The International History and Politics Department is set for a new makeover.
Starting in Fall 2026, the Department of International History and Politics is launching a suite of courses, including a hands-on practicum in collaboration with leading partner institutions such as DCAF and Women Deliver..
Presented by Nicole Bourbonnais with Women Deliver
In April 2026, Women Deliver's annual conference brought over 6500 advocates to Melbourne to take stock of the present landscape of gender equality and produce a vision for the future, titled "The Melbourne Declaration."
In this IHP practicum course, students will collaborate with Women Deliver to ground this present/future vision more firmly in the past.
First, through course readings and a group report, students will work to situate contemporary struggles within a longer history of transnational feminism: imperialist, maternalist, peace/anti-militarist, pan-African, decolonial, socialist, neoliberal, and radical.
Second, students will conduct an original feminist oral history project, aimed at analysing the intersections between these longer histories, broader social structures, and individual lives. In doing so, the course seeks to both bring the rich body of historical research on feminism into contemporary discussions while also making an original contribution to the construction of feminist archives.
Presented by Jussi Hanhimäki with DCAF
How do policymakers use the past—and when does it lead them astray?
This innovative MA seminar brings history into the heart of real-world decision-making.
Through gripping case studies, from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the 2008 Financial Crisis and the COVID-19, students explore how historical analogies shape high-stakes choices in moments of crisis. The course goes beyond the classroom through a unique practicum in partnership with DCAF - the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, where students collaborate on live policy projects under expert mentorship.
Blending critical thinking with hands-on experience, the seminar prepares students to engage with policy in a more informed, analytical, and impactful way.