Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Russia in World Politics
Course Code
SZF_295
Branch of Science
Political science
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Political Science
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Elīna Vrobļevska
Structure Unit Manager
Ieva Puzo
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts
SZF, Kuldigas Street 9C, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
The course aims to introduce and conceptualize Russian foreign policy processes, priorities and tools in the context of global and regional political and economic processes. At the first part, domestic factors of Russian foreign policy are identified. The second part of the course is intended to examine Russian foriegn policy directions, priorities and tools. The Baltic and Latvian foreign policy dilemmas should be identified in the context of Russian foreign policy ambitions and policies.
Preliminary Knowledge
General understanding of processes of international relations and politics.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Students acquire knowledge of and are able to assess Russian foreign policy factors, actors and major directions.
Skills
1.Students facilitate their opinion formulation and expression in an international setting as well as digital skills.
Competences
1.Students acquire the ability to carry out an independent research and interdisciplinary analysis. Students demonstrate the ability to analyse the role of an international actor in the international setting and prioritize influencing factors and actors.
Assessment
Individual work
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Individual work |
-
|
-
|
|
Students independently carry out a literature evaluation and prepare an individual project. Cross-examination tests, reflecting the acquired knowledge of the sampled material. The purpose of the report (pages 8-10) is to develop and demonstrate the ability to evaluate the substance studied, to prioritise the most important, to formulate its opinion, to print and to develop the research problem. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must complete the study course assessment questionnaire on the student Portal. |
||
|
2.
Individual study |
25.00% from total grade
|
10 points
|
|
Individual project (8-10 pages) intends to demonstrate skills to manage the material, distinguish the most important messages, formulate own opinions and stucture an elaborate analysis |
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Examination
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Tests |
25.00% from total grade
|
10 points
|
|
Intermediate tests - control tests, reflect acquired knowledge of the sampled material |
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|
2.
Participation and activity in seminars |
25.00% from total grade
|
10 points
|
|
Seminars intend to demonstrate skills to manage the material, distinguish the most important messages and formulate own opinions within a group |
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|
3.
Final examination of the course |
25.00% from total grade
|
10 points
|
Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
-
Lecture
|
Modality
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Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Issues of historical development and identity of Russia
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Post-Soviet Russia’s challenges: political and economic processes
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Putin’s system and Putin 2036?
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russian foreign policy: empire or “normal” great power?
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russia’s relations with the European Union: dialogue or conflict?
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russian foreign policy thinking and goals
|
-
Consultation
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
Off site
|
Online
|
6
|
Topics
|
Individual consultations
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russian foreign policy’s Eastern vector
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russia’s priorities, opportunities and challenges in Post-Soviet Space. Russia’s Post-Soviet neighbors
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russian relations with the Post-Soviet neighbors. Eastern partnership countries. Relations with Belarus
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Assessment of Russia-Latvia relations
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russian foreign policy Instruments: from “hard” to “soft” power and back? Russia’s cyber-activities
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russia’s foreign policy instruments: energy
|
-
Consultation
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
Off site
|
Online
|
6
|
Topics
|
Individual consultations
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Simulation and discussion: actors in Russian foreign policy
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Simulation and discussion: actors in Russian foreign policy
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Simulation and discussion: actors in Russian foreign policy
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Russian foreign policy actors and factors: conclusions
|
-
Consultation
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
Off site
|
Online
|
6
|
Topics
|
Individual consultations
|
-
Test
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Exam
|
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
32 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Visa literatūra ir angļu valodā un piemērota gan latviešu, gan angļu plūsmas studentiem
2.
Ian Bond, "Russia, Ukraine and the West", CER Report, April 2021
3.
Kristi Raik, Andras Racz, Post-Crimea Shift in EU-Russia Relations (Tallinn: ICDS, 2019)
4.
Andis Kudors and Jānis Hermanis (eds.) The Russian Economy: Prospects for Putin 4.0 (Riga: APPC, 2020)
5.
Vladimir Gelman, “The Rise and Decline of Electoral Authoritarianism in Russia”, Demokratizatsiya, 2014
6.
Valdai Discussion Club, National Identity of the Future of Russia, February 2014
7.
OSW Commentary, “ ‘The Everlasting Putin’ and the Reform of the Russian Constitution”, March 2020
8.
Sergei Lavrov, “Russian Foreign Policy in Historical Perspective”, in Russia in Global Affairs. March 2016
9.
Charles Dick, “Russian Ground Forces Posture towards the West”, Chatham House Report, April 2019
10.
Sergey Karaganov "Where to Go and with Whom to Go: Russia’s Foreign Policy on the Threshold of a New Decade” in Russia in Global Affairs, January 2020
11.
Bobo Lo, “The Return: Russia and the Security Landscape of Northeast Asia”, IFRI Report, March 2020
12.
Arkady Dubnov, “Reflecting on a Quarter Century of Russia’s Relations With Central Asia”, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, April 2018
13.
Kalev Stoicescu, “Russia’s “Allies””, ICDS Report, January 2018
14.
Arseny Sivitsky, “Belarus-Russia: From a Strategic Deal to an Integration Ultimatum”, Foreign Policy Research Institute Report, December 2019
15.
RAND Report “Deterring Russian Aggression in the Baltic States”, January 2019Suitable for English stream
16.
Viljar Veebel, Zdzislaw Sliwa, “Kaliningrad, Suwalki Gap and Russia’s Ambitions in the Baltic Region” in Journal of International Studies, October 2019
17.
Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, International Security and Estonia, 2021
18.
Alina Polyakova, Spencer P. Boyer, “The Future of Political Warfare: Russia, The West, and The Coming Age of Global Digital Competition”, Brooking – Robert Bosch Foundation Report, March 2018
19.
Tatyana Stanovaya, “Unconsolidated: The Five Russian Elites Shaping Putin’s Transition”, Carnegie Commentary, February 2020
20.
George Friedman. The Next 100 Years. New York: Doubleday, 2009