Outline

Overview

This unit is designed to develop students real-world problem-solving skills in a team setting. Students will work in teams to devise solutions to case studies of contemporary problems (e.g. wars, natural disasters, economic and diplomatic crises). Student groups will analyse cases and consider how different problems at both the domestic and international level are framed by interactions between social, cultural, political and economic institutions (including governments, aid agencies, the United Nations and others).

Unit details and rules

Unit code	GOVT2901
Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 1000 level in GOVT and a minimum of 36 credit points
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jamie Roberts, jamie.roberts@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Participation	Participation n/a	15%	Ongoing	Ongoing
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Individual role paper n/a	20%	Week 08 Due date: 20 Apr 2020 at 22:00	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group presentation NB: Presentations take place in Weeks 12 and 13.	35%	Week 12	1500 words per student equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Group project-briefing document n/a	25%	Week 13 Due date: 29 May 2020 at 22:00	1000 words per student equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Peer Evaluation n/a	5%	Week 13	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Individual component (group project proposal): The aim is to get each student to draft a proposal for the issue the group project will tackle. These will not be marked but they will function as discussion pieces for the group to decide which issue they will work on.
Group project (briefing document): This is conceptualised as a briefing document to be presented to a Government Minister or equivalent. The project should identify the issue, discuss the historical context, identify why it is important, and propose recommendations/solutions.
Group presentation: This is really the innovative part. All the groups will present their Briefing documents on the first day of simulations (week 12) and then present their negotiation simulation on how those outcomes were achieved (week 13).
Position/role paper: Students are required to submit a ‘Position/Role Paper’ that: a) Clarifies the background, context and relevance of your chosen issue for the group project; b) Presents the relevant areas of international law and international institutional law that are central to your simulation/presentation topic; c) Identifies the characters and institutions that are relevant to your simulation topic; d) Presents a character profile of your own character (in doing this you will clarify your character’s perspectives on the key issues).
Participation: Participation is based on your tutorial attendance and involvement as well as your involvement in the presentations. All students will be expected to attend 90% of their seminar sessions to obtain a decent mark for participation. Note FASS policy that less than 50% attendance can result in an AF result overall.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Welcome and group allocation	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	Global health security, the WHO and & the 2019 novel coronavirus	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Global health security, the WHO and & the 2019 novel coronavirus	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	The UN’s women, peace and security agenda: actors and challenges	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	The UN’s women, peace and security agenda: actors and challenges	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Geopolitics in the Indo Pacific	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Geopolitics in the Indo Pacific	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	International education: politics and policy	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	International education: politics and policy	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Migrant rights	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Migrant rights	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Drone warfare and counterterrorism interventions	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Drone warfare and counterterrorism interventions	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	The Thucydides trap: US-China strategic rivalry	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	The Thucydides trap: US-China strategic rivalry	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	The North Korean nuclear challenges: lessons of diplomacy and the way forward	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	The North Korean nuclear challenges: lessons of diplomacy and the way forward	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Challenges to democracy and dictatorship in the digital era	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Challenges to democracy and dictatorship in the digital era	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Putin’s reach: The new face of authoritarianism	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Putin’s reach: The new face of authoritarianism	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Group simulations	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Group simulations	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate disciplinary expertise in international security, international political economy, international law, and international organisations
LO2. demonstrate and apply a deeper understanding of the theories and methods used in the study of international relations
LO3. identify the ethical dilemmas confronting policy makers in the international system as well as evaluate the role played by culture, religion and identity in shaping international relations
LO4. construct a reasoned argument, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement
LO5. analyse the use and value of primary research in the discipline of international relations
LO6. compare different understandings of global political events and assess the merits of them using relevant evidence
LO7. draw information from basic sources, including digital sources, to provide evidence in support of their arguments about politics.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

GOVT2901: Contemp Issues in Pols and Int Relations II

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect