During the first semester, students must take 2 of the 4 following "Introduction to" courses, which aim to create a common foundation for all students, taking into consideration their diverse backgrounds.
Economic Principles (E597)
Prof. Charles Wyplosz
This course is designed to introduce MIA students to economics. It presents the basic principles of both microeconomics and macroeconomics, emphasising the method of reasoning and applications to policy. The course is highly recommended to students who plan to take other economics courses but have no prior knowledge of the field.
The History of International relations (E504)
Prof. Matthew Leitner
Following a brief exposition of historical methodology and its limitations, this course examines the factors responsible for the deterioration of international relations that led to the cataclysm of the First World War. Essentially the course focuses on the nature of the “international system” and the attempts made to establish a functioning and durable international system after the two World Wars. It examines in some detail the inter-war period, as well as that of the Cold War. It also examines the various crises that marked these periods. The course concludes with the end of the Cold War and the subsequent disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Principles of Public International Law (E629)
Prof. Jorge Vinuales
This course provides an introduction to the main concepts and principles of public international law (PIL) with specific emphasis on their practical impact on the conduct of international affairs. It is structured into three parts. The first part focuses on the foundations of PIL (subjects, sources, principles and the relationship between international and domestic law). The second part deals with three major areas of PIL, namely the law of treaties, the law of State responsibility and the peaceful settlement of international disputes. The third part will be devoted to some specialised areas of PIL, such as international environmental law, human rights law, and the law governing economic development.
Introduction to International Relations (E037)
Prof. David Sylvan
This course provides an overview of the current world of international relations as that world is understood and studied by professional political scientists. Topics examined include the choice of phenomena and claims organised around the transactions, units, and modes of governance typical of today’s world of international relations and its immediate predecessor.
