Ethics in International Affairs in Times of Crisis *In-Person* *NEW*

The purpose of this course is to acquaint participants with some of the dilemmas that political leaders, activists, and citizens face in an increasingly fragmented but still interconnected multipolar world. The course is divided into three introductory classes and four case studies. We will start reviewing the fundamental aspects of the international system and its institutions in order to get a basic understanding of how international relations work. Then we will focus on the dynamic intersection between morality, international law, and politics. To conclude our theoretical introduction, we will consider just war theory and its evolution. In the following classes, we will consider case studies in four areas, increasingly widening the space and time of our reflections: contemporary local crises related to armed conflict with potential global outreach; current global crises related to energy and environment; developments in AI and robotics and their effects in the near future; the intensification of extraplanetary expansion and its repercussions on the future of space. In each class the instructor will present the main features of the topic of the day and then we will have a discussion. Since international affairs are constantly evolving, we will try to integrate the latest events and developments into our class as we move through the course.
Instructor: Alessandro Frigerio

Sections

Instructor

Alessandro Frigerio is an independent researcher. He has a PhD in Political Studies, with a specialization in Normative Political Theory, from the University of Milan, Italy. He worked for ten years in universities in Kazakhstan as Assistant and then Associate Professor, Chair of Department (International Relations and Regional Studies at KIMEP University, and Humanities at KBTU), and Dean (College of Social Sciences at KIMEP University, School of Management at AlmaU). His latest publication in English is the edited volume with Rico Isaacs Theorizing Central Asian Politics: The State, Ideology and Power (Palgrave, 2019). In his freetime he loves reading books and volunteering as coach for Cambridge Youth Soccer.