The general objective of this course is to provoke a critical awareness of issues of war and peace in international relations. By the end of the semester, students should be able to:

• Identify the main debates which have problematised political violence, war and peace, and to relate these to the disciplines of International Relations on the one hand and Political Science on the other hand.

• Identify and consider the variety and characteristics of different forms of organized violence across modern history, and to identify the variety and characteristics of peace,

• Identify various concepts of the causes and consequences of war and peace,

• Identify key histories and historical examples in the transformation of war and peace,

• Identify and analyse the impact of war and peace upon the development and transformation of international relations,

• Identify topics in war and peace studies around which a seminar paper will be composed and an oral presentation be given in class,

• Identify topics in war and peace studies around which study projects can be focused, obtain research findings and communicate the results of empirical research clearly and professionally in a written paper.