RUSSIA IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

The course aims to provide students with the historical depth and analytical tools necessary to understand contemporary Russia as a political, social, and international actor. By moving from imperial and Soviet legacies to the present, students develop the capacity to situate current Russian foreign and domestic policy within long-term structural and cultural dynamics, and to engage critically with competing scholarly interpretations of Russia's past and present.

A basic knowledge of twentieth-century international history and of the institutional structures of contemporary international relations is recommended. No prior expertise on Russia is required.

By the end of the course, students will be able to: (i) identify and discuss the main historical, political, and ideological factors shaping Russia's domestic and international trajectory; (ii) critically evaluate competing scholarly interpretations of Russian and Soviet history and of the post-Soviet transition; (iii) analyse contemporary Russian politics, economy, society, and foreign policy in light of imperial and Soviet legacies; (iv) construct and defend an argument under debate conditions, engaging with primary sources, scholarly literature, and the views of fellow students.

The course examines Russia and its place in the world from the late imperial period to the present. Part I (Weeks 1–6) addresses imperial expansion, the Russia–Europe relationship, Orthodoxy and autocracy, the security state, Soviet nationality policy, the rent state and the Soviet collapse, and the failed democratic transition of the 1990s. Part II (Weeks 7–12) focuses on Putin's Russia, covering the formation of the regime, its political economy, ideology, society, and Russia's worldview and instruments of power on the international stage.

There is no single textbook for this course. Required readings are listed week by week in the syllabus and are drawn from peer-reviewed journals, academic monographs, and primary sources.

The course combines lectures (Session 1) with structured debates (Session 2). Each week, the lecture introduces the theme and is anchored to a scholarly reading; the second session is built around a piece of primary or audiovisual material — a video, a podcast, a film excerpt, or a primary text — and concludes with a structured debate between two groups of students who argue opposing positions on a contested question. Active student engagement is central to the course design.

Attending students Debate participation — 30%. Each student takes part in two of the Session 2 debates: once as presenter (opening the case for one of the two positions before the class) and once as discussant (responding critically to the opposing presentation). Roles are assigned at the beginning of the course. Students are evaluated on the quality of argumentation, the use of assigned readings and in-class materials, and the engagement with the opposing case. Final exam — 70%. Six open questions in two hours, covering readings, in-class materials, and lecture content from both Part I and Part II. Non-attending students Final exam — 100%. Six open questions in two hours, covering readings, in-class materials, and lecture content from both Part I and Part II. In addition, non-attending students are required to read in full Owen Matthews, Overreach: The Inside Story of Putin and Russia's War Against Ukraine (HarperCollins, 2023). At least one of the six exam questions will be dedicated to this reading.

Office Hours and Thesis Supervision Both instructors are available for office hours by appointment. A limited number of thesis supervisions is accepted each year, based on the student's engagement during the course and the relevance of the proposed subject to the instructors' areas of research.