TransNat'l Institutions in AFR

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This course examines Africa’s role in global governance and international affairs through the lens of international organizations. The course examines a variety of international organizations that are either based in or active in Africa, and the relationship of African society and states to them. It provides a survey of contemporary economic, political, social, and security issues that are shaping Africa and the international organizations and the transnational institutions and organizations designed to address them. The course is divided into three sections. The first section of the course introduces students to the major theoretical debates in IR theory about the role of IOs in world politics. Topics examined in this unit include the creation, design, legitimacy, and efficacy of international organizations. The second section of the course explores the history and impact of centuries of foreign intervention – from European colonialism and the ‘Scramble for Africa,’ to the modern-day great power rivalry between the US and China – on the African continent, its peoples, society, government, and institutions. The final section of the course provides an overview of the major international organizations and transnational institutions active in Africa, today, such as the African Union (AU), the African Development Bank, the UN, the African and Malagasy Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and others.