COURSE UNIT TITLE

: BALKAN POLITICS

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
UIR 4116 BALKAN POLITICS ELECTIVE 3 0 0 5

Offered By

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (UOLP-SUNY ALBANY)

Level of Course Unit

First Cycle Programmes (Bachelor's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ALI ŞEVKET OVALI

Offered to

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (UOLP-SUNY ALBANY)

Course Objective

The aim of the course is to provide learners a basis for the analysis of political developments in the Balkans by focusing on the geo-political situation of Balkans, ethnic and national diversities of Balkan countries, the historical background of the region, the Balkan wars of 1990s and post-conflict processes.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Define Balkan countries in geo-political terms in order to in order to comprehend current controversies.
2   Outline the historical background of the region from Roman Empire to the 21st century in order to better comprehend the political, social and cultural foundations of Balkan politics today
3   Review the collapse of Yugoslavia, the following conflicts and the influence of foreign actors in conflict and post-conflict processes, in order to evaluate the contemporary international political dynamics relating to the region
4   Review Turkish-Greek relations as a part of the aim to identify major political controversies in the Balkans
5   Deliver elaborate and well articulated presentations of the learning material to demonstrate a proficiency in presentation skills

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 The Geography of the Balkan Peninsula
2 The Greek and Roman Epochs The Byzantine Epoch
3 The Ottoman Epoch The Epoch of Liberation
4 The Balkan history in 20th Century
5 Kosova crisis
6 Bosnia War Dayton Agreement and the Disintegration of Yugoslavia
7 Macedonia Conflict and Ohrid Agreement
8 The European Union in Search of Balkan Answers
9 The Role of NATO, OSCE and USA in Balkan Conflicts
10 Kosovo and Montenegro: New Nation States of the Balkans
11 Turkish-Greek Relations
12 General Overview

Recomended or Required Reading

1. Ferdinand Sghevill, A History of the Balkans From the Earliest Times to the Present Day, Dorset Press, New York 1991.
2. Tom Gallagher, The Balkans in the New Millennium: In the Shadow of War and Peace, Routledge Press, New York, 2005.
3. Mark Mazower, The Balkans From the End of the Byzantium to the Present Day, Phoenix Press, London, 2001. (Recommended)

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1. Lecture
2. Weekly readings
3. Presentations

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MT Midterm
2 PRS Presentation
3 FN Final
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MT * 0.40 + PRS * 0.20 + FN * 0.40
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MT * 0.40 + PRS * 0.20 + RST * 0.40


*** Resit Exam is Not Administered in Institutions Where Resit is not Applicable.

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

The student's overall participation in class discussions will be counted in the calculation of his/her presentation grade

Assessment Criteria

The learners will:
1. clearly define Balkan countries in geo-political terms, outline the historical background of the region from Roman Empire to the 21st century, review the collapse of Yugoslavia and Balkan Wars and the influence of foreign actors in the region in conflict and post-conflict processes, and Turkish-Greek relations.
2. offer consistent and thoughtful participation, which demonstrates knowledge and understanding of course material.
3. present and discuss selected learning material in an elaborate and well organized manner, individually or as a group.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1. Attending at least 70 % of lectures is mandatory.
2. Plagiarism of any type will result in disciplinary action.
3. Learners should complete course readings before the class for which they are assigned.
4. Learners will make presentations on topics distributed by the instructor.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

sevket.ovali@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

To be announced later.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 12 3 36
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 12 4 48
Preparation for midterm exam 1 10 10
Preparation for final exam 1 20 20
Preparing presentations 1 8 8
Midterm 1 1,5 2
Final 1 1,5 2
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 126

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13
LO.15
LO.25
LO.35
LO.45
LO.55