UCL - International, Administrative and Political Issues Seminar

[SPRI2090]

[15h + 15h] 5 credits

This course is taught in the 1st semester.

Teacher(s): Michel Liegeois(supplée Claude Roosens), Claude Roosens

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

This seminar aims at allowing the students:
- the use, with coherence and relevance, of analytical tools necessary to the apprehension of a ques-tion of contemporary policy (in Public Administration, International Relations or Political Sci-ence);
- the perfect use of the data related to the comprehension of the specific issue;
- the improvement of the research results communication methods (oral and written).

Main themes

The seminar aims at giving students the opportunity to further their mastering of specific methods that enables them to look into the mains questions in contemporary politics. The diversity and the complex-ity of these questions require precision in the use methodology and approaches, in order to treat these matters in a coherent and relevant way. The accent is thus put on the reasoning process and on the communication of the research results. The seminar is multidisciplinary.

After a common session, the seminar is subdivided in three groups taking up three dimensions: Public Administration, International Relations and Political Science

Content and teaching methods

Through the analysis of topics of the contemporary policy, the students are confronted with the multi-ple aspects of the current political news. The description of those is done by reference to a multidisci-plinary approach, which aims at locating the studied questions in their various dimensions.
The subjects will be specified at the beginning of seminar by the teaching staff. The essay will be done in working groups. This assignment is under the supervision of the teacher staff and subjected to regular follow-up.
It includes an oral presentation, with public discussion, as well as a written report, fulfilling the requirements of a scientific publication and constituting a coherent 'ensemble', likely to be connected to other works in order to provide an overall picture of the topics presented by the different groups.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Public administration/ international relations / political sciences.

A good Knowledge of the facts concerning the studied issues based on the text portfolio given at the beginning of the course.

Appreciation of the process followed, through
1. oral presentation and the participation in the sessions;
2. the paper given at the end of the four-month period;
3. a general knowledge test on the studied topic.
Selected readings.

Follow-up by the teaching staff.