| Course Name | Year | Term | Period | Faculty / Graduate School | All Instructors | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12950:[2025 Fall]IR18‐EE214 Comparative and Global Governance (RB) § 12951:RUIR-2412 Comparative and Global Governance(RB) | 2025 | Fall | Wed4 | College Of International Relations | CHADHA Astha | 2 |
Campus
Class Venue
Language
Course Outline and Method
Information for “+R-Jugyo” will be posted on the “Course News” on manaba+R by September 20. Be sure to check the “Course News” on manaba+R.
The course explores the global history of order and governance from the early modern to the contemporary period, particularly focusing on the changing modalities of relations between different “worlds.” Going beyond the conventional (Eurocentric) narrative of the modern state system first emerging in Europe and then spreading throughout the globe via European expansion, it recasts our understanding of the modern international system’s polycentric foundations by taking a comparative and connective perspective on the global networks of interaction. Teaching methodologies employed include a combination of lectures and discussion-oriented seminars; students will be expected to prepare for class through weekly readings, engage in group work, etc. Feedback on assignments will be provided via Manaba+R. By studying for this course, students will be able to bring informed historical and theoretical arguments to bear on contemporary problems and to better anticipate and understand potential avenues of change in the future.
For JDP students, this is a gateway course to the Global and Comparative Governance (GCG) thematic area. Make sure you complete it early on, particularly if GCG is your Primary Thematic Area.
Student Attainment Objectives
1. Be familiar with the dominant ways of thinking about the sources of governance and change, develop the analytical tools necessary to evaluate those arguments based on historical evidence, and encourage the application of this knowledge to pressing contemporary issues in world politics.
2. Be familiar with the comparative method, and application of cross-regional comparisons in analysis.
3. Demonstrate critical thinking as evidenced through both written work and group discussions.
Recommended Preparatory Course
Course Schedule
| Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors) | Theme |
|---|---|
| Keyword, References and Supplementary Information | |
| 1 | Introduction |
course description and structure, “the international” and “the global”, Westphalian narrative, Eurocentrism, state-centrism, presentism, Eurasia |
|
| 2 | Basic Framework |
rethinking modernity, periodization, benchmark dates, scale, diversity of polities, relational approach, governance assemblage |
|
| 3 | Early Modern Worlds |
Eurasian steppes and nomadic empires, Mongol empire, age of commerce, multiple “worlds,” birth of global trade, commercial networks and circuits, trade diasporas |
|
| 4 | Early Modern Europe |
European world, civilizational encounter, Latin Christendom, religious reformation, sovereign state, Westphalia, European international society |
|
| 5 | Early Modern West and South Asia |
Indian Ocean, post-Mongol legacies, early modern globalization, Islamic empire, company sovereign, religious pluralism, freedom of the seas |
|
| 6 | Early Modern East Asia |
East Asian world, Sino-centric order, tribute system, sea ban, piracy, administered trade, port polity |
|
| 7 | Modern Worlds |
the Industrial Revolution, age of Revolutions, great divergence, colonization, standard of civilization, international law, mobility |
|
| 8 | Modern Europe |
French Revolution, nation-state, informal empire, concert of Europe, imperialism |
|
| 9 | Modern West and South Asia |
Russia, empires and nationalisms, suzerainty, legal imperialism, extraterritoriality, pan-Islamism |
|
| 10 | Modern East Asia |
Qing, Western impact, treaty system, unequal treaty, modernization |
|
| 11 | Contemporary World(s) |
World Wars, Cold War, war on terror, United Nations, decolonization, mandate system, globalization |
|
| 12 | Contemporary Europe |
Fascism, Iron Curtain, European integration, refugee crisis and populism, EU |
|
| 13 | Contemporary West and South Asia |
The collapse of the Ottoman Empire, decolonization in South Asia, the Third World, Non-Aligned Movement, religion and politics, Islamism and secularism |
|
| 14 | Contemporary East Asia |
Cold War in East Asia, the rise of China, unrecognized states, territorial disputes, new Cold War?
|
Class Format
Recommendations for Private Study
Grade Evaluation Method
| Kind | Percentage | Grading Criteria etc. |
|---|---|---|
| Final Examination (Written) | ||
| Report Examination (A report to be submitted by the unified deadline) |
||
| Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment (Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class) |
100 | In-class Presentation (30%)
|
Grade Evaluation Method （Note）
Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods
1. Students are required to uphold academic honesty in class for all assignments, reports, quizzes, etc.
2. Students’ use of generative AIs, including grammar checkers like Grammarly or translators such as
Google Translate is strictly prohibited. Reports, assignments, or any course-related written work using AI in any measure for text generation, will be treated as plagiarism and graded according to the university rules for plagiarism/academic dishonesty. Additionally, directly copying or using information from electronic tools, or using false information taken directly from generative AI software, such as ChatGPT, will also be treated as academic dishonesty.
3. Students are therefore advised and encouraged to use the Writing Tutorial Program provided by the university and seek help from tutors, rather than relying on AI or software such as for grammar checks.
Textbooks
Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）
Reference Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN Code | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Globalization of International Society | Dunne, Tim, and Christian Reus-Smit, eds. | Oxford University Press | 978-0198793434 | |
| What Is Global History? | Conrad, Sebastian | Princeton University Press | 978-0691178196 | |
| The Birth of the Modern World, 1780-1914: Global Connections and Comparisons | Bayly, C. A. | Blackwell | 978-0631236160 | |
| Remaking the Modern World 1900-2015: Global Connections and Comparisons | Bayly, C. A. | Wiley-Blackwell | 978-1405187169 | |
| The Global Transformation: History, Modernity and the Making of Modern International Relations | Buzan, Barry, and George Lawson | Cambridge University Press | 978-1107630802 | |
| The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century | Osterhammel, Jürgen | Princeton University Press | 978-0691169804 | |
| Decolonization: A Short History | Jansen, Jan C. and Jürgen Osterhammel | Princeton University Press | 978-0691192765 | |
| Multicultural Origins of the Global Economy: Beyond the Western-Centric Frontier | Hobson, John M. | Cambridge University Press | 978-1108744034 |
Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）
Web Pages for Reference
How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)
Other Comments
URL:https://secure.ritsumei.ac.jp/students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html/
URL:https://secure.ritsumei.ac.jp/students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html/