MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
ALMATY MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY
CHAIR OF “GENERAL EDUCATION DISCIPLINES”
Approved
at the meeting of the Educational-methodical Council
Chair
______________ N. Duysengulova
«____ » ____________ 2014
Educational program: undergraduate studies
Specialty: 5Â050505 - “Regional studies”
Form of education: daytime
SYLLABUS on the course “Introduction to Regional studies”
Year: 1
Semester: 1
Number of credits: 1
Lecturer: Danial Saari, senior lecturer, IR specialist
Almaty, 2014
Completed by:
Senior lecturer, IR specialist ____________________ Danial Saari
signature
The syllabus has been developed on the basis of the Working Program of the course «Introduction to Regional studies» for students of the specialty: 5Â050505 - “Regional studies”
Syllabus was considered at the meeting of the Chair of “General Education Disciplines”
Minutes ¹___ of “____” ______________ 2014
Head of the Chair:
Doctor of technical sciences _____________________ A.T. Kolushpayeva
signature
Introduction
This discipline considers and examines students the main stages of regional integration processes in the world. It is aimed to familiarize students with the essence of modern regional processes in the world, with major theoretical perspectives applicable to their analysis as well as potential avenues for their further development. The given course shows the profound role of regional organizations in multilateral diplomacy. The course shows both role and place of states and international organizations at contemporary period both on the regional and global levels.
Methodology of teaching this discipline provides for:
- Lecturing;
- Practice classes conduction;
- IWST/IWUT;
- IWS/IWU.
The purpose of teaching the subject is
- work out the key categories and concepts used in the study of regional processes;
- learn the basic concepts and strategies of regional processes in the contemporary world;
- understand the logic and patterns of regional trends in the context of other international processes and activities of international organizations;
- get acquainted with regional characteristics of regional processes and know their essential features;
- develop skills in comparative analysis of regional trends in various regions of the world;
- be able to analyze the institutions of regional associations and their evolution.
Tasks of studying this discipline are:
1. To reveal the contents of the phenomenon of regions and review existing perspectives on the regional processes both in foreign and domestic science;
2. To determine the location of global factors of world development and analyze the impact of regions on the evolution of trends in international relations in general and its minor subsystems;
3. To show the role of international organizations in contemporary international relations and global development and characterize the most important regional associations.
Prerequisites: "History of Kazakhstan", "World History" studied within school curriculum.
Postrequisites: «Current problems of regions in the system of international relations», “World economy and international economic relations”, “International and regional organizations”, “History of the region of specialization”, “Political system in the region of specialization”, “Foreign policy in the region of specialization”, “Economy of the region of specialization”, “Regional conflicts and methods of their settlement”.
Students studied this discipline must:
master the following competencies according to the competence model of the bachelor
General competencies:
- convincingly put problems and answer questions;
- mastering the skills of collecting, systematization, analyzing, synthesizing data, execution and results’ presentation;
- develop ability to work in a team;
- be able to pose and solve problems in the implementation of projects;
- be aware and understand the main tendencies of the world historical process;
- be able to apply their knowledge and skills through training and employment;
- mastering the basic elements of learning throughout life;
- develop an understanding of the major historical trends in modern society;
- be able to improve and develop their intellectual, moral and wider cultural and psychological level;
- be able to analyze socially significant problems and processes used in the practical methods of humanitarian, social and economic sciences in different kinds of activity.
Subject-specialized competencies:
– ability to understand the international regional processes occurring in society and analyze trends in the global economy;
– ability and willingness to constantly expand and deepen general intellectual knowledge for understanding contemporary trends in international processes and their influence on the development of Kazakhstan and the world community;
– readiness in practice to apply this knowledge to explain the complexities and specificities of individual countries and regions in the context of increasing regional integration processes;
– ability to evaluate specific situations related to international processes, the place and role of international organizations in these processes.
COURSE SCHEDULE
¹
Topic name
Distribution of classes by weeks
Lectures
Seminars
IWS/ IWU
IWST/ IWUT
1
2
3
4
5
6
Introductory lecture. Regional studies as a scientific and educational discipline
Forms and processes of spatial differentiation
Regionalization of international relations
Complex Regional studies (Country studies and Area studies) and its functions
Ethnic factor of regionalism
Demographic factor of regionalism
Confessional factor of regionalism
Midterm control 1
Political and geographic factor of regionalism
Cultural and historical regions of the world
General theoretical foundations of regional infrastructure
European regionalism
CIS and regional cooperation in the post-Soviet area
Central Asia and regional relationships
Cross-border cooperation
Transformation of geopolitical regions in contemporary time
Midterm control 2
Exam
16 - 18
Content of practical, laboratory classes, form of control and assessment
Topic ¹
Questions for practical classes
Literature
Form of control
Max. score
1
2
3
4
5
Introductory lesson. Regional studies as a scientific and educational discipline.
Questions:
1. Define the object and purpose of the discipline
2. What are the regional trends in the system of IR?
3. What are the main political processes on the regional level?
Compulsory
¹3, pp 7-12
Additional
¹4, pp 5-9
Oral/written questioning
Forms and processes of spatial differentiation.
Questions:
1. What is globalization?
2. What is regionalism?
3. What are the main theoretical approaches to the study of regions
Compulsory
¹1,3, pp 4-9
Additional
¹4, pp 9-15
Oral/written questioning
Regionalization of international relations.
Questions:
1. The role and activities of regions in IR.
2. What is institutionalization of regions?
3. What are the main problems and prospects of the regional integration?
Compulsory
¹1, pp 18-20
Additional
¹4, pp 13-16
Oral/written questioning
Complex Regional studies (Country studies and Area studies) and its functions.
Questions:
1. The problem of complex Regional studies.
2. What are peculiarities of Country studies?
3. Describe the main features of Area studies.
Compulsory
¹1,2, pp 22-28
Additional
¹1, pp 21-26
Oral/written questioning
Ethnic factor of regionalism.
Questions:
1. Similarities and differences between old and new regionalism
2. What is the essence of the ethnic regionalism?
3. What are the main approaches to the study of regions?
Compulsory
¹1, pp 20-22
Additional
¹1, pp 12-23
Oral/written questioning
Demographic factor of regionalism.
Questions:
1. The main demographic problems regions recently face
2. Similarities and differences between ethnic and demographic regionalism
3. What are the main approaches to the study of demographic regionalism?
Confessional factor of regionalism.
Questions:
1. What is the essence of the confessional regionalism?
2. Similarities and differences between confessional and demographic regionalism
3. What are the main approaches to the study of confessional regionalism?
Compulsory
¹2, pp 38-55
Additional
¹4, pp 37-42
Oral/written questioning
Political and geographic factor of regionalism.
Questions:
1. The main impact of political and geographic factor of regionalism
2. Geopolitical picture of regionalism
3. Political problems with other regions
Compulsory
¹1, pp 47-51
Additional
¹3, pp 27-42
Oral/written questioning
Cultural and historical regions of the world.
Questions:
1. The main cultural processes in in the regions
2. Integration processes in the regions
3. Historical and current issues of regionalism
Compulsory
¹2, pp 52-63
Additional
¹3,5, pp 47-56
Oral/written questioning
General theoretical foundations of regional infrastructure.
Questions:
1. Features of regional processes in in the world
2. The role of developed countries in the integration of economically weaker states
3. Infrastructure of regions at the present stage
Compulsory
¹1, pp 63-70
Additional
¹3, pp 59-64
Oral/written questioning
European regionalism.
Questions:
1. Problems of European regionalism
2. The difference of European regional processes with other regions
3. Integration processes in Europe at the present stage
CIS and regional cooperation in the post-Soviet area.
Questions:
1. CIS and the problem of integration in the post-Soviet area
2. CIS in its relations with other regions
3. CIS at the present stage
Compulsory
¹1, pp 74-77
Additional
¹3,5, pp 85-72
Oral/written questioning
Central Asia and regional relationships.
Questions:
1. Regional processes in Central Asia
2. Regional relationships between Central Asian states
3. Central Asia and current issues of IR
Compulsory
¹1, pp 72-73
Additional
¹2, pp 83-85
Oral/written questioning
Cross-border cooperation.
Questions:
1. Features of cross-border cooperation in developing countries
2. The role of developing countries in the process of cross-border cooperation
3. Problems of cross-border cooperation at the present stage
Compulsory
¹4, pp 78-82
Additional
¹4, pp 97-101
Oral/written questioning
Transformation of geopolitical regions in contemporary time.
Questions:
1. Geopolitical processes in the world
2. Geopolitical transformations at the present time
3. Integration processes in the regions
Introductory lesson. Regional studies as a scientific and educational discipline.
Assignment: Compilation of the glossary on the theme discussed
Compulsory
¹3, pp 7-12
Additional
¹4, pp 5-9
ISW assignment’s defending
Forms and processes of spatial differentiation.
Assignment: Write an essay on the themes (optional): 1. Forms of spatial differentiation or 2. Processes of spatial differentiation.
Compulsory
¹1,3, pp 4-9
Additional
¹4, pp 9-15
Table’s defending
Regionalization of international relations.
Assignment: Make a crossword on the topic: Regionalization in IR
Compulsory
¹1, pp 18-20
Additional
¹4, pp 13-16
Crossword’s defending
Complex Regional studies (Country studies and Area studies) and its functions.
Assignment: Prepare a presentation on the following themes: “Regional studies”, “Country studies” or “Area studies”
Compulsory
¹1,2, pp 22-28
Additional
¹1, pp 21-26
Presentation’s defending
Ethnic factor of regionalism.
Assignment: Make a comparative analysis of the ethnic factor of regionalism
Compulsory
¹1, pp 20-22
Additional
¹1, pp 12-23
Quiz based on comparative analysis
Demographic factor of regionalism.
Assignment: Study and make a written analysis of the demographic factor of regionalism
CIS and regional cooperation in the post-Soviet area.
Assignment: Prepare a presentation on regional cooperation in the post-Soviet area
Compulsory
¹1, pp 74-77
Additional
¹3,5, pp 85-72
Oral presentation
Central Asia and regional relationships.
Assignment: Prepare a report on Central Asia
Compulsory
¹1, pp 72-73
Additional
¹2, pp 83-85
ISW assignment’s defending
Cross-border cooperation.
Assignment: Make a comparative analysis of developing countries in the context of cross-border cooperation
Compulsory
¹4, pp 78-82
Additional
¹4, pp 97-101
Quiz based on comparative analysis
Transformation of geopolitical regions in contemporary time.
Assignment: Prepare for the colloquium on the topic: “Transformation of geopolitical regions in contemporary time”
