Courses Description 2023-2024 | Τμήμα Πολιτικής Επιστήμης και Διεθνών Σχέσεων

[color-box color= purple]ACADEMIC YEAR 2023 - 2024[/color-box]

Courses Short Description

[toc label="Contents"]

[color-box color=blue]Semester 1[/color-box]

English Ι

The course includes: a review of grammar (tense system, modals, etc., basic syntactic structures of the English language etc.); further development of the students’ vocabulary and language skills through exposure to relatively simple oral and written discourse of limited length with an emphasis on themes related to the students' field of studies (Politics, Liberalism, Conservativism, Socialism, Nationalism, Feminism, Ecologism). The educational material used includes the course textbooks, PowerPoint presentations and extensive use of ICT for searching information sources on the internet, multimedia (video lectures, documentaries, interactive videos, etc.), interactive and other self-learning material available on the internet related to English language learning. At the same time, students are asked to read a literary book and present a paper on it individually or in groups.

Diplomatic History, 1815-1991

The course analyzes the major diplomatic events from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the end of the Cold War. The starting point is the Congress of Vienna, the decisions of which determined the physiognomy of the European balance of power system for a century. Special mention is made of multilateral diplomacy during the 19th century, which took the form of convening international Conferences to resolve major political issues. The foreign policy of the Great Powers, their rivalries and alliances, as well as the emergence of new Powers which were gradually added to the existing ones, are also analyzed. Next, the causes, the development, and results of the First World War are investigated. The interwar international system is outlined and the reasons why it collapsed, resulting in the start of World War II. A separate field of reference is the diplomatic events during the Second World War. Finally, the characteristic features, crises, and recession periods of the Cold War are presented.

Introduction to International Politics

The course studies the interaction among state and non-state actors in the international environment. Its objective is to introduce the students to the main features of the international system as well as familiarize them with the core concepts and research tools of the discipline of international relations. Moreover, the course acquaints the students with the most important issues featuring in the world agenda, namely, the struggle against poverty and underdevelopment, the protection of human rights, the spread of democracy, and the fight against terrorism. Altogether, the course prepares the students for the needs of the Spring term course on International Relations.

Introduction to Political Science

For the purposes of this course, Political Science is defined in a broad sense, including the study of power and the state, as well as the study of phenomena that have political dimensions and perform a political function. The aim of the course is the acquaintance with the sources, the basic concepts, theories and methodological tools by which Political Science tries to conceive and interpret the different forms of the political phenomenon and the demonstration of its pluralistic character. Thus, it will serve as a basis for more advanced courses.

Introduction to Law

This course presents basic concepts and elements of legal science with a view to introducing students to legal education and the fundamental characteristics of legal thought. By approaching law as a ‘social phenomenon’ and by recognising the political dimension of rules and institutions, the course aims to familiarise students with the organisation and operation of the contemporary legal order, and with the evolution and transformation of law through processes of internationalisation and European integration. The course focuses on positive law, distinguishing between law, ethics and social mores. It examines the principal features of a legal rule, different types of legal rules, the characteristics that make a legal rule capable of influencing human behaviour and various aspects concerning the adoption and hierarchy of legal rules in a democratic state. The course also explores the sources of the Greek legal order, with reference to key distinctions between private and public law, and between substantive and procedural law. The course ends with an exploration of basic elements of constitutional law, administrative law, international law and EU law, as they are directly related to the Department's curriculum.

Research and Methods in Social Sciences

Research & Methods in Social Sciences seeks to introduce new-comer, first-year students to the ways research is conducted and knowledge is produced in social sciences. In addition to outlining the fundamentals of qualitative methods, it discusses several aspects of the philosophy of social sciences. Also, it tries to act as a practical, instruction guide to social science research and writing: study of literature, constructing the framework for analysis, data compilation, testing of hypotheses or arguments, scrutiny of findings, and proposal for further research.

[color-box color=red]Semester 2[/color-box]

English ΙΙ

The course includes further development of the general knowledge of English in terms of all skills and student's first contact with academic discourse through excerpts from books, articles, lectures, and other written and oral texts of general or academic interest, analytical presentation, and teaching of grammatical and syntactic phenomena of advanced difficulty and practising them and teaching vocabulary at an advanced level with an emphasis on themes related to the students' field of studies (Politics, Policy, Democracy, Capitalism, Elections, Opinion Polls, Human Rights, Civil Rights, Left-Right, Constitution, Supranationalism, Intergovernmentalism, Imperialism, Globalization; International law, State, War, Freedom). The educational material used includes the module textbooks, PowerPoint presentations, and extensive use of ICT to search for information sources on the internet, multimedia (video lectures, interactive videos, documentaries, etc.), interactive and other self-learning materials available on the internet, and which are related to learning the English language. At the same time, the students are asked to read a literary book for which supporting material is given and make a presentation on it individually or in groups.

International Relations

International Relations is the field of social science that examines the dynamics and practice of world politics in the past and the present in a theoretically informed way. In essence, it is a discipline of the social sciences that studies thoroughly the phenomenon of war and peace in space and time focusing on the relations developed between state and non-state actors in areas of human activity that go through and across borders, territories and regions. From this angle, the course provides an overview of the history and development of the discipline of international relations great debates and major schools of thought while discussing relevant methodological issues, along with aspects of the philosophy of social science.

Introduction to Sociology

In this course, a first acquaintance with the science of sociology in general, with the branch of political sociology in particular, is attempted. Sociology is the scientific study of social phenomena, i.e. the social practices and relationships through which individuals organize and give meaning to their collective lives. In the light of the basic concepts of sociology, the study of the political phenomenon as a distinct social practice is also attempted.

Greek Diplomatic History

The course examines the formation and evolution of Greek foreign policy from the establishment of the Greek state to Greece's accession to the EEC. The starting point is the diplomatic developments related to the recognition of Greek independence. Special reference is made to the way in which the demand for territorial expansion (which took the form of the Great Idea) determined the diplomatic orientations of Greece for most of the 19th and until the beginning of the 20th century. The diplomatic components of Greece's ten-year war expedition during the period 1912-1922 are also analyzed. The key role of the Asia Minor Disaster and the signing of the Lausanne Peace Treaty for the fundamental restructuring of Greek foreign policy, which, in its new form, began to be implemented in the interwar period, is highlighted. Greece's participation in the Second World War as well as its membership in the Western coalition during the Cold War are also outlined. The developments surrounding the Cyprus issue and their effects on Greek-Turkish relations are presented, as well as the negative impact that the dictatorship of the colonels had on the Cyprus issue, but also on Greek foreign policy as a whole. Finally, the new diplomatic program adopted after the restoration of democracy in the summer of 1974 is presented, an organic element of which was the pursuit (and ultimately the achievement) of joining the EEC.

Political Theory

The course investigates aspects of modern political theory from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Its aim is twofold: (a) the acquaintance with some of the most influential political ideas and arguments of the modern era in connection with the intellectual context in which they took place and (b) the study of primary texts as an indispensable source of knowledge and as a means to cultivate critical thinking.

Constitutional Law

The course includes basic concepts of a general theory of Constitutional Law, polity issues, as well as the sources of Greek Constitutional Law. The choice of issues analyzed enhances the Politics student’s understanding of law rules affecting Greek politics. Teaching rests on a combination of theoretical analysis and their application. The course includes the basic concepts and the elements of general theory of Constitutional Law, elements of politology, as well as the sources of the Greek Constitutional Law. The choice of the particular subjects to be analyzed seeks to meet the need of a political scientist to approach the meaning of the rules of the law which regulate Greek political life. The teaching of the course provides a combination of theoretical analysis and application of these rules. The aim of the course is the familiarization with the fundamental concepts, the main methodological conclusions of Constitutional Law.

[color-box color=blue]Semester 3[/color-box]

International Law

The International Law regulates several aspects of social behavior. It is not limited, as in the past, in the inter-state relations and pervades major segments of internal law. The major objects of regulations concern the pacific solution of international conflicts and the avoidance of violence, the protection of human dignity and the international cooperation in every field. The rules of International Law refer to the internal as well as to the international protection of human rights and to the international economic relations. Dealing with international law involves not only governments, international organizations, international institutions and international institutions of the state as well as simple citizens, as well as those whose intention is the creation of an international civil society. The aim of the course is the familiarization with the fundamental concepts, the main methodological proceedings and the basic conclusions of Public International Law.

Diplomacy and International Organization

The course offers a comprehensive introduction to the methods of diplomacy, as well as to the institutional organization of the international system. The course aims at making students familiar with the most important theoretical and practical aspects of diplomatic practice, as well as the role of international organizations in the international setting, with emphasis on issues such as peace and security, international economic relations etc. In this framework, through the use of practical examples, the course presents the ways diplomatic relations are developed among states, as well as the ways diplomatic negotiations are carried out, both at the bilateral and the multilateral level. Moreover, the typology, the structure and the aims of international organizations are analyzed, with emphasis on the functioning of organizations such as the League of Nations, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, NATO etc.

Introduction to Social Policy

The course introduces the basic concepts and relationships that underpin Social Policy, an interdisciplinary academic subject that explores the response of organised societies to social needs. The study of Social Policy requires the analysis of theoretical and empirical evidence emanating from a wide range of social sciences and disciplines such as sociology, economics, politics, history, philosophy, law, statistics, etc. The course includes two aspects. On the theoretical level, as an academic subject, it refers to the study, investigation and interpretation of Social Policy. At the applied level, as a field of social intervention, it refers to the formulation and practice of social policies. In this context, the subject matter of the courses is formed, where the concept and role of Social Policy, the principles and values of Social Policy, the fields of Social Policy, the history of the welfare state and the main factors of its development, models and theories of welfare, the role of ideology in Social Policy, basic concepts such as need, poverty, social rights, etc. are presented.

Introduction to Economics

This course familiarizes students with basic notions and terminology of economic theory. In particular, in the context of microeconomics, it examines the concept of the market and supply/demand, of competition, oligopoly and monopoly, as well as some aspects of cost-benefit analysis and game theory. It also introduces some major concepts and terminology of macroeconomics such as GDP, inflation, unemployment, growth, fiscal vs. monetary policy, and exports-imports-balance of trade.

Political Philosophy

The course investigates the principles of justice involved in the legitimization of the various political regimes. It studies the major theories of social justice, focusing on the principles of contractual justice and of utility, with emphasis given to their critique by the liberal theories of justice and by marxist, feminist and communitarian lines of thought. The course also attempts to highlight the break between the modern and pre-modern conceptions, among which the platonic principle of functional reciprocity, and the aristotelian principle of geometrical equality.

Comparative Politics

Comparative politics is the study of the most important political similarities and differences between/among political entities (countries, institutions, etc). Comparative politics is first and foremost a method to study a variety of political phenomena, becoming comparative government (if it studies government), comparative electoral studies (if it studies electoral systems), comparative foreign policy (if it studies foreign policy) etc. The course aims to familiarize students with the fundamental concepts, analytical methods and basic conclusions of comparative politics. It also aims to prepare students for courses of the two final years of study in both Political Science and International Relations (particularly Area Studies).

[color-box color=red]Semester 4[/color-box]

International Political Economy

The aim of the course is to familiarize students with a new field in international (economic) relations, the International Political Economy (IPE). It has now become commonly understood that the study of comprehensive issues such as the international economic and political relations, the international financial system, development and underdevelopment, and North-South interdependence, requires a holistic, multidisciplinary approach. Politics and economics, internal and external affairs, are part of the same whole through which we assess and understand the complex reality. At first, we analyze the basic theoretical approaches in International Political Economy. Secondly, we assess special issues of IPE with emphasis on the formulation and the outcomes of the international financial, economic and political system and structures from the Second World War onwards.

EU Law and Governance

This course aims to familiarise students with the law of the European Union, in the light of the Union's system of governance and its political organisation. The course begins with an overview of the European integration process and its evolution. It also presents the Union's mission, its objectives, its competences and the principles governing the latter’s exercise. The course then focuses on the Union’s institutional architecture, the role, powers and operation of the EU institutions, the EU legal acts and their making, the Union’s regulatory function and processes of differentiated integration. The course further examines key theoretical models of European integration and concludes with a presentation of fundamental manifestations of the Union, with emphasis on the Union as a Political Union, the Union as a Union of Values and the Union as a Union of Law.

Theories of Culture

The course examines modern cultural theories with reference to the most important periods of cultural thought in the 20th century. The course underlines, through the study of texts and other cultural products, the interdisciplinary character of cultural thought – the interaction of cultural studies with political science, social anthropology, comparative literature, sociology, and feminist studies. The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the basic cultural concepts and with the works of the most widely recognized western thinkers in the fields of cultural studies, feminist thought, and comparative imagology.

Economic Development and International Development Cooperation

The course acquaints students with basic concepts of development economics. It presents growth indicators, such as GDP and others, the issue of balanced and unbalanced growth and delves into poverty and inequality. At the same time, it aims to familiarize students with the concept, content and practices of international development cooperation policies. Some of the topics discussed are: how is economic development achieved? What is the difference between economic growth and economic development? Is international development assistance solely a mechanism for providing assistance to those in need, without necessarily serving political purposes? In the course students can choose to join a team responsible of writing a proposal in the context of development aid calls from the European Commission, taking the role of an NGO or a consulting company and become familiar with the relevant procedures and mechanisms.

Political Leadership

The course aims at approaching the phenomenon of leadership especially within the framework of a democratic political system. It assesses principal theories, values and features of leadership, models of leadership in the fields of society and the economy, the significance of leadership to the functioning of political and social institutions and the importance of gender. Moreover, leadership is seen with regard to decision-making with emphasis on the values and principles of public interest, as well as on the structures, functions and the overall regulatory framework of modern governance that influence the quality of decision-making.

Conflict and Security in World Politics

The course, making use the theoretical background of the International Relations course, focuses on two analytical categories, that is, conflict and security, which matter a great deal to making sense of world politics. Conflict and security are taken to result from the driving forces of competition and cooperation in the anarchical international society, which in turn determines the evolution of peace and war. Within this theoretical framework, the course seeks to discuss conflict and security in the view of: a) the traditional and contemporary IR theories, b) the part that state and non-state agents play in determining their evolution, and c) the experience of practice, and of the challenges of the future.

[color-box color=blue]Specialization: Political Science - Semester 5[/color-box]

General Administration Law

New course

Democracy: History, Theory, Contemporary Challenges

The course comprises three interrelated units: in the first it examines a selection of important «moments» of Democracy qua ideal or/and regime, such as the moment of classical Athens and its «re-invention» in the XVIIIth century. In the second unit it examines some models of democracy, mainly from a theoretical point of view, such as the model of participative Democracy, of deliberative Democracy, agonistic Democracy, as well as the model of the economic theory of Democracy. In the third unit, it examines the state of « malaise » or crisis observed in contemporary democracies and the challenges they have to meet, such as the problems of democratic control, legitimization and account ability which issue from the reduction of the power of national representative institutions and the fragmented character of world governance, the tendancies of the rise of populism and extremism, the relation of the tension between technocracy and popular sovereignty etc. Students are expected, through the combination of knowledge acquired in other courses, to penetrate the phenomenon of democracy, to grasp significant dimensions of its variety and historicity, as well as to engage in a questioning concerning contemporary related issues.

Public Administration and Public Management

The scope of the course is the comparative presentation and analysis of the contemporary models of public sector management. At a first level, course presents the historical evolution of public administration theory and practice. Following the analysis of the theoretical framework of public administration, course analyses the evolution and the reform of the contemporary models of public administration, focusing on the governance and performance issues. At the last part of the course, the basic principles and the models of organizational design and management in the public sector are presented, as well as the current issues on pubic management reform.

Greek Political System

The course deals with the construction and development of the Greek political system from the perspective of political science. Some of its major themes include the functioning of fundamental political institutions, democratization, state-society relations, the party system, political ideologies, the impact of socio-economic factors, modernization and Europeanization. Major historical events for the political system are investigated, such as the beginnings of state formation, the civil war, democratic consolidation and adherence to the EC. Moreover, important aspects of the quality of the democratic process are critically approached

European Union Institutions and Policies

This course studies basic concepts and elements of flagship policies of the European Union, together with their institutional dimension. The course examines the birth and evolution of selected EU policies through the Treaties and discusses their constitutional foundations, objectives and key parameters, as reflected in the Treaty of Lisbon. It also explores the EU institutions’ role and interaction in their context and examines their content by investigating concrete EU measures and actions. The course begins by briefly presenting the objectives of the Union, its competences and its institutional organisation. It then proceeds with an examination of EU policies such as the internal market, EU citizenship, the area of freedom, security and justice, with a focus on EU asylum and migration, the economic and monetary union, EU policies for the environment, climate change and energy, the Union’s external action and contemporary challenges facing the internal market with reference to new technologies and digital transformation.

[color-box color=red]Specialization: Political Science - Semester 6[/color-box]

Religion and Politics

This course aims to examine the role of religion in contemporary international politics, emphasizing the phenomenon of religious fundamentalism. The world’s major religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism) are analyzed through this prism, in terms of their influence on political perceptions, attitudes and ideologies. It also studies particular issues, such as the clash of civilizations, respect for human rights, and new religious movements. Finally, it explores contemporary state-church relations and the contradictory role of religion in international relations and policy formulation in the US and Europe.

State and Civil Society

The course approaches the relations of State and Society through MichaelWalzer’s concept of "spheres of justice" and the distinct principles of distribution of social goods that regulate the spheres of membership, office, welfare, market, religion, education, family, political power. Within this conceptual framework the course strives to elucidate the historical phenomenon of the modern State and the concomitant process of the emergence of an autonomous "Civil Society".

Political Systems and Parties in Contemporary Europe

The course assesses the role and features of political parties and party systems as regards the functions of democratic representation, the exercise of political power and its democratic control. Its major themes concern democratic consolidation, political culture, typologies of party systems, political ideologies, the role of parties in the functioning of parliamentary institutions and executive bodies. Moreover, emphasis is given to the influence of social factors and historical events on the formation of particular cleavages - and correspondingly, to the rise or fall of particular parties – and on the ‘crisis of representation’ that some developed democracies are faced with.

Public Policy Analysis

The scope of the course is to present, and comparative analyze the different steps and tools of public policy design and implementation. In this context, the theoretical background, the historical evolution and the wider social, political and economic factors determined public policy theory and practice are presented. Following the course analyzes, the stages of public policy design and formulation, the basic models and tools of public policy implementation, the decision-making matrix, as well as the critical issues of the evaluation of public policy impact on the society and the economy.

[color-box color=blue]Specialization: International Relations - Semester 5[/color-box]

Jean Monnet Chair: EU External Relations and Foreign Policy Analysis

The course offers a Foreign Policy Analysis perspective of decision-making and policy implementation in the domain of EU external relations. It examines the complex interplay of EU supranational and intergovernmental institutions and member-state governments across different policy areas. It demonstrates that the Union is a sui generis international actor and it strives to shed light into the most important variables that determine its external influence. The course analyses each major dimension of EU foreign policy (e.g., diplomacy, trade etc.) and it explains where competence for decision-making lies, which actors get involved and under which rules of decision-making, the source of available means and instruments, and the main policy priorities. Moreover, the course discusses the main challenges in the Union’s foreign policy such as the democratic legitimacy and accountability of decision-making, and the coherence, consistency and effectiveness of policy implementation.

Introduction to Geopolitics

Geopolitics is the branch of International Relations which seeks to understand, explain, and predict international political behavior by using geographical variables. Typical geographical variables are the location, size, climate, demography and natural resources The course examines the history of geopolitical thought from the German geographers of the 19th century and Halford Mackinder’s ‘heartland theory’ to French geopolitical thought that attempted to ‘de-nationalize’ geopolitics, and contemporary critical geopolitics that emphasize geographical discourses and study geographical imagination. Much attention is paid to the influence of geopolitical ideas on policy-making.

European Union Institutions and Policies

Strategic Studies

Strategic Studies is the field of the discipline of international relations that explores, focusing on human action and power, how the relation of means to the ends of policy plays its part in shaping occurrences, trends and transformations in world politics. It is substantially a subject whose terrain of research and knowledge, cutting across such subjects of the discipline as security and defence studies, geopolitics, crisis management, conflict resolution and foreign policy analysis, is constantly formulated through and by the interdisciplinary dialogue engagement of International Relations with History, Political Science and Sociology. It is from this perspective that drawing attention to violence and especially its main component, military force, sets the thread of the problematique and theoretical discussions over the phenomenon of war and peace. Equipped with this framework of analysis, the course will shed light on the history of strategic thought with a view to making the conceptual and theoretical fundamentals of Strategic Studies familiar to students.

[color-box color=red]Specialization: International Relations - Semester 6[/color-box]

East Asia: politics, economy and international relations

Nowadays, a ‘power shift’ is taking place in the global political economy from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean owing to the rapid growth of China (and in the recent past of neighboring Japan). While economic interdependence and regional co-operation (see for instance the establishment of ASEAN) are intense in Eastern Asia, conflicts for natural resources (e.g. Sea of South China), and territorial disputes (e.g. between China and Japan and between China and Taiwan) are not absent from the region. Not surprisingly, the EU has been increasingly turning its attention to Eastern Asia and is currently emerging in to an important economic partner of the region’s countries. The course analyzes the political-economic and social dynamics of Eastern Asia and assesses the impact of the EU policies towards the region.

Greek-Turkish Relations

The course analyzes relations between Greek and Turkey from the Treaty of Lausanne to the present day. In this framework, special emphasis is given on the content and importance of the Treaty of Lausanne per se. Moreover, the reasons the led to the Greek-Turkish rapprochement in the 1930s and in the first years after the Second World War re explained. The course, also highlights the importance that the Cyprus question played in the historical development of Greek-Turkish relations ever since the mid-1950s, including the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. Last but not least, Greek-Turkish relations after 1974 and the problems related with them are thoroughly examined.

Macroeconomic Policy

The course “Basic Principles of Macroeconomic Policy” is designed to help the students understand thoroughly the behavior of the economy as a whole. To study the overall performance of the economy, the course gives particular emphasis on economic policies and policy variables that affect that performance – on monetary and fiscal policies, the money stock and interest rates, the public debt, the budget and the public deficits, the balance of payments and the determination of income in an open economy.

Political Parties and Systems in Contemporary Europe

[color-box color=blue]Specialization: Political Science - Semester 7[/color-box]

Public Administration and Administrative Reform in Greece

The aim of the course is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the historical evolution and performance of public administration in Greece. Starting with the historical evolution and formulation of the national administrative model, the course analyzes the wider socio-political environment of public administration performance in Greece and the factors that contributed to its organization and the distribution of the competencies for public services provision between the public agencies. Furthermore, the course is presenting the organization of public Greek public administration at central, regional, and local level, the issues, and problems of public services provision, and challenges for the reform of the national administrative system.

Nations and Nationalism

In both political science and international relations, the understanding of the ideology of nationalism as well as the emergence, nature and legitimacy of contemporary nation-states is of crucial importance. Without an interpretation of the dynamics of these phenomena, political issues ranging from sovereignty to power relationships and from regional co-operation to violent conflicts (inter or intra-state) become completely incomprehensible. The course is an introduction to nationalism, focusing especially but not exclusively on the European experience. It aims to familiarize students with all theoretical paradigms of nationalism and also to evaluate their explanatory power with references to a number of case–studies. Particular emphasis is also given to the consequences of nationalism, both positive (democracy and capitalism) and negative (stereotypes, feelings of superiority etc.).

Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Development

The course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field linking entrepreneurship and innovation with development. The course focuses on theoretical approaches to entrepreneurship and the relationship between entrepreneurship and development. It brings students in touch with relevant literature, focusing on the development of theoretical and analytical competences on issues of business activity. The topics examined in the course include the concept and forms of entrepreneurship, the concept and types of innovation, the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises, international entrepreneurship, technological change and innovation, the business environment, the impact of entrepreneurship on society, entrepreneurship, productivity and development, business activity and theories of development.

Political Communication and Mass Media

The course studies the ideological and practical influence of various mass media (the press, cinema, television, internet etc) on the formation of public opinion. Particular emphasis is given to their influence on contemporary political behavior, the management of political power, communication strategies of parties, governments, organizations, economic and social institutions. Attention is also paid to the influence of public opinion on the agenda and ideological preferences of mass media. Empirical cases are combined with relevant theoretical analysis of fundamental notions in philosophy and communication. The course offers an introduction to the mechanisms of communication activities in the field of politics through practices, such as planning and management of electoral campaign, the use of political resources and mass media and the analysis of public opinion polls.

[color-box color=red]Specialization: Political Science - Semester 8[/color-box]

Politics and Violence

The course presents the theories of political violence and its contemporary assumptions about conflicts within states. Special mention is made of contemporary phenomena of social and political rebellion, transnational as well as state violence. Additionally, the phenomenon of the action of terrorist organizations of political violence from the end of the 1960s to the present day and in particular the evolution of the phenomenon of political violence in the 21st century is examined. Additionally, the phenomenon of the action of terrorist organizations of political violence from the end of the 1960s to the present day and in particular the evolution of the phenomenon of political violence in the 21st century is examined.

Elections, Electoral Systems and Electoral Behavior

The aim of the course is to investigate and analyse voting behaviour and the parameters that determine it and decisively influence the choice of voters in the elections. In this context, students learn the basic explanatory models of electoral sociology: electoral geography, political ecology, behavioral approaches developed by the Columbia and Michigan Schools, rational choice, and the macro-sociological model. Other topics with which students will become familiar include the relationship between voter and party identification and the causes of the major changes in voting behavior in recent elections in Greece and elsewhere. The course also aims to analyze electoral systems and their impact on voting behavior and the party system. Students carry out learning activities (small-scale exercises) developing skills and abilities in the use of writing, gathering and prioritizing data from various sources, both print and electronic. They are also tested during the teaching period in progress tests.

Regional and Local Government

The purpose of this course is to present a comparative evaluation of the different models of Regional and Local Government organization at international level, focusing on the case of Local government in Greece. In this context, the theoretical framework and the different models of local government organization in the European Union are compared, in order to evaluate their implementation and performance and identify the common trends towards their reform. Having presented the wider environment, the theoretical framework and the contemporary models of Regional and Local Government organization, is presented at the second part of the course the historical evolution, the institutional framework, the organizational design and the performance the local government in Greece are critically analyzed.

Political Ideologies

This course strives to offer a map with the major ideologies – Liberalism, Conservatism, Nationalism, Anarchism, Fascism- National Socialism -, and also more contemporary movements like Feminism and versions of religious fundamentalism as well as populism seen as “a thin-centred” ideologies . In the last lectures the course attempts to familiarize the ideological analysis with a selective reference to conceptual approaches, and also through discourse analysis. Students are expected on the one hand to construct a fundamental body of knowledge relative to the more important ideological currents, and on the other hand to form a critical ability of recognizing and appreciating ideological patterns as they unfold in contemporary political discourse.

Greek Economy (NOT AVAILABLE FOR 2023-24)

The purpose of this course is to study the development of the Greek Economy during the last fifty years. At a first stage, it analyzes the models of economic development and the protectionism that prevailed until the 1980s. At a next stage, it extensively discusses issues such as the effects of EΕC accession, the macroeconomic policy of the 1980s, the change in the monetary policy in the 1990s, the way that Greece chose to reduce inflation and fulfil the Maastricht criteria, the economic policy in the period following the introduction of the euro as well as the causes of the recent economic crisis.

The Psychology of Revolutions (NOT AVAILABLE FOR 2023-24)

The course investigates the phenomenon of revolutions from the point of view of political psychology: of the branch of social psychology which focuses on the psychological mechanisms associated to political practices. After an introduction to the general proceedings and methods of political and social psychology, the course will explore the psychological mechanisms that underpin the stability of political regimes and which, under certain conditions produce phenomena of “stasis” and violent constitutional change. These mechanisms constitute the subjective reception of those structural social disfunctions which lead to the growth of collective expectations which cannot be met and the frustration of which is provoking discontent. The psychic factor is analyzed into the desirability of the possibilities of “exit”, of “voice” and “loyalty”, with revolution being the choice of “exit” when “loyalty” recedes under the weight of growing anomy. The establishment of a new political order is examined through the prism of the psychological need of “routinization”.

[color-box color=blue]Specialization: International Relations - Semester 7[/color-box]

International Economic Relations

This course introduces students to basic theories that explain international trade relations, the international monetary system and financial market operations. The section of international trade will cover the basic theories of trade, the export-oriented growth strategy as well as the political economy of trade policy. Moreover, the role of foreign direct investment and of the multinational companies will be discussed. Monetary aspects of the international economy are the subject of the second section. After a short presentation of the history of the international monetary system, the workings of the foreign exchange market will be analyzed. Moreover, issues like the rationale behind and effects of different exchange-rate policy regimes, the underlying reasons for international financial crises, the interplay between international and domestic macroeconomic forces in the adjustment of the Balance of Payments, will be discussed in this section.

Global Migration and Diasporas

The course examines different diasporas, i.e., the Jewish diaspora, the Armenian diaspora, the African diaspora, the Chinese diaspora, the Indian diaspora, the colonial diasporas, the Greek diaspora, etc. Through a comparative approach, it analyzes in detail the transformations of national identity, the links with the mother country, and the relationship with the hosting country. Despite important differences in the way they have been constructed (violence, forced movement, voluntary exodus, etc.), diasporas share several common characteristics. The course aims to familiarize students with issues of migration and the construction of diasporas and focuses on the cultural aspects of the phenomenon.

Nations and Nationalism

Russia in Global Politics and Economy

This course examines the place of post-Soviet Russia in world economy and international politics. The course focuses on Russia's foreign policy schools, its characteristics as an "emerging power", Russia's international economic relations and energy policy, as well as its role on important issues on the contemporary international agenda. The purpose of the course is to enable students to understand how Russia interacts with other actors in international politics and what factors determine its international choices. Emphasis is placed on the international context of Russian policy-making and on the hard and soft power elements that Russia puts forward today, highlighting the country's role in the international distribution of power and wealth.

Regional Security in the Middle East

The course explores international relations and security in the region of the Middle East. In particular, it presents the history of intractable conflicts (e.g., the Arab-Israeli conflict), their causes and prospects for peaceful resolution. It also examines the rise of radical Islam, the issue of terrorism, the role of minorities in the region, the clash between Shia and Sunni Muslims, Iran’s regional role, nuclear proliferation, and US, EU and Russian policies in the Middle East.

[color-box color=red]Specialization: International Relations - Semester 8[/color-box]

Emerging Powers and Global Governance

The course examines ongoing developments in the international political and economic stage with regard to the emergence of new states, such as Brazil India and China. It focuses on the ways by which a range of emerging states have managed to substantially strengthen their positions at the world stage, thereby leading to a de facto re-organization of the system of global governance. It puts emphasis on the economic and political choices of these states during the last decades as well as the global environment that facilitated their emergence. The scope of the course is students’ understanding of the factors that account for the fact that emergent powers have become important actors in the world system. Moreover, the role of economic crises at the international level, the regional choices of the aforementioned states and their results as well as the ways by which international organizations and institutions are being transformed as a result of these phenomena.

Africa: Politics, Economy and International Relations

Relations between the European Union and Sub-Saharan Africa are deep and complex. The EU is by far the African continent’s main trade partner and its main source of development assistance, while several all-encompassing agreements have created a sense of a common space that some commentators have defined as ‘Eurafrica’. In recent years there has been extensive diplomatic activity. A variety of new agreements and ambitious declarations have created a growing sense of an ever closer and more balanced relationship. In particular, trade relations between Europe and Africa are in the process of being reformulated.

Jean Monnet Chair: The EU and Geopolitical Competition in the Western Balkans

The course examines the EU involvement in the Western Balkans and the Union’s efforts (usually in partnership with the United States) to promote stability, democracy, and economic development in the region. In addition, it discusses the increased footprint in the region of other external powers (notably, Russia, China, Turkey and the Gulf countries). In particular, it analyses the aims, the instruments, and the policies of these external non-Western geopolitical actors and it questions the compatibility of their policies with the EU/US reform agenda for the region. Therefore, the course reflects upon the impact of the unfolding geopolitical competition between the EU and the United States, on the one hand, and external non-Western powers, on the other, on the advancement of conflict resolution and peacebuilding, democratic consolidation and sustainable development in the Western Balkans.

Political and Economic Relationships in the Black Sea and the Caucasus

The course focuses on the structures and processes that shape up international political and economic relations in the wider Black Sea region including the South Caucasus. In particular, the course focuses on inter-state economic, trade and energy relations in the region, on regional security issues including frozen conflicts and on current forms of regional cooperation. It also discusses the Black Sea and Eastern Neighbourhood policy of the European Union as well as that of Russia and other regional powers, such as Turkey and Greece.

[color-box color=green]Bachelor Thesis[/color-box]

Bachelor Thesis

The aim of the course is for students to exercise the research and writing skills they have acquired and cultivated during the previous six semesters of their undergraduate studies by writing a long scientific paper (between 10 and 12 thousand words). In this way, they will become even more familiar, on the one hand, with some of the main methodological approaches used for research purposes in the social sciences and, on the other hand, with the stages of research and writing of a long scientific text, in this case the thesis. The final learning outcome is estimated to be the development and deepening of scientific research and writing skills, in line with the best international academic standards, in the fields of one of the two disciplines treated by the Department, namely Political Science and International Relations.
The thesis lasts for two semesters and the option of the thesis replaces any two courses in the curriculum.

[color-box color=blue]Elective Courses - Winter Term[/color-box]

Topics on European Studies (EUNICE) (in English)

The content of the course is articulated in four main themes which view the European reality from the view points of European studies, political science, international relations, culture, history and philosophy. Within these themes special lectures will tackle issues of political leadership, ideology and practice, policies, security issues, relations withtheEU’s vicinity as well as with more distant actors. Questions of values, of identity and civilization, of the origin of European Integration, be adressed in the secondhalfof the course. A special session will target the english-writing skills of participating students.

Social Policy (in English)

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of social policy in western advanced welfare states. Because it is not possible to cover all aspects of this complex social science discipline in one programme of study, this course focuses on selected key areas in the study of social policy.

In particular, the course aims to:

Introduce students to key concepts and principles in social policy, such as ‘welfare’, “equality”, ‘social needs’, ‘social justice’,‘solidarity’ and ‘new social risks’.
Introduce students to the main research methods in social policy
Introduce students to the historical perspective of social policy
Examine competing ideological approaches to ‘welfare’ (eg. liberal, Marxist, social-democratic, ‘third-way’ etc.)
Provide an overview of some of the core social policy areas (eg. health policy, labor market policy, poverty and social exclusion, social economy)
Introduce the concept of ‘welfare regime’ and provide an overview of the different welfare systems operating in Europe
Examine the development of social policy at the European level (EU)

"Social Policy" and "Topics on European Studies" courses are jointly offered by both Departments of the School of Social and Political Sciences (PSIR and SEP) only if there are Erasmus students during the current semester.

English for Academic Purposes I

Through this course students are introduced to the use of English for Academic Purposes: they are taught to recognise and understand the structure and conventions of written and spoken English academic discourse, and develop relevant vocabulary while learning complex syntactic and grammatical structures common to the genre. Students acquire appropriate strategies for approaching, reading/listening to and understanding relatively long, moderately difficult authentic academic texts related to their field of study and produce written and spoken academic discourse of moderate length and difficulty. In addition, emphasis is placed on teaching the principles of text summarization, paragraphing, linguistic features of academic discourse and bibliographic reference. Extensive use is made of the Department's online platform for vocabulary practice and essay writing, the Internet and multimedia. In addition, students are asked to read at least one book for which supporting material is provided and to make a presentation of their work in groups or individually.

Asymmetric Threats and Conflicts

The course focuses on non-conventional challenges to contemporary international security. The aim of the module is to study existing and potential threats that are formed in the context of a globalized international system. The module will focus both on the dynamics that develop within states and those that develop on a transnational and extranational level. Specifically, theoretical and practical aspects of phenomena such as "failed" states, internationalized civil conflicts, and international terrorism will be explored. At the same time, drawing examples from the modern era, the broadening of the concept of security to issues such as migration and pandemics will be examined.

French for Political Scientists

The course is addressed to students of the Department of Political Science and International Relations. Through the course the students are taught the basic structure of the French language and learn academic vocabulary related to their studies such as Political Science, International Relations and Diplomacy.

Internet and International Security

The course aims to study the role of the internet in international security, during the transition from the third to the fourth industrial revolution. As a key channel of communication and connectivity, the internet is a favourite field of action for states, violent political groups, and common criminals. Focusing on phenomena such as fake news, hacktivism, cyber-terrorism, and cyber-crime, the module aims to acquaint students with—often unseen—aspects of the internet and their implications for international security.

Topics on Political Philosophy

Τhe course focuses on the problem of the limitation of war violence. There are two ways to obtain this limitation. The first is through the application of the rules prescribed by Just War theory. The second is the legitimization of certain forms of war and the de-legitimization of some others, in function of the type of State which is dominant in a certain historical era. The course examines the theoretical tradition of Just War in parallel with the consecutive forms of legitimization of war. It focuses in particular at the moment when the modern form of legitimization turns itself against Just War tradition on the ground that this tradition unleashes war violence instead of moderating it. At the same time it studies the counter-arguments from the Just War theory view-point: its main spokesman today, Michael Walzer, considers that the concept of a “Just War” is a critical tool allowing us to denounce the ideological legitimization of war if this does not comply with the criteria of justice. Within this framework, the course examines the central problems of the “ethics of war” like the distinction between combatants and non-combatants, the idea of the humanitarian intervention, of the preemptive or preventive war, of a first strike, the problem of revolutionary and guerilla warfare etc.

European Civilization: The Feminist Movement

The course aims to introduce students to Gender Studies through the history of Feminism and to familiarize them with the basic concepts of feminist theory and feminist critique. The course examines the most important developments in feminist history in the United States and Europe, presents the contribution of significant feminist thinkers (among others Olympe de Gouges, Mary Wollstonecraft, Simon de Beauvoir, etc.) and analyzes the basic theoretical approaches of the movement (liberal feminism, marxist feminism etc.).

Global Governance and Civil Society

The concept of civil society appeared emphatically with the end of the cold war, with the wider prevalence of democratic institutions that essentially led to the creation of new forms of representation and citizenship. At the same time, globalization and the transformation of the welfare State have strengthened the role of new forms of policy-making. These new forms, such as social movements and non-governmental organizations (NGOS) began to acquire more and more attention. This course aims to analyze the political influence of civil society actors in the decision-making process. It begins with an attempt to familiarize students with concepts like civil society, social movements and NGOs, within a broader context of historical development and under the broader conceptual framework of global governance. Focusing on the most important representatives of modern civil society, the NGOs, the course will attempt to define them, and explain their role in the context of global governance. The lectures will focus on Greece considering initially the broader evolution of Civil Society and subsequently the position and the role of NGOS.

Internship

The Internship Program gives the opportunity to students to work for a short period of time in public or private agencies (in Greece or abroad) whose activities are relevant to the Department’s study fields. The program aims at assisting the students to experience how theory translates into practice, that is to say, how their academic capacities and qualifications might be exploited professionally. Overall, the internship program intends to facilitate the students’ accession into the labor market.

[color-box color=red]Elective Courses - Spring Term[/color-box]

Education Policy (in English)

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the theory and practice of modern educational policy. The course starts out with an overview of the most important theoretical approaches shaping modern education policy. The course places a special interest in addressing issues such as education leadership, the interplay between institutions and education, the role of education in economic development, understanding the growing importance of technology in shaping educational services, while issues relating to socioeconomic inequality are also central to the course. Both formal and informal institutions of education are discussed, including the political, organizational, economic, and social factors affecting schools and higher education institutes. The course is grounded in a wide and updated interdisciplinary literature stemming from sociology, political science, and economics reflecting the diverse research and teaching interests of the faculty members.

Topics on International Studies (EUNICE) (in English)

The course focuses on a series of specialized topics of International Studies. It combines a broad and inclusive overview of International Studies with a more detailed focus on specific case studies ranging from security issues to emerging powers and from progress in the European integration to the role of Diasporas in the era of globalization. Students will draw upon a wide variety of resources: books, research articles as well as think tank studies and international organizations reports.

"Topics on International Studies" course is jointly offered by both Departments of the School of Social and Political Sciences (PSIR and SEP) only if there are Erasmus students during the current semester.

English for Academic Purposes ΙΙ

Through the course students further develop their ability to understand, handle and produce English academic discourse in all its forms, especially on topics related to their studies in the Department, expanding their knowledge of these topics alongside their knowledge of the language (academic vocabulary, etc.). In particular, students are taught texts and vocabulary in English related to academic research and the characteristics of all parts of a research article and practice writing an abstract, a paraphrase of a text, an introduction to an article and research methodology. They are also taught and practise appropriate strategies for approaching, understanding and analysing scientific articles and extracts from scientific books with content relevant to their field of study. In addition, students become familiar with English oral academic discourse and the skills associated with it (e.g. focused listening, correct note-taking). Students are required to write essays of moderate length and make short group/individual presentations of a project based on a literary book. Extensive use is made of the Department's online platform for vocabulary and essay writing practice and the Internet. Finally, students will improve their communication skills and practice expressing opinions through argumentation on topics related to their studies.

French for Political and Social Scientists

The course is addressed to both students of the Department of Political Science and International Relations and students of Social and Educational Policy. Through the course the students progress in their use of French for academic purposes. They are taught appropriate strategies for approaching and comprehending authentic academic discourse (level B1+) in written or spoken form related to their studies such as Political Science and International Relations as well as Education and Migration Policy, Human Rights, European Social Policy.

French Language and Interculturalism

The course is addressed to students of the Department of Political Science and International Relations. Through the course the students become familiar with the intercultural relations and metaphors between Greece and France. By means of appropriately selected texts and media resources, the students will study notions such as Greekness and Otherness, Me and the Other, multidimensional and multiform identity (national, European, Balkan). In this way, the cultural inheritance is approached not as a closed system but as a continuous confrontation between the familiar and the foreign.

Topics on Greek Foreign Policy

The course studies Greece’s position in the international system and discusses the main parameters that determine the country’s foreign policy. It acquaints students with the chronic problems of Greek external relations, namely, the Greek-Turkish dispute, the Cyprus question, and the controversy over the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The course also presents Greece’s policies for the management of proximate crises (e.g. the Balkan wars) and assesses the country’s contribution to regional stability. Moreover, it analyses Greece’s relations with all major powers and highlights the country’s participation in multilateral efforts and international institutions (mainly, in the EU, NATO and the United Nations).

European Social Policy

The emergence of European Social Policy (ESP) is linked to the need for transnational social regulation in the era of economic globalisation. ESP is linked to the study of processes such as European integration, transnational redistribution of resources, the role of European institutions and the course of European integration. ESP refers primarily to supranational social regulation emanating from international organisations - notably the European Union, the Council of Europe and the International Labour Organisation. Gradually, the emergence of the need for transnational social regulation of the capitalist economy, the weakening of national social policy and the strengthening of the interaction between national and transnational welfare, give the ESP an increasingly critical role for the European perspective in the 21st century. In this context, the themes of the courses are shaped, which include questions on the concept and evolution of European Social Policy, the fields of European Social Policy, European Social Rights, the prospects of Social Europe and the challenges of the European Social Model.

EU Cultural Policy

The course focuses on the so-called ‘complementary’, ‘supporting’ or ‘coordinating’ competences of the European Union, where the Union has the power to take action to supplement, support or coordinate the action of the Member States, without superseding their competence in the specific areas. The course looks in particular at the Union’s competences in the field of culture and how they are exercised. It examines the Union’s cultural policy, its historical development, the procedures for its formulation and its instruments. At the same time, the course explores the Union’s actions related to culture, cultural heritage, the cultural and creative sector and cultural diversity in the context of other Union policies. Particular emphasis is placed on the internal market and the Union’s external relations while culture is also approached from the perspective of fundamental rights.

Fundamental Rights

This course concerns the protection of the fundamental rights on a national and international level. As a national level is meant the protection according to Greek Constitution and it concerns the general theory of protection of fundamental rights and the protection of particular rights protected by the Greek Constitution. As an international level is meant the protection on a universal level (United Nations) and also regional, where special emphasis will be given on the European Convention for the Human Rights and the Additional Protocols, which constitute in any case internal Law, since they have been signed and ratified by the Greek State.

History, Politics, Culture: Comics, Cinema, Enlisted Literature

Literature and contemporary culture are not merely sources of entertainment and decoration. From Shakespeare to Salman Rushdie and Orhan Pamuk, literature has played a powerful part within society. It has been censored and sponsored, used as propaganda and for protest. This course gives students the opportunity to study in detail and in depth the ways in which society and its forms of expression are linked. The inscription of historical memory and the traumatic experience in literary texts, films or paintings is another theme discussed extensively in this course. It also examines some forms of literary ‘resistance’ in authoritarian and fascist regimes. The course aims at familiarizing students with current academic debates on the inscription of Ideology in the text and the Arts.

The New Economy and the Challenges in the Global Economic System (NOT AVAILABLE FOR 2023-24)

The economy of the future seems to be moving significantly away from the characteristics of the "Smithian" type of economy as more and more goods are produced under conditions of increasing economies of scale. In the modern economy, the ability to create innovation is the main source of wealth creation, while the value relevance of goods is changing significantly as the underlying value tends to take a more immaterial form. Traditional economic policies seem unable to address contemporary challenges, mainly the declining importance of labour in the distribution of wealth, growing inequalities, the declining competitiveness and indebtedness of the West and the lack of secure investment goods.
Based on the above findings, the aim of the course is to understand the microeconomic and macroeconomic implications of the new economy and the challenges that have emerged in the global economic environment.

Political Parties and Polls

The aim of the course is to present and highlight the relationship between political parties and political polls, as well as the basic characteristics and stages of the modern research process. Students learn about the history of political parties with a focus on Greece. They also learn the history of political polls in Greece, the relevant legislative framework and understand the characteristics of the methodological tools of political polls, the techniques and stages of conducting research. They reflect on the role of opinion polls in the understanding and analysis of political and social reality. Students will understand the relationship between political opinion polls and the media and how parties and governments use opinion polls for the development of communication, political and electoral strategies. They are also concerned with the particularities and problems of opinion polls related to the rules of conducting and publishing them. Students participate in learning activities (exercises) developing skills and abilities in the use of writing, gathering and prioritising data from various sources (internet).

Internship

The Palestinian Issue: A Comparative Approach

The course follows the Palestinian Issue from the British Mandate to the fragmentation of the Palestinian Territories in the the West Bank and the the Gaza Strip in the 2000s. It comprises a comparative analysis of the Palestinian Issue with the Irish Issue and the Algerian national liberation movement.