those in Cyprus and Moldova. The Graduate School also has strengths in international political economy which is an area of growing importance in the interface between business, governments, and international organisations. Members have a comprehensive knowledge of the World Trade Organization law and policy, and issues relating to foreign direct investment.
57
20.The Faculty
The Brussels School of International Studies of the University of Kent at Canterbury operates in cooperation with two partner universities, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). As such, there may be many members of these institutions teaching on the programmes or supervising research at any given time.
The members of staff most involved in the programmes are:
Christopher Daase, MA and PhD (FU Berlin)
Yutaka Arai LLB, LLM (Keio University, Tokyo), LLM, PhD (Cambridge)
Dr Daase is Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Kent at Canterbury and Convenor of the MA in International Conflict Analysis at its Brussels School of International Studies. He received an MA in Political Science, Philosophy and Literature and a PhD in International Relations from the Free University of Berlin. He was a Fellow of the SSRC-MacArthur Program on International Peace and Security and Visiting Scholar at the Center for International Affairs of Harvard University as well as Guest Scholar at RAND Corporation. He wrote his dissertation on Small Wars: How Unconventional Warfare Changes International Relations, for which he received the prestigious Ernst Reuter-Award in 1997. From 1994 to 2001 he was Assistant Professor at the Center on Transatlantic Foreign and Security Policy Studies at the Free University of Berlin where he taught Theories of International Relations, International Organisations and Security Studies. He is member of the International Studies Association and other professional bodies, as well as of standing working groups on Nuclear Non-proliferation, Theories of War, and International Politics and the New Media. His research interests center around the theories and methods of International Relations, war and conflict studies, and conflict management with an emphasis on institutional aspects. A recent article of his on the topic is, “Spontaneous Institutions: Peacekeeping as an International Convention” in Robert O. Keohane, and Celeste Wallander and Helga Haftendorn (eds.), Imperfect Unions. Security Institutions over Time and Space (Oxford University Press, 1999).
Dr Arai is a lecturer in international law at the University of Kent and teaches both the module ‘international protection of human rights’ and the module ‘history and jurisprudence of cases in international criminal law’ at the Brussels School. Dr Arai’s LLB and first LLM were awarded by Keio University in Tokyo, Japan after which he studied at Cambridge University where he was awarded an LLM in international law and then a PhD for his research into the jurisprudence of the European Convention on Human Rights. Dr Arai also held a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Max-Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg. Earlier he had been a visiting student in international relations at Brown University, USA. He received scholarships both from the Asahi Glass Foundation and from the Cambridge Overseas Trust. Dr Arai has published widely in European international law journals and has been particularly concerned with human rights law in its widest sense. His latest work is a book entitled The Margin of Appreciation Doctrine in the European Convention on Human Rights (due September 2001, Intersentia/Hart). Dr Arai moved to the University of Kent at Canterbury from the University of Hertfordshire where he was responsible for LLM teaching in public international law and in World Trade Organisation courses. He has given lectures at universities in Greece, Italy and Germany as well as in the UK. He has four working languages (English, Japanese, French and German) and reading knowledge of Chinese, Spanish and Italian. His current research includes a study of the jurisprudence of the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. He is also studying the current ad-hoc United Nations International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Dr Arai can be contacted at: 34 Triomflaan/Bld. de Triomphe Tel: +32 2 641 1724 Fax: +32 2 641 1720
58
Dr Daase can be contacted at: Office: 34 Triomflaan/Bld. de Triomphe Postal Address: Vesalius College, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 641 1723 Fax: +32 2 641 1720 Email:
[email protected]
Dr Diaz is a Research Fellow at Brussels School of International Studies, and teaches modules on Negotiation. He is also currently a political analyst in the Office of the International Mediator for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Sprspa, and serves as the Mediator's EU Liaison Officer in Brussels. In this capacity he has assisted the Mediator in negotiating over 50 agreements on the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords, respect for human rights and the establishment of a returnfriendly environment at the local level. Dr. Diaz received a BA in Political Science and Communication Arts from St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida, and from 1993 to 1996 he served as the Campus Ministry Student Activities Coordinator. In 1994 he attended the Minority Leaders Fellowship Program in Washington DC. Dr. Díaz received an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Schiller International University in London, England and a PhD in International Relations from the University of Kent at Canterbury. He wrote his PhD thesis on "The Helms-Burton Act and the EU-US Transatlantic Relationship" in which he analysed negotiations between the US and the EU on Cuba using a multilevel game framework. In 1999 he participated in a conference on "The European Union in the 21st Century" in Havana, Cuba and collaborated on a report by Pax Christi Netherlands, "The European Union and Cuba: Solidarity or Complicity?". His interests are in conflict resolution, negotiations, third party intervention, democracy building and human rights. Dr Diaz can be contacted at: Office: 34 Triomflaan/Bld. De Triomphe Postal Address: Vesalius College, Pleinlaan 2 B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 641 1724 Fax: +32 2 641 1720
Erik Franckx, Licentiaat (VUB), MA (VUB/Ghent/Leuven), LLM (Georgia), PhD (VUB) Erik Franckx is Professor of International Law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He and his colleagues in the VUB Centre for International Law teach the Introduction to International Law at the Brussels School. Professor Franckx is an internationally acclaimed expert on the Law of the Sea, which has been acknowledged by the numerous academic honours he has received, including the Henry Rolin Prize, and the Certificate of Merit of the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law in the category of “high technical craftsmanchip and high utility to practicing lawyers and scholars” for his substantial contribution to the book, International Maritime Boundaries (J Charney & L Alexander, eds.), 2 vols, Martinus Nijhoff, 1993. Professor Franckx has also been called to provide legal opinions to the European Commission, and to projects of the American Society of International Law. He is the author of over 50 books, articles, and contributions to books, including: “Border Conflicts Between Iran and Iraq: Review and Legal Reflections”, in I Dekker and H Post (eds.), The Gulf War, 1980-1988, Martinus Nijhoff, 1992; “Nature Protection in the Arctic: Recent Soviet Legislation”, International and Comparative Law Quarterly (Vol.41, 1992); and “Maritime Boundaries and Regional Cooperation in the Baltic”, International Journal of Legal Information (Vol.20, 1992). Professor Franckx can be contacted at: The Centre for International Law Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2 B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 629 2606 Email:
[email protected]
Gustaaf Geeraerts, Licentiate and PhD (VUB) Gustaaf Geeraerts is Professor of International Relations at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and has been Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies at VUB since 1993. Professor Geeraerts is Honorary Professor at the University of Kent at Canterbury, and a Deputy Editor of Global Society: Journal of Interdisciplinary International Relations. From 1986 to 1990 he was located at the Department of International Relations at the State University of Utrecht where he specialised in research on the dynamics of international political processes. During that period he was also a member of the Board of Lecturers of the Centre for Advanced Research in International Affairs in the Netherlands (CARIAN). His research interests centre around international relations theory, security in Europe and East Asia, and the international relations of the Internet. He is currently working on difference approaches to the modelling of complex phenomena in international relations. His publications in English include: Possibilities of a Civilian Defence in Western Europe (1977), and more recently, “Progress and its Problems in the Study of War: Theoretical Needs and Practical Relevance”, Bulletin of Peace Proposals (Vol.22, 1991); “War, Hypercomplexity, and Computer Simulation”, Systems Research (Vol.11, 1994); (with Anthony Antoine), “IT & IS: Identifying the Needs of International Organisations – The Ideal of a ‘Virtual’ Partnership”, in Pericles Gasparini-Alves (ed.), Increasing Access to Information Technology for International Security (1997); (with Patrick Stouthuysen), Democratic Peace for Europe: Myth or Reality? (1999); (with Men Jing), “IR Theory in China”, in Global Society, (Vol.15, 2001).
20. The Faculty
Juan Diaz, BA (St. Thomas), MA (SIU), PhD (Kent)
Professor Geeraerts can be contacted at: Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Building M, Pleinlaan 2 1050 Brussels Tel: +32 2 629 2025 Fax: +32 2 629 2278 Email:
[email protected]
59
Maarten Theo JANS Maarten Theo JANS (1970) studied Political Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) He received his PhD. in Political Sciences at the VUB in 2001. His doctoral dissertation "Federalism and the regulation of the ethnonational conflict. Joint decision-making in Canada and Belgium" analysed bargaining processes in complex political environments. His PhD research was conducted in the framework of the 1999 Concerted Research Action research grant, in which he operated as a researcher and co-ordinator. He teaches the courses ‘Multi-level governance in the European Union’ and ‘Institutions and Policy’ (with K. Deschouwer) at the VUB and the courses ‘Data Analysis’ and ‘Institutional Conflict Regulation’ at Brussels School for International Studies (BSIS). His main research interests are European governance, federalism and institutional conflict regulation. He has published book chapters and articles on conflict regulation, federalism and intergovernmental relations. He has been a book reviewer for the journal Nations and Nationalism (1996-99).
Wade Mansell, BA, LLB, LLM (Victoria University of Wellington) Wade Mansell is Barrister and Solicitor (New Zealand) and Senior Lecturer in Law. He joined Kent Law School having previously taught in Wellington and London. He is the Convenor of the Public International Law courses at both undergraduate and graduate level and is the Convenor of the LLM in International Law with International Relations at the Brussels School of International Studies. He regularly supervises postgraduate research students. He has published in the areas of public international law, human rights, development and international debt, torts, and in the sociology of law. His two co-authored books, The Wrongs of Tort (with Joanne Conaghan – Pluto 1993) and A Critical Introduction to Law with Belinda Meteyard and Alan Thomson – Cavendish 1995) have recently been republished in second editions (1999). With Joanne Scott of the Faculty of Law Cambridge he has written on development, trade and regional policy. Current research includes a study of the so-called right to democratic governance, and a wider project of a critique of international law concerning itself with North/South issues. All work is concerned with the interplay of law and politics (and power) and with wider questions of distributional justice. Critical legal scholarship is central in research. Wade Mansell’s office at the Brussels School is: 34 Triomflaan/Bld. de Triomphe Tel: +32 2 641 1724 Fax: +32 2 641 1720 His office in Canterbury is: Eliot College: University of Kent at Canterbury Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NS Tel: +44 1227 82339 Fax: +44 1227 827831 Email:
[email protected]
60
Dr Palo is an Associate Professor of History at Vesalius College of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He received a BA in History (1966) and an MA in History (1969) from Queens College of the City University of New York and a PhD in History (1978) from the University of Illinois (ChampaignUrbana). His Doctoral Dissertation, entitled “The Diplomacy of Belgian War Aims During the First World War”, was directed by Prof. Paul W. Schroeder. Before coming to Vesalius College in 1990, Dr Palo served as director of study abroad programs in France for Illinois State University (Grenoble, January 1979-June 1984) and for the University of Notre Dame (Angers, September 1986-June 1990). He is a member of the American Historical Association, the Association Belge d’Histoire Contemporaine/Belgische Vereninging voor Nieuwste Geschiedenis, and Phi Alpha Theta, the International History Honor Society. His fields of interest include nineteenth-and twentieth-century diplomatic history, the history of the world wars, Belgian history, historiography, and contemporary international relations. He has recently published an article entitled “The Question of Neutrality and Belgium’s Security Dilemma during the First World War: The Search for a Politically Acceptable Solution,” in the July 2000 issue of the Revue belge d’histoire contemporaine/Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Nieuwste Geschiedenis (Ghent), vol. XXIX, nos. 1-2, pp. 227-304; and an article entitled “‘Dad, what did you do in the war?’ A Postmodernist? Classroom Exercise” in The History Teacher (Long Beach, California) 33, no. 2 (February 2000), 193-212. Dr Palo can be contacted at: Vesalius College Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2 B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Office: 36 Triomflaan/Bld. de Triomphe
Harm Schepel, Drs (Amsterdam), LLM (Oñati)
Eric Remacle, BA (ULB), MA (ULB), PhD (ULB)
Harm Schepel is a lecturer at Kent Law School where he teaches European economic law on both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He teaches the ‘International Economic Law’ module at the Brussels school.
Professor Remacle is formerly Director of the Institut d’Etudes européennes of the Université Libre de Bruxelles. He is coordinator of the research unit on European Foreign and Security Policy at the ULB, and a member of the board of the journal, Transitions. Professor Remacle is Honorary Professor at the University of Kent at Canterbury and a Deputy Editor of Global Society: Journal of Interdisciplinary International Relations. Professor Remacle was awarded the ISSWEU Fellowship in 1991 for research on the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe, and he was from 1996 to 1999 NATO Fellow (jointly with Patricia Chilton) for research on Parliamentary Control of Peacekeeping Operations. Professor Remacle’s recent publications include an edited volume (with Ann Deighton), The Western European Union 1948-1998: From the Brussels Treaty to the Treaty of Amsterdam (1998); (with André Dumoulin) l’Union de l’Europe occidentale, Phénix de la défence européenne (1998); editor (with Reimund Seidelman), Pan-European Security Redefined (1998); and editor, La PESC, l’UEO et la CIG (1996).
His first degree in International Legal Studies was awarded by the University of Amsterdam, after which he went on to obtain a Master’s degree magna cum laude at the International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñati, Spain. He subsequently worked as a researcher at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and at the Zentrum für Europäische Rechtspolitik at the University of Bremen, Germany. He held a Marie Curie Fellowship at the Centre de Théorie Politique at the Université Libre de Bruxelles before joining KLS in 2000. He has been invited to lecture at the Academy of European Law at the EUI Florence and at the European Humanities University in Minsk, Belarus. He is jointly responsible for The Legal Status of Standardisation in the Member States of the EC and of EFTA (Opoce 2000, 3 vols.). He has further published in the European Law Journal, the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies and the Common Market Law Review, and contributed the co-authored ‘Mobilising the European Court of Justice’ to G. de Búrca & J.H.H. Weiler (eds.), The European Court of Justice (OUP 2001). His current research is focused on the role of private governance regimes in international and regional trade law.
20. The Faculty
Michael F. Palo, BA and MA (Queens College, CUNY); Ph.D (University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana).
Professor Remacle can be contacted at: Institut d’Etudes européennes Av. F.D.Roosevelt/F.D.Rooseveltlaan 39 B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 650 4483 Fax: +32 2 650 3068 Email:
[email protected]
He can be contacted in his KLS office at: Eliot College University of Kent at Canterbury Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NS Tel: +44 1227 82 7869 Fax: +44 1227 827831 Email:
[email protected] 2nd floor Direct: + 32 02 629 2774; via Vesalius College: 32 02 629 2821 Email:
[email protected]
61
Jarrod Wiener, BA (UPEI), MA (Kent), PhD (Kent), LLM (Kent) Dr Wiener is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent at Canterbury, and founding Director of the Brussels School of International Studies. He joined the Department in January 1994, and taught in Canterbury until his secondment to Brussels in 1998. While in Canterbury, he was Convenor of the graduate programme in International Political Economy, which he designed and established in 1996; he was appointed founding Editor of Global Society: Journal of Interdisciplinary International Relations; and he was an elected member of the University Senate from 1995-1997. Dr Wiener received a BA in Political Science from the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada (1989), an MA in International Relations from Kent (1991), a PhD in International Relations from Kent (1994), and an LLM in International, Commercial and European Law from the Kent Law School (1997). He was from 1995-1996 an elected member of the Executive Committee of the British International Studies Association, and he is currently a member of the International Studies Association and the Academic Council on the United Nations System. Dr Wiener's research interests include globalisation, international political economy, and global governance. His publications include his monographs: Globalization and the Harmonization of Law (Pinter, 1999), and Making Rules in the Uruguay Round of the GATT (Ashgate, 1995). His journal articles include: "Globalisation and Disciplinary NeoLiberal Governance", Constellations: An International Journal of Critical and Democratic Theory (Vol.8, No.4, December 2001); "Money Laundering: Transnational Criminals, Globalisation, and the Forces of 'Redomestication'", Journal of Money Laundering Control (Vol.1, No.1, 1996), “‘Hegemonic’ Leadership: Naked Emperor or the Worship of False Gods?”, European Journal of International Relations (Vol.1, No.2, 1995); and a contribution on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade to the World Encyclopedia of Peace, edited by former UN Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar. His contributions to edited volumes include a chapter on intellectual property rights in Kim
62
van der Borght, Eric Remacle, and J. Wiener (eds.), From Seattle to Doha:The Next Phase of the WTO (forthcoming, 2002); a chapter on international legal harmonisation in Stuart Nagel (ed.), Multinational Policy Towards Peace, Prosperity, and Democracy (Rowman Littlefield, forthcoming, 2002); chapters on foreign direct investment and on transnational crime, in Stephen Chan and J. Wiener (ed.), Twentieth Century International History (I.B.Tauris, 1998); a chapter on transatlantic trade in J. Wiener (ed.), The Transatlantic Relationship (Macmillan, 1996); and a chapter on US foreign policy in Dimitris Bourantonis and J. Wiener (eds.), The United Nations in the New World Order (Macmillan, 1995). He is co-editor, with Robert Schrire, of the International Relations section of the massive UNESCO Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (forthcoming, 2002).
Dr Wiener can be contacted at: Office: 34 Triomflaan/Bld. de Triomphe Postal Address: Vesalius College, Pleinlaan 2 B-1050 Brussels, Belgium Direct tel: + 32 2 641 1722 Fax: +32 2 641 1720 Email:
[email protected]
• Dr Ruth Abbey (BA Hons. Monash; MA and PhD McGill University). Her research and teaching interests lie in debates about liberalism, feminist thought and the history of western political thought. • Dr Gulner Aybet, Lecturer in International Relations, and specialist in security issues. • Professor Clive Church (BA, PhD), is Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration. • Professor Mervyn Frost (BPhil, MA, Stellenbosch; DPhil, Oxford). Professor of International Relations and specialist in ethics and human rights. • Professor AJR Groom (BSc. UCL; MA, Lehigh; Dr ès sciences politiques, Geneva; Dr honoris causa, Tampere). Professor of International Relations, and expert in global governance, conflict, and international organisation. • Dr Gisela Hendriks (BA, Soton; PhD, Bristol), Lecturer in European Studies. • Dr Vivienne Jabri (BA, MA, PhD), Senior Lecturer in International Relations, and Director of its London Centre of International Relations. • Chris Jones is lecturer in the Politics and International Relations of East Asia. • Dr Ian Manners (BA, West Virginia; MA, London; PhD, Britsol), Lecturer in European Politics and International Relations. • Claire Moon (BA, Warwick; MA, Kent) Lecturer in International Relations. • Dr Stefan Rossbach (PhD, European University Institute, Florence). Lecturer in Politics. • Dr Thomas Saalfeld (MA, Munich; PhD, Hull), is Senior Lecturer in Politics and specialist in the comparative study of parliaments. • Professor Richard Sakwa (BA, LSE; PhD, Birmingham) is Professor of Russian and European Politics, and Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations. • Professor Andrew Williams (BA, Keele; Dr ès sciences politiques, Geneva) is Professor of International Relations.
Other Members of the Kent Law School at the University of Kent at Canterbury include: • Dr Hazel Biggs (BA, PhD, Kent) Lecturer in Law, teaches Criminal Law and Medical Law. • Anne Bottomley (BA, Sussex; LLM, LSE; MPhil, Cambridge), Senior Lecturer in Law, with interests in the development and presentation of common law thinking. • Catherine Carpenter Solicitor to Kent Law Clinic, Clinical Legal Education. • Dr Indira Carr (MA, Delhi; Bphil, Liverpool; LLM, PhD, Exeter) is Reader in International Commercial Law. • Dr Deborah Cheney (BA. Hons, Open University; MA Kent; PhD Kent). Lecturer in Law. Teaches criminal law, and the penal system. • Professor Joanne Conaghan (BA, BCL, Oxon). Areas of research are tort, labour law and feminist/gender perspectives. • Lisa Dickson (LLB, MA, Southampton). Lecturer in Law. Teaches criminal law and the law of evidence. • Maria Drakopolou (LLB, Athens; MA, Sussex). Lecturer in Law. She teaches equity and trusts, legal history, and European comparative law. • John Fitzpatrick (BA, Oxon) Solicitor and Senior Lecturer in Law. He lectures in legal process and human rights. • Professor William Howarth (BA Law and Philosophy, Keele; LLM, Aberystwyth), FRSA and FCIWEM. Professor of Environmental Law. • Paddy Ireland (BA, Kent), Senior Lecturer in Law and Head of Department. He teaches Company law and contract. • Nick Jackson (MA, LLB, Cambridge), Lecturer in Law. Teaches property law and obligations. • Robin Mackenzie (BA, Canterbury; LLB(Hons), Otago) is a Lecturer in Law. She teaches banking and finance law and intellectual property law. • Dr A F M Maniruzzaman (LLB (Hons), LLM, Dhaka University; M.Int’l. Law, Australian National University; PhD International Law, Cambridge); M.Inst.Pet (London); ACIArb (London). Teaches international economic law. • Peter Muchlinski (LLB, LLM, Barrister), international business regulation, EU competition law, law and development, commercial regulation. • Dr Steve Pethick (LLB, DipL, PhD) philosophy of law, legal theory. • Professor Gerry Rubin (LLB, MA, PhD), military law and history, modern legal history, constitutional law. • Bernard Ryan(BCL), employment law, immigration law, European Community law.
20. The Faculty
Other Members of the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent at Canterbury include:
63
Inside the Gallerie de la Reine, Brussels.
The information in this prospectus is correct at July 2002 and may be subject to change without notice. The University of Kent will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver courses and other services in accordance with the descriptions set out in this prospectus. However, the University does not provide education on a commercial basis. It is also largely dependent on charitable and public funds which the University has to manage in a way which is efficient and cost effective in the context of the provision of a wide range of courses and services to a large number of students. The University therefore reserves the right to make variations in the contents and methods of delivery of courses and other services, to discontinue courses and other services and to merge or combine courses, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. If the University discontinues any course it will use its best endeavours to provide a suitable alternative course.
64
All students will be required as a condition of enrolment at the Brussels School of International Studies to agree to abide by and to submit to the relevant procedures of the University's Regulations as amended from time to time. A copy of the current Regulations is available on request from The Graduate Office, The Registry, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ. E-mail:
[email protected]. URL:http:www.kent.ac.uk. © 2003, University of Kent.
Communications
We understand that prospective students come from a wide range of countries, with diverse academic backgrounds, and have individual, sometimes personal, concerns. Each member of staff of the School is available to help you with any questions you might have, so we hope that you will not hesitate to get in touch with us, by email or by telephone. Any member of staff is able to deal with your enquiry on any subject, but for your convenience the responsible offices of the School are as follows:
Ms Anja Sablon Anja has been the Administrative Officer of the School since it was founded in 1998, and she performs a variety of roles, from liaising with applicants to helping students to find accommodation. You will always be assured of a friendly response when you contact her at: The Administrative Officer Brussels School of International Studies Vesalius College Pleinlaan 2 B-1050 Brussels Belgium Tel: +32 2 641 1721 Fax: +32 2 641 1720 Email:
[email protected]
Prospective applicants may also contact the following Departments at the University of Kent at Canterbury: The Department of Politics and International Relations: Ms Jean Hudson Executive Officer Department of Politics and International Relations Rutherford College University of Kent at Canterbury Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NX, UK Tel: +44 1227 823994 Fax: +44 1227 827033 Email:
[email protected]
The Kent Law School: Ms Liz Cable The Kent Law School Eliot College University of Kent at Canterbury Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NS, UK Tel: +44 1227 827832 Fax: +44 1227 827831 Email:
[email protected]
The Graduate Office of the University of Kent at Canterbury: The Graduate Office The Registry University of Kent at Canterbury Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, UK Tel: +44 1227 82 4040 Fax: +44 1227 452196 Email:
[email protected]
Informal Communications For informal communications and queries regarding any of the graduate programmes, as well as training and consulting activities, contact: Dr Jarrod Wiener Director of the Brussels School of International Studies Tel: +32 2 641 1722 Fax: + 32 2 641 1720 Email:
[email protected] For specific enquiries about the MA in International Conflict Analysis: Dr Christopher Daase Tel: +32 2 641 1723 Fax: +32 2 641 1720 Email:
[email protected] For specific enquiries about the LLM in International Law with International Relations: Wade Mansell Tel: +32 2 641 1724 Fax: +32 2 641 1720 Email:
[email protected]
Brussels School of International Studies
Tel: +32 2 641 1722 Fax: + 32 2 641 1720 www.kent.ac.uk
Brussels School of International Studies
