Laboratory: Concepts and Methods in International Relations

The course is divided into two parts. The first part addresses several foundational IR concepts, encouraging students to critically examine the intellectual building blocks upon which the discipline is constructed and represented. This section engages with the epistemological assumptions and the key methodological tenets that underpin the study of international political thought, trying to highlight the risks of anachronism and presentism implicit in the study of the history of ideas and concepts. Concepts such as 'anarchy', 'enmity', and 'society' are analysed through a critical and genealogical lens, highlighting their historical and contextual situatedness. The second part of the course focuses on the core elements of research design in IR, with a minor on space analysis and geopolitics. It introduces major research methods and techniques employed in the field, covering both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Students will explore how these methods have been applied to key research questions in the IR literature. Finally, students will be challenged to apply these concepts and methods by developing an original research proposal that reflects the structure of a formal academic project. This hands-on component guides students through the process of formulating and organizing a research proposal.