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.
Prerequisites
To get the most out of this course, students are encouraged to revise the key concepts and materials from the History and Civilisation module (taught by Professors Aleksandra Komornicka, Lorenzo Trombetta, and Jacopo Cellini), as these lay important foundations for the readings.
Program
The course programme is divided into five 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 onset of the “Third World”
Section 3 >Asia, 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 co-operation and the ascendancy of China
Section 1 >The post-1945 political order: the Cold War, bipolarism and the United Nations
Section 2 > Decolonisation, the two Superpowers and the onset of the “Third World”
Section 3 >Asia, 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 co-operation and the ascendancy of China
Books
For attending students, slides will be made available on the DIDA platform at least two hours before the start of each lecture. These slides serve as the primary source for all required material. There are no assigned readings prior to the start of 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
TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS
A) Reference Textbooks
- Luis Eslava, Michael Fakhri, and Vasuki Nesiah (eds.), Bandung, Global History and International Law: Critical Pasts and Pending Futures, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
- William 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, London: Penguin Books, 2013;
- Catherine Schenk, International Economic Relations since 1945, Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2021 (2nd edition);
- Isabella M. Weber, How China Escaped Shock Therapy. The Market Reform Debate, Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2021;
- Odd Arne Westad, The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
B) Further specific readings will be made available during the course on the DIDA platform. Each student is required to register on DIDA to get access to all materials.
A) Reference Textbooks
- Luis Eslava, Michael Fakhri, and Vasuki Nesiah (eds.), Bandung, Global History and International Law: Critical Pasts and Pending Futures, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
- William 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, London: Penguin Books, 2013;
- Catherine Schenk, International Economic Relations since 1945, Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2021 (2nd edition);
- Isabella M. Weber, How China Escaped Shock Therapy. The Market Reform Debate, Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2021;
- Odd Arne Westad, The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
B) Further specific readings will be made available during the course on the DIDA platform. Each student is required to register on DIDA to get access to all materials.
Teaching methods
The course employs a range of teaching methods, combining traditional lectures, student presentations, and a structured final debate. Lectures provide the foundational context and recommended reading for each topic, while presentations offer students the opportunity to critically engage with the material and foster active discussion in class. The concluding debate enables students to exchange ideas with both the lecturer and their peers on key topics assigned in advance. Active participation and attendance at all lectures are required.
Presentation topics must be agreed upon with the lecturer. Presentations should critically evaluate the central arguments and evidence of the chosen topic and must conclude with a final slide outlining discussion questions for the class.
Presentation topics must be agreed upon with the lecturer. Presentations should critically evaluate the central arguments and evidence of the chosen topic and must conclude with a final slide outlining discussion questions for the class.
Exam Rules
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment of attending students’ learning takes place in three main stages: two class presentations 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 the 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 are expected to conclude their analysis by proposing a couple of related questions for discussion to the class.
Stage 2 > Group presentation) The lecturer forms 6/8 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. Students agree on the topic of their presentations with the lecturer and 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. The theme of this academic year’s course is the role of science, technology, and propaganda in the Cold War.
Stage 3 > Final debate) During the final two class sessions of the course, a debate moderated by the lecturer is held, in which all attending students are required to participate. The debate draws on topics covered throughout the course, including those addressed in lectures as well as in individual and group presentations. To facilitate preparation, the lecturer will circulate a list of discussion questions three weeks before the conclusion 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.
For attending students, the minimum score required to pass the written exam is 18/30 for each test. There is no final exam: indeed, the final mark corresponds to the weighted average of the three tests, whose values are distributed as follows:
- Individual presentation in class (40%)
- Group presentation in class (35%)
- Final debate in class (25%).
Attending students must take all three tests in order to obtain a final grade.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment method for non-attending students consists exclusively of an oral examination, to be taken during the regular examination sessions. They have to study:
- one academic article
Each student critically assesses the content and argument of an academic article chosen from a list provided by the lecturer to the class representatives during the very first week of the course (please, see above);
- the monograph by Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, London and New York: Verso Book, 2016.
The book must be read in its entirety. This means that no changes to the programme or the topics covered in the book may be agreed upon in advance.
Non-attending students shall register in Delphi for the additional exam sessions in 2027 (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.
Only in exceptional circumstances beyond a student’s control, and following consultation with Prof. Gustavo Piga and the course administration, may the lecturer take into account the grade obtained in the individual presentation for students who have participated in “Stage 1” (see above) but are nevertheless required to sit the final examination as non-attending students owing to excessive absences. In such cases, and in such cases only, the mark awarded for the discussion of the academic article will be averaged with the mark obtained for the examination on the entire monograph (please, see point 2) above).
For non-attending students, assessment will be based on a single oral examination (100%). The student discusses specific topics or important aspects of both readings with the lecturer. He/she 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.
By the way, the rules relating to the examination procedures will be carefully examined on the very first day of the course.
CRITERIA
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.
The assessment of attending students’ learning takes place in three main stages: two class presentations 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 the 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 are expected to conclude their analysis by proposing a couple of related questions for discussion to the class.
Stage 2 > Group presentation) The lecturer forms 6/8 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. Students agree on the topic of their presentations with the lecturer and 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. The theme of this academic year’s course is the role of science, technology, and propaganda in the Cold War.
Stage 3 > Final debate) During the final two class sessions of the course, a debate moderated by the lecturer is held, in which all attending students are required to participate. The debate draws on topics covered throughout the course, including those addressed in lectures as well as in individual and group presentations. To facilitate preparation, the lecturer will circulate a list of discussion questions three weeks before the conclusion 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.
For attending students, the minimum score required to pass the written exam is 18/30 for each test. There is no final exam: indeed, the final mark corresponds to the weighted average of the three tests, whose values are distributed as follows:
- Individual presentation in class (40%)
- Group presentation in class (35%)
- Final debate in class (25%).
Attending students must take all three tests in order to obtain a final grade.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
The assessment method for non-attending students consists exclusively of an oral examination, to be taken during the regular examination sessions. They have to study:
- one academic article
Each student critically assesses the content and argument of an academic article chosen from a list provided by the lecturer to the class representatives during the very first week of the course (please, see above);
- the monograph by Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, London and New York: Verso Book, 2016.
The book must be read in its entirety. This means that no changes to the programme or the topics covered in the book may be agreed upon in advance.
Non-attending students shall register in Delphi for the additional exam sessions in 2027 (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.
Only in exceptional circumstances beyond a student’s control, and following consultation with Prof. Gustavo Piga and the course administration, may the lecturer take into account the grade obtained in the individual presentation for students who have participated in “Stage 1” (see above) but are nevertheless required to sit the final examination as non-attending students owing to excessive absences. In such cases, and in such cases only, the mark awarded for the discussion of the academic article will be averaged with the mark obtained for the examination on the entire monograph (please, see point 2) above).
For non-attending students, assessment will be based on a single oral examination (100%). The student discusses specific topics or important aspects of both readings with the lecturer. He/she 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.
By the way, the rules relating to the examination procedures will be carefully examined on the very first day of the course.
CRITERIA
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.
Attendance Rules
Attendance is mandatory from the very first lecture. Students must attend at least 80% of the course to qualify for attending status.