What We Are Learning This Week with Dr. Sairo Bano

August 8, 2022 in POLI 283 Issues & Trends In World Politics

Dr. Saira Bano is exploring how international law and organizations facilitate cooperation and a peaceful world in absence of a global authority to ensure compliance

 

Can you tell us a little more about this topic?

Although international law and organizations are usually designed to promote cooperation and restrict conflict, many generate new controversies. Like any other institutions, international institutions sometimes fail because they are poorly designed or have a shortage of resources; nonetheless, many have done much good. If nothing else, international law sets ethical standards for the conduct of international affairs. As long as international relations are based on national sovereignty, international law and organization will be inherently limited; nevertheless, they have helped advance a relatively peaceful world and are likely to become more important as global interdependence increases.

What else do you cover in your course?

POLI 283 covers the most salient issues and trends in contemporary world politics. The field of world politics can span the continuum from open warfare to peaceful cooperation. Some countries fight wars against one another, while other countries have managed to live in peace by engaging in economic cooperation. On the one hand, globalization seems to have reduced the relevance of the nation-state and creating opportunities of international cooperation through institutions. On the other hand, globalization is fuelling the rise of nationalism and other challenges. Understanding this varied landscape of conflict and cooperation is task of this course.

What do you love about teaching this course?

The thing I love most about this course is that students acquire a comprehensive understanding of the most salient issues and trends in contemporary world politics through interactive class. Engaged students are highly motivated to learn, interested in material and think critically about important concepts in class. They identify and analyze the connection between world politics theories and current events. It stimulates their interests how theoretical constructs shed light on current events.

Finally, what other courses would you recommend for students interested this topic?

Students interested in global politics can get an in-depth knowledge by taking courses related to International Relations like POLI 381 Intro to International Relations, INTR 301 A Multidisciplinary Survey of International Relations, INT 501 Advanced Seminar in International Relations. Students interested in specific topics of global politics can enhance their knowledge by taking a wide range of courses that the department offers.

 

Our Thanks to Dr. Sairo Bano for sharing your course with us

Follow Dr. Bano on Twitter @sairaban1