HMRT 386ZHuman Rights & Global Change

Catalog

This course investigates how shifts in global politics and economy- such as the rise of China, the re-emergence of BRICS, and intensifying geo economic competition- are reshaping human rights practices and institutions. Students explore economic statecraft, development finance, digital infrastructure, trade wars, and the politics of global supply chains. The course examines how states use economic tools such as foreign aid, investment, technology standards, and debt diplomacy to influence political outcomes abroad, and how these strategies spill over into human rights performance. Special attention is given to China's Belt and Road Initiative, Western development finance reforms, and competing governance models that challenge liberal human rights norms. Through case studies, students analyze how geopolitical competition affects civil liberties, media freedom, labor rights, and environmental protection. The course integrates international relations, comparative politics, and human rights analysis to help students understand the emerging multipolar order. Ultimately, it equips them to assess the consequences of geo economic rivalry for rights advocacy, global governance, and development trajectories.