International Relations and Area Studies Jagiellonian University

Overview

Jagiellonian University's International Relations and Area Studies aim is to foster creative thinking about complex global problems and to equip students with the analytical tools, language expertise, and cross-cultural understanding to guide them in that process. Our degree provides a solid grounding in international issues together with an opportunity to specialise in International Security or Area Studies.

During the first three semesters you will: learn the fundamentals of the key subjects for studying international relations, such as international political economy, international history, theories and methods of IR, globalization, economic and political geography, human rights and international ethics. With this solid foundation you will be ready to choose your preferred specialization, and you will focus on either international security or two regions of the world offered as part of our Area Studies track. 

IRAS specializations

• INTERNATIONAL SECURITY In order to ensure that you are able to master the complex challenges of the post-9/11 world, this specialization module views security from a broad theoretical and historical perspective, placing traditional security concerns in the context of such fields as development, economics, human rights and globalization. It will introduce you to the main concepts and approaches in international security and encourage you to analyse, interpret and evaluate world political events and issues. You will focus on a diverse range of topics including strategy, conflict resolution, foreign policy analysis, intelligence, human security, military technology and regional security. 
• AREA STUDIES This specialization will provide a solid grounding in politics, history, economic cooperation, culture and society of various regions of the world. You will be able to focus on two regions chosen from: Europe, Russia and its neighbourhood, the Americas, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia-Pacific/ East and South Asia. This module is ideal for those who wish to explore and understand the different regions, their cultures, traditions and international relations in a comparative perspective. It is interdisciplinary and interactive, linking language study with other disciplines such as politics, history, economics, cultural studies and anthropology.