GLOBAL HISTORY
Syllabus
EN
IT
Learning Objectives
The course will investigate some of the main features of global governance in a historical perspective,
considering its evolution in the period 1945-2008 – from the aftermath of WWII to the global financial
and economic crisis of 2008. The course aims at providing some of the factual grounding and
conceptual apparatus necessary to better understand the contemporary world’s governance and its
challenges.
Students will be guided through the onset, changes, and evolution of the international arrangements
made to govern political and economic relations (e.g.: international organizations, international regimes
and agreements, regional organizations). A constant highlight of the course will be the visions and
interests shaping the global governance along its evolution, as well as the key actors imposing, shaping
or challenging the governance rules and structures.
The course will address the role of Western Europe in the changing and globalizing world, it will qualify its place in the development of hegemonic powers and alternative visions of how to run the
world politically and economically. In addition to the Cold War hegemons that shaped the post-1945 global governance (USA and USSR), the course will shed light on the last 40 years’ process that
projected the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the current economic and political superpower,
exploring the evolution of its relationships with Europe, Asia and the global governance institutions.
considering its evolution in the period 1945-2008 – from the aftermath of WWII to the global financial
and economic crisis of 2008. The course aims at providing some of the factual grounding and
conceptual apparatus necessary to better understand the contemporary world’s governance and its
challenges.
Students will be guided through the onset, changes, and evolution of the international arrangements
made to govern political and economic relations (e.g.: international organizations, international regimes
and agreements, regional organizations). A constant highlight of the course will be the visions and
interests shaping the global governance along its evolution, as well as the key actors imposing, shaping
or challenging the governance rules and structures.
The course will address the role of Western Europe in the changing and globalizing world, it will qualify its place in the development of hegemonic powers and alternative visions of how to run the
world politically and economically. In addition to the Cold War hegemons that shaped the post-1945 global governance (USA and USSR), the course will shed light on the last 40 years’ process that
projected the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the current economic and political superpower,
exploring the evolution of its relationships with Europe, Asia and the global governance institutions.
RAIMONDO MARIA NEIRONI
Prerequisites
It is worth reviewing the history of the Bretton Woods institutions (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, etc.), which each student have learned about in other courses
Program
The course programme is divided into six thematic sections:
Section 1 The post-1945 political order: the Cold War, bipolarism and the United Nations Section 2 Decolonisation, the two Superpowers and the Third World
Section 3 Asia and Africa at the time of détente
Section 4 China's economic reform and opening-up, Japan's economic power and the repercussions on bipolarism
Section 5 The end of the Cold War, the development of new types of regional cooperation and the rise of China
Section 6 New initiatives in the framework of global governance: China's Belt and Road Initiative and its effects on the world order
Section 1 The post-1945 political order: the Cold War, bipolarism and the United Nations Section 2 Decolonisation, the two Superpowers and the Third World
Section 3 Asia and Africa at the time of détente
Section 4 China's economic reform and opening-up, Japan's economic power and the repercussions on bipolarism
Section 5 The end of the Cold War, the development of new types of regional cooperation and the rise of China
Section 6 New initiatives in the framework of global governance: China's Belt and Road Initiative and its effects on the world order
Books
Slides will be made available to attending students on the DIDA platform only after the end of each lesson. These constitute the basis from which to draw all the necessary information. There are no preparatory readings for the course.
However, non-attending students must thoroughly study the following works:
1) A monograph > Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, London and New York: Verso Book, 2016;
2) An academic article > drawn from the same list that the lecturer will make available to attending students.
However, non-attending students must thoroughly study the following works:
1) A monograph > Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, London and New York: Verso Book, 2016;
2) An academic article > drawn from the same list that the lecturer will make available to attending students.
Bibliography
- W.M. Grimes, Unmaking the Japanese Miracle: Macroeconomic Politics, 1985-2000, Ithaca; NY: Cornell University Press, 2001;
- Mark Mazower, Governing the World: The History of an Idea, Londra: Penguin Books, 2013;
- Vijay Prashad, The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World, New York; NY: The New Press, 2007;
- Catherine Schenk, International Economic Relations since 1945, Abingdon e New York: Routledge, 2011;
- Isabella M. Weber, How China Escaped Shock Therapy. The Market Reform Debate, Abingdon e New York: Routledge, 2021;
- Odd Arne Westad, Restless Empire: China and the World since 1750, Londra: Penguin Books, 2012
- Mark Mazower, Governing the World: The History of an Idea, Londra: Penguin Books, 2013;
- Vijay Prashad, The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World, New York; NY: The New Press, 2007;
- Catherine Schenk, International Economic Relations since 1945, Abingdon e New York: Routledge, 2011;
- Isabella M. Weber, How China Escaped Shock Therapy. The Market Reform Debate, Abingdon e New York: Routledge, 2021;
- Odd Arne Westad, Restless Empire: China and the World since 1750, Londra: Penguin Books, 2012
Teaching methods
The course combines different teaching methods: lectures, student presentations and a final debate. Lectures will provide students with the necessary information and reading suggestions on the phenomena under study, while presentations will allow students to critically engage with this knowledge and encourage fruitful classroom debate. Finally, the final debate will allow students to interact with both the lecturer and their peers on specific topics assigned by the teachers in the previous weeks. Students are required to attend every lecture and actively participate in discussions.
Students will agree on the topic of their presentations with the lecturer and will give PPT presentations in which they critically evaluate the content and argument of their chosen topic. Each presentation must include a slide at the bottom of the PPT containing questions to be asked to classmates for discussion.
Students will agree on the topic of their presentations with the lecturer and will give PPT presentations in which they critically evaluate the content and argument of their chosen topic. Each presentation must include a slide at the bottom of the PPT containing questions to be asked to classmates for discussion.
Exam Rules
The assessment of attending students' learning will take place in three main stages: two presentations in class and a final debate.
Stage 1 > Individual presentation) Each student must examine in depth an academic article, which they can select from a list provided by the lecturer to class representatives during the first week of the course. Each student must be able to critically evaluate the content and examine the main argument underlying the author's work. In addition, they must conclude their analysis by proposing a couple of related questions for discussion to the class.
Stage 2 > Group presentation) The lecturer will form 5/6 groups (the number depends on the composition of the class), each of which will have to present a case study of their choice that falls within the macro-theme selected by the lecturer. This year's topics are national liberation movements, anticolonial movements and nationalism.
Stage 3 > Final debate) On the occasion of the last class of the course, there will be a debate moderated by the lecturer where all students must participate. It will be based on the topics discussed in class, both during the lecturer's lessons and during individual and group presentations. The lecturer will circulate the list of questions for the debate three weeks before the end of the course.
The aim of this assessment system is to verify the achievement of the course learning outcomes. In particular, the examination assesses the student's overall preparation, ability to integrate knowledge from different parts of the programme, consistency of reasoning, analytical skills and independent judgement. In addition, language skills and clarity of expression are assessed in accordance with the Dublin descriptors.
The minimum score required to pass the written exam is 18/30 for each test. The final mark will correspond to the weighted average of the three tests, whose values are distributed as follows:
- Individual presentation in class (45%)
- Group presentation in class (35%)
- Final debate in class (20%).
Attending students must take all three tests in order to obtain a final grade. However, there is one exception: if a student is unable to submit the academic article (see ‘Phase 1’) due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g. another class at the same time), they may examine the article during the regularly scheduled examination sessions, so long as they have already completed the group presentation (‘Phase 2’) and participated in the final debate (‘Phase 3’). In this case, the mark for the discussion of the academic article will be averaged with the other two, according to the percentages listed above.
On the other hand, the assessment method for non-attending students consists exclusively of an oral examination (100% of the final grade), to be taken during the regular examination sessions. They will have to study one academic article and a monograph in its entirety.This means that no changes to the programme or the topics covered in the book may be agreed upon in advance. The student is expected to reproduce what he/she has learned and explain relevant interrelationships. The minimum score required to pass the written exam is 18/30.
Non-attending students shall register in Delphi for the additional exam sessions in 2026 (Autumn/Winter session). Students will be notified of their non-attendance status soon after the end of classes. Those who will result non-attendant will automatically lose all the work that they gave in the framework of the permanent evaluation activities (individual presentation, group presentation, final debate). Accordingly, they must take the exam as non-attending student.
By the way, the rules relating to the examination procedures will be carefully examined on the very first day of the course.
The exam will be assessed according to the following criteria:
- UNSATISFACTORY: significant gaps and/or inaccuracies in knowledge and understanding of the topics; limited capacity for analysis and synthesis, frequent generalisations and limited critical and judgemental skills, topics are presented in an inconsistent manner and with inappropriate language.
- 18-20: Barely sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics with possible generalisations and imperfections; sufficient capacity for analysis, synthesis and independent judgement; topics are frequently presented in an inconsistent manner and with inappropriate/technical language.
- 21-23: Ordinary knowledge and understanding of the topics; correct analysis and synthesis skills with sufficiently coherent logical argumentation and appropriate/technical language.
- 24-26: Fair knowledge and understanding of the topics; good analysis and synthesis skills with rigorous argumentation but with language that is not always appropriate/technical.
- 27-29: Complete knowledge and understanding of the topics; remarkable analysis and synthesis skills. Good independent judgement. Arguments presented rigorously and with appropriate/technical language.
- 30-30L (30 with honours): Excellent level of knowledge and in-depth understanding of the topics.
Stage 1 > Individual presentation) Each student must examine in depth an academic article, which they can select from a list provided by the lecturer to class representatives during the first week of the course. Each student must be able to critically evaluate the content and examine the main argument underlying the author's work. In addition, they must conclude their analysis by proposing a couple of related questions for discussion to the class.
Stage 2 > Group presentation) The lecturer will form 5/6 groups (the number depends on the composition of the class), each of which will have to present a case study of their choice that falls within the macro-theme selected by the lecturer. This year's topics are national liberation movements, anticolonial movements and nationalism.
Stage 3 > Final debate) On the occasion of the last class of the course, there will be a debate moderated by the lecturer where all students must participate. It will be based on the topics discussed in class, both during the lecturer's lessons and during individual and group presentations. The lecturer will circulate the list of questions for the debate three weeks before the end of the course.
The aim of this assessment system is to verify the achievement of the course learning outcomes. In particular, the examination assesses the student's overall preparation, ability to integrate knowledge from different parts of the programme, consistency of reasoning, analytical skills and independent judgement. In addition, language skills and clarity of expression are assessed in accordance with the Dublin descriptors.
The minimum score required to pass the written exam is 18/30 for each test. The final mark will correspond to the weighted average of the three tests, whose values are distributed as follows:
- Individual presentation in class (45%)
- Group presentation in class (35%)
- Final debate in class (20%).
Attending students must take all three tests in order to obtain a final grade. However, there is one exception: if a student is unable to submit the academic article (see ‘Phase 1’) due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g. another class at the same time), they may examine the article during the regularly scheduled examination sessions, so long as they have already completed the group presentation (‘Phase 2’) and participated in the final debate (‘Phase 3’). In this case, the mark for the discussion of the academic article will be averaged with the other two, according to the percentages listed above.
On the other hand, the assessment method for non-attending students consists exclusively of an oral examination (100% of the final grade), to be taken during the regular examination sessions. They will have to study one academic article and a monograph in its entirety.This means that no changes to the programme or the topics covered in the book may be agreed upon in advance. The student is expected to reproduce what he/she has learned and explain relevant interrelationships. The minimum score required to pass the written exam is 18/30.
Non-attending students shall register in Delphi for the additional exam sessions in 2026 (Autumn/Winter session). Students will be notified of their non-attendance status soon after the end of classes. Those who will result non-attendant will automatically lose all the work that they gave in the framework of the permanent evaluation activities (individual presentation, group presentation, final debate). Accordingly, they must take the exam as non-attending student.
By the way, the rules relating to the examination procedures will be carefully examined on the very first day of the course.
The exam will be assessed according to the following criteria:
- UNSATISFACTORY: significant gaps and/or inaccuracies in knowledge and understanding of the topics; limited capacity for analysis and synthesis, frequent generalisations and limited critical and judgemental skills, topics are presented in an inconsistent manner and with inappropriate language.
- 18-20: Barely sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics with possible generalisations and imperfections; sufficient capacity for analysis, synthesis and independent judgement; topics are frequently presented in an inconsistent manner and with inappropriate/technical language.
- 21-23: Ordinary knowledge and understanding of the topics; correct analysis and synthesis skills with sufficiently coherent logical argumentation and appropriate/technical language.
- 24-26: Fair knowledge and understanding of the topics; good analysis and synthesis skills with rigorous argumentation but with language that is not always appropriate/technical.
- 27-29: Complete knowledge and understanding of the topics; remarkable analysis and synthesis skills. Good independent judgement. Arguments presented rigorously and with appropriate/technical language.
- 30-30L (30 with honours): Excellent level of knowledge and in-depth understanding of the topics.