Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa

• Acquire knowledge, based on critical reflection, on the main events that marked the evolution of current societies and that characterize the Contemporary World, as well as the main factors of political, economic and sociocultural transition;
• Understand the most relevant transition processes that gave rise to the formation of contemporary societies, distinguishing the economic-social, political-institutional and socio-cultural dimensions;
• Stimulate the development of self-learning and critical analysis techniques.

Goals:

• Know the origin and evolution of OI
• Systematize its characteristics as a form of international cooperation and as guarantors of global governance
• Reflect the relationship between the international reality and the functioning of IO
• To promote reflection on the origin and evolution of the UN, articulated with the main actors in the political-diplomatic plans
• Identify and understand the action of continental, regional or specialized organizations, considering the complexity of the international system and the new actors.

Skills:

• Identify the theoretical contributions to the study of IO
• Understand and analyze its mechanisms
• Identify, select and evaluate sources of documentary and bibliographic information
• Develop critical thinking skills
• Analyze the operation and decision-making process of IO
• Recognize the importance of IO in the multilateral diplomatic framework
• Understand Portugal's role as a member of the OI

General objectives:

• Apprehend and develop the process of scientific investigation, as a process of production and communication of knowledge, and recognizing research planning as time savings and resource rationalization
  define information needs: how to access information, evaluate it and organize it
• Acquire methodological tools to write academic works with rigor, systematization and critical spirit; notions of adequate writing, internal coherence and standardization of criteria in the citation methodology.

Specific objectives:

• Characterize scientific knowledge
• Identify research methods and techniques
• Know the main sources of information
• Identify and characterize the types of scientific-academic work
• Plan and execute a Bibliographic Research and prepare a Research Project
• Produce a monographic work following the documental norms of bibliographic referencing.

The curricular unit is an introduction to the study of Culture and Communication in the contemporary world, adapted to the training offered by the Degree in International Relations.

It is intended that the trainees acquire essential knowledge about the modern evolution of the idea of Culture and its importance and diversity in today's world, as well as about the functioning, procedures and influence of the current means of Communication and the media globally considered in contemporary life. . The training offered should result in a good, up-to-date and specialized understanding of the place and role of Culture and Communication, particularly in democratic societies.

• Identify and evaluate pre-classical, classical, neoclassical and contemporary approaches to international trade;
• Describe the neoclassical version of international trade;
• Describe the foundations and evolution of the international financial and monetary system;
• Understand the role of the Bretton-Woods agreement in the formulation of the financial and monetary system after World War II;
• Recognize the recent evolution of the international monetary system;
• Identify the significant balances of the balance of payments;
• Describe strategies to combat significant balance imbalances;
• Identify the foreign exchange market and describe the policies for artificially fixing the value of a currency;
• Identify nominal and effective exchange rates, fixed and flexible exchange rate regimes, spot and forward exchange rates;
• Understand the theory of purchasing power parity;
• Describe the currency devaluation/depreciation policy and the adoption of artificial pegs in some important ones.

Goals:

• Acquire the appropriate conceptual framework for knowledge and analysis of issues related to defense and international security;
• Develop analysis capacity on the evolution of threats, actors and instruments, defense policies, international security systems and the role of defense and security organizations.

Skills:

• Understanding of risks that affect security;
• Understanding of evolutions and changes in defense and security, including threats, actors, instruments, types of conflicts and new approaches and references;
• Awareness of international challenges and efforts to promote security and “complete peace”;
• Ability to reflect on the character and role of both defense and security organizations, with emphasis on the UN, NATO and the EU-CSDP;
• Awareness of the vectors of national defense policy and of Portugal's involvement in international security.

The aim of the Theories of International Relations I course is to familiarize students with the major currents of thought and different perspectives, traditional or classical and modern, on International Relations, providing them with a thorough knowledge of the operational concepts, the different problems and subjects of study of the discipline.

It is intended that the student acquire analytical skills in relation to the study of International Relations, looking at current issues from certain structured and scientific perspectives and becoming aware of their virtues and limitations.

As general skills and competences it is necessary that the student:

• Know how to locate various aspects of Portuguese culture in time and space;
• Know how to relate Portuguese culture with the Portuguese people and with their expansion in the world.

As specific skills and competences, it is necessary that the student:

• Realize the importance of the cultural role of the Catholic Church and Maritime Expansion;
• Understand the cultural extent of the sebastianist myth;
• Discover the most important moments of socio-cultural change in Portugal between the 17th and the 20th century and identify its most evident manifestations.

Learning objectives:

• Acquire knowledge and ability to analyze the current situation of the European Economy and its insertion in the world context;
• Knowing the history, actors and intra and inter-regional interactions of the European space;
• Develop an attitude of reflection on the events and dynamics in the construction of the European Economic and Monetary Union.

Skills to develop:

• Know the historical evolution and the current situation of competitiveness of the European economy in the world context;
• Understand the heterogeneity of the European space and understand the respective economic and political dynamics between the various “Europes”;
• Understand the potential, constraints and policies of the most relevant actors in the European space, including Portugal, and assess the trends that are established in relation to other world economic spaces;
• Understand the vectors of competition Europe, USA, China and other emerging economies.

Goals:

• Acquire the theory and methodology appropriate to the knowledge, understanding and analysis of the subject
• Identify, select and evaluate sources of information
• Make contact with relevant authors and works
• Develop a reflective attitude about the main political and social ideas

Skills:

• Know the origin and evolution of the main political and social ideas
• Understand the theories of the main political thinkers
• Recognize the importance of political and social ideas and the main ideological conceptions for historical evolution
• Understand political classifications and theories, revolutionary thinking, major ideological conceptions, and their historical context
• Understand the relationship between political thought/historical events
• Assess the evolution of certain ideological conceptions and their contemporaneity
• Perceiving the emergence of new ideas and new ideologies

The aim of the Theories of International Relations II course is to familiarize students with the major currents of thought and different perspectives, traditional or classical and modern, on International Relations, providing them with a thorough knowledge of the operational concepts, the different problems and subjects of study of the discipline.

It is intended that the student acquire analytical skills in relation to the study of International Relations, looking at current issues from certain structured and scientific perspectives and becoming aware of their virtues and limitations.

Learning Objectives:

• Acquire the theoretical, conceptual and methodological framework suitable for knowledge and analysis of the State and political power;
• Develop an attitude of reflection and questioning about the nature of the State, sovereignty and political systems today;

Skills to develop:

• Awareness of the different conceptualizations and fundamental theoretical approaches of State, nation, sovereignty and political power/regime;
• Know the origins and historical evolution, purposes and organs of the State; the different perspectives of the nation; the forms of selection and political participation; the exceptionality of the EU; and the evolution of the Portuguese political system;
• Identify and characterize the different types of State and political regimes/systems in the face of concrete realities;
• Ability to problematize the nature of the contemporary State and the challenges and dilemmas involving sovereignty, governance and Democracy.

It is intended that the student acquires knowledge, methodologies and work tools that allow him to participate, in the exercise of his professional activity, in the areas of international business, either in the scope of the internationalization of organizations, or in their activities, in particular, in the field of of marketing products and services.

As this is an introductory course, it is expected that, at the end, the student will be able to:
• Understand the specifics of international business and its importance in an increasingly globalized world;
• Knowing the main sources of information – theoretical, practical and data – that can be used;
• Deepen the themes from the basic information that the course provides;
• Describe international business cases;
• Identify the themes and understand their interrelationships, in the case of having to prepare works within the scope of proposals and evaluation of international business.

The objectives of this curricular unit are:

• the acquisition of conceptual and theoretical knowledge about the importance of the Environment for International Relations
• the understanding of the importance of the Environment in the international context and the analysis of its influence on the first
• the analysis of the main changes in the correlation of forces at international level in the environmental field
• identification of the main environmental problems or threats
  the valorization of self-learning, stimulating the critical analysis of the topics covered during the contact sessions

The skills expected to be acquired by the student are:

• the ability to identify and select sources of information appropriate to the objectives of research on environmental issues
• the ability to define the main environmental problems by region worldwide
• knowledge about environmental regulatory instruments at an international level

The last few years have revealed important changes in the framework of international relations, which are projected in foreign policies and in the negotiations through which States seek to structure and harmonize them. The end of the bipolar equilibrium and the resulting new strategic design and the diverse consequences of the dynamics of globalization have posed heavy problems to the community of nations and introduced new challenges to diplomacy and international negotiation in order to resolve them.

Because the interdependence between States and Peoples has never been so close, and its consequences for the citizens who form their respective civil societies so direct, it is important to provide students with instruments of knowledge and theoretical and practical training that allow them to better understand and intervene in the difficult world today – both in everyday life and in the job market they want to reach.

Learning objectives:

• Acquire the appropriate conceptual and methodological framework for geopolitical and strategic knowledge and analysis;
• Know the classic theories and the new approaches;
• Develop an attitude of reflection on the characteristics and trends of world geopolitics and the strategies of the major international actors today.

Skills to develop:

• Awareness of the relationship between geography and politics and of strategic elaboration in the behavior and interactions of international actors;
• Know the evolution of geopolitical and strategic thinking, the main thinkers and current perspectives;
• Ability to analyze geopolitical and strategic dynamics and interactions;
• Ability to reflect on world geopolitics and the strategy of the main actors today, as well as the geopolitical positioning and strategy of Portugal.

• Acquire the theoretical and methodological tools appropriate to the knowledge and criticism of knowledge regarding the understanding of the real value and potential of Portugal's projection in the contemporary world;
• Identify, select and evaluate sources of documentary and bibliographic information regarding the projection and affirmation of Portugal in the world;
• Develop techniques and behaviors based on learning skills, as well as an attitude of attention and critical reflection on the multiple variables and dimensions of the themes related to the affirmation of Portugal in the contemporary world.

The specific objectives of this curricular unit are:

• Understand the main geopolitical (and geoeconomic) dynamics of the present time relevant to the study of conflict;
• Acquire basic notions in the field of conflict study;
• To know the main conflicts of the present time: actors, causes and recent evolution;
• Distinguish and characterize the processes of instability in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia.

• Acquire adequate conceptual and historical references on international cooperation;
• Know the most relevant theoretical approaches to cooperation for development;
• Identify the actors and instruments of international cooperation for development;
• Develop self-learning techniques.

The skills to be acquired by the student are:

• The critical ability to identify, select and interpret sources of information and development indicators;
• The ability to recognize privileged actors in terms of cooperation models;
• The ability to adapt instruments of international cooperation to concrete development needs.

Learning objectives:

• Understand and interpret the specific characteristics of the African continent (with the exception of Arab North Africa) and its position in the contemporary world;
• Study the African interstate system, including regional organizations and the power play of African powers;
• Understand the transversal dynamics of the various African countries, with emphasis on economic, migratory, refugee movements, cross-border dynamics, etc.
• Know the nature and circumstances of the conflict present in different African societies and their tendency towards internationalization;
• Analyze the external influences that are felt on the African continent.

Learning objectives:

• Acquire knowledge and analysis skills on the situation in the vast Asia-Pacific region;
• Knowing the history, actors and intra and inter-regional interactions;
• Develop an attitude of reflection on the events in this region and their growing importance in the international system.

Skills to develop:

• Knowledge of the historical evolution and current situation of Asia-Pacific;
• Identify the various sub-regions and understand their specificities and connections;
• Understanding the potential, constraints and policies of the most relevant actors, as well as the framework of bilateral and multilateral interactions;
• Understand the factors of instability and the main conflicts and disputes;
• Understand the vectors of competition and cooperation in Asia-Pacific and the specificity of multilateralism and regionalism;
• Understand the interactions and interdependencies between Asia-Pacific and other regions of the globe.

Learning objectives:

• Acquire knowledge and ability to analyze the situation in the vast space ranging from Eastern Europe to Central Asia;
• Knowing the history, actors and intra and inter-regional interactions;
• Develop an attitude of reflection on the events and dynamics in EurAsia.

Skills to develop:

• Know the historical evolution and the current situation in the delimited area of EurAsia;
• Understand the heterogeneity of Eurasia, identify the various sub-regions (from the Baltics to Central Asia, through Eastern Europe and the Caucasus or the Baltic, Black and Caspian Sea Basins) and understand their respective specificities and evolutions;
• Understand the potential, constraints and policies of the most relevant actors (residents and non-residents), in particular Russia, as well as the framework of bilateral and multilateral interactions in the “post-Soviet space”;
• Understand the factors of instability and conflicts and disputes;
• Understand the vectors of competition and cooperation in EurAsia and the interdependencies with other actors and regions of the world.

Teaching-learning objectives:

• To provide students with theoretical and analytical tools, either through a general historical approach or through the study of specific cases, which allow them to better understand the socio-political and economic reality, the evolution of the system and the consequent international insertion of the American Continent and the North Americas. North, Central and South, with emphasis on the cases of the USA and Brazil.
• Understand the specificities of Latin America: Historical evolution, regional borders, States and subsystems; Pluralism and “political autonomy” of the region.
• Inter-American System; concept; origins; institutionalization process. Regional integration processes. Conflicts, disputes and crime.
• Latin America and the US, the EU, Portugal and China.

Objectives:

• Understand the “foundations” of the Middle East and the Islamic world in terms of States and societies;
• Know the main pillars of the historical evolution of the region from the dawn of Islam to the impacts of the World Wars and the “Cold War”;
• Understand the energy issue and the religious dimension;
• Understand the specifics of the Maghreb region;
• Develop an attitude of reflection and careful analysis on the processes of change and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the influences of other “external” actors.