The old plan

 

630      Research Methodology        

Topics include: Methodologies of research in the social sciences; selecting a research topic and research problem; developing hypotheses; the structure of the research paper and thesis; and computing skills required for research in international studies.

 

631      Theory of International Relations  

Topics include: Structure of the international system; analytical and methodological issues; states, governmental, nongovernmental and private organizations; methods and goals of international relations; and Geographic, demographic, cultural, and ideological factors affecting international relations, in addition to the patterns of international relations.

 

632      Comparative Politics   

Topics include: The role of regimes, psychological factors, bureaucracies, socioeconomic factors, realist politics, historical and cultural factors in foreign policies under international regimes; human rights in international relations; national and regional politics in the Middles East; and Palestine’s current and future roles in international politics.

 

633      Public Administration

Topics include: The major systems in public administration and its development; the relationship between the state and bureaucracy; the decision making process and the allocation of responsibilities; coordination among different administrative branches; public responsibility and program supervision; creating a professional civil service force and preserving it; and the expression of political, economic and public interests through administration.

 

634      International Relations since 1914    

Topics include: Transformations in the international system since World War I; the Paris Peace Conference and the establishment of the League of Nations; the world and the West in the inter-wars era; the colonial and mandate systems; the emergence of national liberation movements; the impact of World War II and the American-Soviet confrontation on the international system and international relations after the Cold War.

 

INST6341      Diplomatic History 1815 -1945         

Topics include: Structural changes in the conduct of international relations beginning with the Congress of Vienna (1815); the functioning and malfunctioning of the Congress system; 1848: revolution, reaction, intervention; German and Italian unification; the diplomacy of colonialism in the nineteenth century; the international expansion of the Westphalian system: Japan and the United States; Imperialism, nationalism and the alliance system in the outbreak of World War I; results of the War: the Russian Revolution and Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points;  the Paris peace conference of 1919: Versailles treaty, the League of Nations, collective security, the right to self-determination, the Mandate system; Fascism and World War two; The Cold War, the UN system and the globalization of diplomacy.

 

 635      The Diplomatic History of Palestine since the 19th Century

Topics include: Palestine in diplomatic history since Napoleon’s campaign in 1799; Britain's colonial aspirations in the nineteenth century; Palestine, the Ottman Empire and the superpowers during the Crimean War; Europe, the “Eastern Issue” and Zionism; World War I; the British-French competition; Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate; World War II and the partition of Palestine; the United Nations and the superpowers; and the diplomacy of the Palestinian issue since 1948.

 

6351      Reparation for Injuries Resulting from Forced Migration  

Topics include: Exploration of elements of internationally wrongful acts against refugees from the standpoint of international law; Consequences of injuries caused by forced migration, particularly those sustained by Palestinians; special emphasis on full reparation for injuries of refugees in the form ofrestitution (e.g. the Palestinian right of return); compensation and satisfaction from the standpoint of customary and conventional international law.

 

636      The Arab World and the West in the Twentieth Century

Topics include: The role of superpowers in the Arab Mashriq during World War I, France and Britain’s confrontation with Arab nationalist movements; the Syrian, Palestinian, Iraqi, and Egyptian issues; independence and dependency; loss of Palestine and its effect on the relations between Arabs and the West; American dominance in the area after World War II and Israel’s role in this field, Arabs and the Cold War; the Baghdad Pact; the Non-aligned movement; bilateral relationships; the collapse of the Soviet Union and its effect on the balance of power in the region.

 

INST6361      Palestinian Diplomacy since 1919

Topics include: Palestinian diplomacy since 1919, its formation and successive stages; Relations with the mandatory power, investigative committees, and international delegations; Dealing with UN resolutions, notably the partition resolution of 1947 and the Nakba; The establishment of the PLO and the struggle for an independent diplomacy;  Arab, regional and international factors in the evolution of Palestinian politics; The PLO and the 1991 Gulf War; from the Madrid Conference to the Oslo accords; The diplomacy of the Palestinian National Authority; Diplomatic initiatives since 1994; Negotiations with Israel, the Arab countries, the EU and the US; Multilateral and public diplomacy; Detailed case studies (e.g. Madrid-Washington, Oslo, Wye Plantation, Camp David).

 

INST637      Principles of International Economics      

Topics include: The economic issue, production curve, supply and demand; governmental interference, comparative advantage and trade theories; new trade and inflationary policies; preferential trade arrangements (the free trade zone and tariff unions); global economic blocs, balance of payments, and foreign currency exchange rates; international commercial and financial organizations (WTO, IMF, WB); the European-Mediterranean partnership (with applications in Palestine and the Arab World).

 

INST6371      Psychological, Social, and Existential Dimensions of Refugee Life  

Topics include: Study of the psychological, social, and existential crisis of refugees and their suffering with reference to crisis management literature and examples of real life situations faced by Palestinian and other refugees, relating it to international standards of refugee treatment; The role of international organizations, e.g. UNHCR, UNRWA, and IMO, in ameliorating the living conditions of refugees.

 

638      The Political Economy of Development    

Topics include: Economic development and underdevelopment from a historical perspective; development; democracy; contemporary international institutions and the indebtedness issues; the role of the state in development; the role of agriculture in development; and the role of industry in development and human development.

 

INST639      Palestinian Refugees

Topics include: Exploration of the concept of forced migration; the means employed in uprooting and displacement internally and externally; The historic origins of Palestinian forced migration with the progressive creation of a Diaspora in comparative perspective; Asymmetric and symmetric narratives of forced migration particularly those concerning Palestinians since the 1948 Nakba; and the sources for the study of Palestinian forced migration, both written and oral.

 

730      Comparative Foreign Policy  

Topics include: Theories explaining the motives, paths, and outcomes of foreign policies of states; a comparative study of foreign policies of states that play a leading role in the world; examining case studies resulting in effective foreign policies.

 

731      Principles and Application of International Law

Topics include: The history and formulation of international law, its goals and topics; states and peoples in international law; international agreements and the responsibility for their implementation; executive institutions and the scope of their work;  the peaceful resolution of conflicts; law occupation; and international law relating to human rights.

 

INST732      Diplomatic Law and International Organizations

Topics include: Defining diplomatic law and the international agreements that tailor such law; The position of the diplomat, the diplomatic corps, and  diplomatic immunity; The law governing the Palestinian diplomatic corps; the role and activities of the ministry of foreign affairs, embassies and foreign representative offices; The concept of collective security; international cooperation; the League of Nations; the United Nations and its specialized agencies; global and regional organizations; case studies of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), World Health Organization (WHO), International Labor Organization (ILO), and the International Court of Justice (ICJ); The role of international organizations in development, peacekeeping, peacemaking, humanitarian missions; and the future of international organizations.

 

INST7321      European Union: History, Law and Institutions    

Topics include: Introducing the European Union as a unique regional organization; The way it developed after World War II, and how it contributed to the resolution of conflicts between European states; The accession of new members; EU institutions and the decision making process at different levels; The international founding and organizing conventions of the EU, the new European law and its relation to the national laws of member states; The single market and currency; Contemporary developments in foreign and security policies; and the impact of creating the position in EU of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs on the foreign policy of EU members.

 

733      Jurisdiction and Implementation in International Law

Topics include: The responsibilities of states, international organizations, private corporations, and national liberation movements under international law in accordance with the Hague and Geneva Conventions and additional protocols; International customs and precedents; international and regional mediation, reconciliation, and sanctions.

 

INST7331      Regions and International Issues   

Topics include: In-depth study of the regional groups, components and powers in the international system (Arab system, Africa, South-East Asia, Latin America, European Union and others); International and regional actors such as China, Russia, Japan, India, Brazil and others; Introducing the dynamic operation of the international system based on case studies, necessary tools to understand that system and to deal with its variables; Analyzing issues and real historical crises as well as potential crises in the international system (the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, the Vietnam War,  the Afghanistan wars and the proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction); and other issues and cases will likewise be taken up, such as migration and energy.

 

734      International Refugee Law                 

Topics include: Study of aspects of international law that address the rights and protection of refugees while paying particular attention to Palestinian refugees; Issues related to refugee resettlement, repatriation, and protection; United Nations resolutions on refugees, especially Resolution 194; The distinction between international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international refugee law.

 

735      Special Topic: 

Social Time and Transnational Space 

Human Rights, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

The European Parliament: history, growth, prospects

The Making of Public Policy

Europe and the Arab World 

The program offers an in-depth study of a special topic selected by the Institute Council according to students’ needs and available capacities.

 

736      Networking and Refugee Identity

Topics include: The maintenance of refugee identity through various means of networking in view of the increasing number of refugees worldwide, accompanied by globalization and the development of communication technologies such as the internet; The phenomenon of diaspora, methods of maintaining ties with the country of origin; the strength of these ties across generations; and the role of diaspora communities in assisting refugees.

 

737      Demography of Refugees: Comparative Perspective         

Topics include: Examination of the demography of refugees through case studies, in a comparative perspective, with emphasis on generational shifts in refugee status in various fields and the primary indicators of those shifts; Study of the Palestinian refugee experience with reference to the existing literature on Palestinian demography.

 

INST738      The Nature of Diplomacy  

Topics include: Diplomatic thought and practice since the era of the ancient Mesopotamian city-state; Selected historical and contemporary case studies in Middle Eastern, European and international diplomacy; The Westphalian system; Issues of sovereignty, non-alignment, balance of powers; The origin and development of diplomacy (as an art, a science and a profession); The role of diplomatic practice, reports and analysis, mediation and consultation; The organizational structure of the diplomatic corps: comparative examples. Diplomatic specializations: political, advisory, economic, cultural, military and intelligence; Paradoxes of classical and modern diplomacy; Defining the ideal diplomat; The nature and significance of public diplomacy; Diplomatic protocol and its role in managing international relations; and the cultural components of diplomacy: dealing with actors representing different countries and bodies, cultures, religions, political regimes.

 

INST739      Negotiations: Strategy and Tactics      

Topics include: Defining and introducing negotiations; Determining goals and how to achieve them: maximizing benefits, minimizing costs and overcoming negative aspects; The psychology of the negotiation process, the culture of negotiations, asymmetrical negotiations, managing crises in the negotiation process and trying to avoid them, choosing alliances, understanding enemies; How to select the negotiating delegation and to determine tactics for the negotiation process once it starts; Boycotting and ending negotiations; Historical and imagined negotiations; and simulation exercises.

 

801      Practical Internship

Students who choose “Track B” are required to complete a two-month internship in a governmental, non-governmental or international organization inside or outside Palestine upon the approval of the Institute’s Council. At the end of the internship, students are required to submit a detailed report about their experience as trainees. In addition, the direct supervisor of the trainee in the organization is required to write a report evaluating the trainee’s commitment and the extent to which the trainee benefited from the training. To fulfill the condition of completing the practical internship component successfully, students must receive a positive evaluation from the Institute’s Council. The evaluation will be based on the two aforementioned reports. The Institute’s Council may exempt a student from the practical internship if the student had received appropriate training through his/her job before or after joining the program.

 

806      Comprehensive Oral Exam

Upon the completion of all the required courses (core and elective courses), students are required to sit for the Comprehensive Oral Exam that aims at evaluating students’ knowledge in the field of international studies (and the concentration, if chosen). The exam is held twice a year; the first session takes place at the end of the first semester and the second at the end of the second semester. If approved by the Institute’s Council, a third session can be held at the end of the summer session or the beginning of the first semester.

 

830      Seminar        

Students are required to write an advanced reasearch report of approximately 30 pages on a topic related to the “International System”, and presenting it in class.

Prerequisites: the completion of no less than 12 credit hours including INST 630.

 

831      Seminar        

Students are required to write an advanced research report of approximately 30 pages on a topic related to “The Arab World in International Politics”, and presenting it in class. Prerequisites: the completion of no less than 12 credit hours including INST 630.

 

860      Thesis

Students are required to write a thesis in the field of specialization according to the approved instructions for writing master’s theses.