Global Studies: Risks and Threats in International Relations

Understand how risks and threats affect our world

This four-week course offers you the opportunity to investigate why some events have a longer-lasting impact on global affairs than others. You’ll look at which threats affect foreign affairs and global policy, and how those threats can be evaluated.

Dive into the world of global studies and explore how the global political landscape is shaped by cultural divides and anticipated threats.

This course will provide you with insights gleaned from demography, geography and anthropology, which in turn will enable you to make informed predictions about the future of international relations.

Ce cours peut être entièrement suivi en français. Des traductions françaises sont disponibles, les discussions se déroulant sur un forum francophone.

Passer en revue les enjeux mondiaux, évaluer l’impact des clivages culturels et des menaces sécuritaires sur la politique étrangère et internationale.

Assess major issues in geopolitics

Despite periods of relative stability, there are constant challenges within politics and international relations. You’ll review issues within communication, the instability of norms in politics and business, and social uprisings. Consider why people rebel, and the imbalances of power between people and states.

Consider today’s most pressing threats to stability

Worldwide change is only accelerating - environmental, cultural, and military pressures all need new means to meet expanding challenges.

You’ll learn how to assess these risks, looking closely at sustainability challenges such as water depletion and deforestation. You’ll then move on to review the impact of technology on warfare, and whether those changes will ever really spell the end of war.

This course is designed to be of particular interest to business and international-relations students, as well as professionals working for global businesses, and IGO and NGO experts dealing with intercultural issues.

No experience in Global Studies is required and anyone with an interest in the global political landscape and cultural divides will benefit.

If you’re taking this course as part of the International Relations programme for credit, you’ll be expected to spend 10 hours per week on it. If you’re not taking the course for credit, six hours per week is enough for basic understanding.

This course has been developed by Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM); a leading business school which has achieved international recognition thanks to its expertise in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

• Twelve Challenges to the current order
• Introduction
• Concepts and problems
• National Challenges
• International challenges
• Regional challenges
• Three major issues in Geopolitics
• How hard is it to communicate with others?
• Instability of norms and rules in politics and business
• Social uprising and citizens’ anger
• Three most pressing risks and threats today
• A point of no return: environmental, climate, and energy traps
• Spreading threats
• Security threats on the rise
• Twelve high stakes and how to face them
• The transformations of war 
• New polarity, new powers
• New norms, new practices