What Makes a Good IR Course?
A focus on improving course quality is laudable but we first need to determine what makes a good course and ask the right questions to be able to measure and assess it.
What We Don’t Teach Students in IR – But Should
The thing that separates the best students from struggling ones is not the commitment to studies nor the ability to understand concepts, but the level of academic skills.
What’s in an IR Program?
One of the problems that emerges when designing a course or a program in IR is that there is so much to fit in and so little that clearly can be left out.
Afraid to Argue
French students find it difficult, if not impossible, to write what they ‘think’ about a subject or issue. Instead, they tend to only demonstrate how much they ‘know’.
Read the Damn Syllabus
One consistent complaint on behalf of professors is that students forget to read or just refuse to read the course syllabus. This can be a highly frustrating experience.
Goodbye, Spring
It’s the final week of classes at CEFAM for the Spring semester. It’s been a hard and tiring semester. Bring on the Summer, and soon.
Seasons
The academic year runs according to the pattern of the seasons. This pattern is under pressure today from moves in the academy towards greater maximization of resources.
Time to Think
There’s something to be said for the benefits of traveling for any academic. It offers the chance to think, reflect, imagine and turn the mind free.
Direction: Thessaloniki
The World Congress of Political Science is to be held in Thessaloniki, Greece. Hopefully, some good things will come out of the planned trip and the conference.
IR Films
While there is the obvious trade off with regards to class time, showing films to students can help them to understand key themes and issues within IR.
