Germany in a Changing World

Catalog description

In times of a fast-changing world Germany faces a number of external challenges that force a re-thinking of political positions, strategies and goals. Some of them worked so well for a long time that they were taken for granted and became part of the national identity: that is changing. This course explores tectonic shifts in the global order, reform successes and failures of the European Union, geopolitical challenges and how all of these changes affect Germany's self-perception, how it is perceived in the world and how it reacts to the challenges.We analyze the multifaceted role of Germany in global politics, national interests, bi-and multilateral relations, Germany's membership in supranational and international organizations and how the country positions itself. We address changes (or their absence) and look at alternative positions. Through a combination of theoretical perspectives, case studies, and current events analysis, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of Germany's political dynamics in the contemporary global arena - and will form an opinion if and how the biggest country in the European Union will manage to reinvent itself.