Course Detail
Course Description
| Course | Code | Semester | T+P (Hour) | Credit | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALKANS and WIDER BLACK SEA REGION | INT4214739 | Spring Semester | 3+0 | 3 | 6 |
| Course Program |
| Prerequisites Courses | |
| Recommended Elective Courses |
| Language of Course | English |
| Course Level | First Cycle (Bachelor's Degree) |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Course Coordinator | Assist.Prof. Osman Zeki GÖKÇE |
| Name of Lecturer(s) | |
| Assistant(s) | |
| Aim | This course aims to provide a framework for understanding and analyzing the politics in the Balkans and the wider Black Sea region. Geographically, it is the region that stretches from the Balkans to the Caucasus and from Ukraine and Russia to Anatolia. Politically, however, the region includes the countries that lie on the shores of this sea: Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. Moreover, the wider Black Sea region includes the countries that have signed the Charter of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, that is, in addition to the countries mentioned above, Albania, Greece, Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan. This course will address the main issues, topics, and key concepts in the region. Strategic, political, economic, global and regional changes in the region will be addressed. |
| Course Content | This course contains; Week 1: Identifying Main Issues in the Balkans and the Wider Black Sea Region ,Week 2: Security in the Balkans and the Wider Black Sea,Week 3: Energy Politics in the region ,Week 4: Coloured Revolutions in the Wider Black Sea Region and the Geopoliticization of Democracy ,Week 5: Turkey and the Wider Black Sea ,Week 6: Russia’s Perspective on the Wider Black Sea ,Week 7: Turkey-Russia Relations after the Cold War,Week 8: MIDTERM EXAM ,Week 9: EU’s New Black Sea Policy ,Week 10: NATO and the Black Sea Security ,Week 11: The Black Sea Dimension of the Russia’s Relations with the West ,Week 12: From Crisis to a War: Political and Military developments in Ukraine ,Week 13: Prospects for Armenia and Azerbaijan ,Week 14: Overall Assessment of Politics in the Balkan and Wider Black Sea . |
| Dersin Öğrenme Kazanımları | Teaching Methods | Assessment Methods |
| - Students gain knowledge about the historical and cultural diversity of the Balkans and the Black Sea region. This helps them understand the past political, social, and economic dynamics of the region. | 10, 13, 16, 4, 9 | A |
| - Students understand the causes, consequences, and impacts of these conflicts, thereby grasping the complexity of regional politics. | 10, 16, 19, 6, 9 | A |
| - Students comprehend the advantages and challenges of regional integration by evaluating regional cooperation initiatives, international relations, and political dynamics in the Balkans and the Black Sea region. | 10, 16, 6, 9 | A |
| - Students understand the security dynamics of the region by examining security and stability issues in the Balkans and the Black Sea region. This allows them to assess factors that influence the political and economic future of the region. | 10, 16, 6, 9 | A |
| - Students comprehend the region's relations with the European Union, NATO, and other international actors, as well as the significance of these relationships in terms of regional politics, economy, and security. | 10, 13, 16, 6, 9 | A |
| Teaching Methods: | 10: Discussion Method, 13: Case Study Method, 16: Question - Answer Technique, 19: Brainstorming Technique, 4: Inquiry-Based Learning, 6: Experiential Learning, 9: Lecture Method |
| Assessment Methods: | A: Traditional Written Exam |
Course Outline
| Order | Subjects | Preliminary Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Week 1: Identifying Main Issues in the Balkans and the Wider Black Sea Region | |
| 2 | Week 2: Security in the Balkans and the Wider Black Sea | * Özgür Özdamar, “Security and Military Balance in the Black Sea Region”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, Vol. 10, No: 3, 2010. * Mitat Çelikpala, “Security in the Black Sea Region”, Policy Report No:2, Commission on the Black Sea, 2009. |
| 3 | Week 3: Energy Politics in the region | * Gareth Winrow, “Geopolitics and Energy Security in the Wider Black Sea Region”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, Vol. 7, No:2, 2007. “Re-Linking the Western Balkans: The Energy Dimension”, Center for Strategic and International Studies, September 2010. |
| 4 | Week 4: Coloured Revolutions in the Wider Black Sea Region and the Geopoliticization of Democracy | * Vsevolod Samokhvalov, “Colored Revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia: Repercussions for the System of International Relations in the Black Sea Region”, Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 10, No: 3, 2005. *Oksana Antonenko, “Towards a Comprehensive Regional Security Framework in the Black Sea Region after the Russia-Georgia War”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, Vol. 9, No:3, 2009. * Nona Mikhelidze, “After the 2008 Russia-Georgia War: Implications for the Wider Caucasus”, The International Spectator: Italian Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 44, No: 3, 2009. |
| 5 | Week 5: Turkey and the Wider Black Sea | * Mustafa Aydın, Ömer Fazlıoğlu, “The Turkish Policy towards the Wider Black Sea Region and Its Chairmanship of the BSEC”, Xenophon Paper No:2. *Emre İşeri, Çiğdem Billur, “Turkey as Transformative Regional Power in the Wider Black Sea region: Prospects and Challenges”, International Review of Turkish Studies, Vol. 2, No: 2, 2012 |
| 6 | Week 6: Russia’s Perspective on the Wider Black Sea | * Vsevolod Samokhvalov, “Russia in the Balkans: Great Power Politics and Local Response”, Insight Turkey, Vol. 21, No: 2, 2019. |
| 7 | Week 7: Turkey-Russia Relations after the Cold War | * Pavel Shlykov, Russian-Turkish Relations in the Wider Black Sea Region: Cooperation and Competition, Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 23, No: 2, 2018. |
| 8 | Week 8: MIDTERM EXAM | |
| 9 | Week 9: EU’s New Black Sea Policy | * Mustafa Aydın, “Europe’s New Region: The Black Sea in the Wider Europe Neighbourhood”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, Volume 5, No:2, 2006. Mihai Sebe, “Why the Black Sea Matters for the European Union”, Institute of European Democrats, June 2018. Bogdan Aurescu, “The role of the European Union in the Wider Black Sea Region”, Turkish Policy Quarterly, Vol. 10, No: 1, 2011 |
| 10 | Week 10: NATO and the Black Sea Security | *George Niculescu, “NATO and the Wider Black Sea Region”, Monitor Strategic, Vol. 3, No:4, 2005. * Siyana Luzkanova, “NATO and EU Strategies for the Black Sea Region: The Challenge of Power Balance in New Security Environment”, Journal of Shipping and Ocean Engineering, Vol. 7, 2017. |
| 11 | Week 11: The Black Sea Dimension of the Russia’s Relations with the West | * Vsevolod Samokhvalov, “Ukraine between Russia and the European Union Triangle Revisited”, Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 67, No: 9, 2015 *Jeffrey Makoff, “US-Russian Relations”, Ifri Papers, 2014. |
| 12 | Week 12: From Crisis to a War: Political and Military developments in Ukraine | *Taras Kuzio, “Euromaidan Revolution, Crimea and Russia–Ukraine War: Why it is Time for a Review of Ukrainian–Russian Studies”, Eurasian Geography and Economics, Vol. 59, No: 3-4, 2018. *Volodymyr Kulyk, “National Identity in Ukraine: Impact of Euromaidan and the War”, Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 68, No: 4, 2016. |
| 13 | Week 13: Prospects for Armenia and Azerbaijan | *Kaan Diyarbakırlığoğlu, “The Nagorno Karabakh Conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia from the Historical Perspective”, International Journal of Social, Political and Economic Research, Vol. 7, No:2, 2020. *Zaur Shiriev, Celia Davşes, “The Turkey Armenia-Azerbaijan Triangle: The Unexpected Outcomes of the Zurich Protocols”, Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 18, No: 1, 2013. |
| 14 | Week 14: Overall Assessment of Politics in the Balkan and Wider Black Sea |
| Resources |
Course Contribution to Program Qualifications
| Course Contribution to Program Qualifications | |||||||
| No | Program Qualification | Contribution Level | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| 1 | PC1. Students know the fundamental concepts, theories, research methods and analysis techniques used in the fields and sub-fields of Political Science and International relations. | ||||||
| 2 | PC2. Students understand the political, economic, social, and cultural relations among political systems, international actors, states and non-state actors; analyzes the reasons for the issues and problems in these fields, develop skills for systematic and critical thinking for alternative solutions. | ||||||
| 3 | PC3. Students of the program will be able to work at public and private institutions, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. They will be able to involve in the foreign policy making, analysis, and implementation processes; manage project implementations, and shoulder responsibilities at different positions of decision-making processes. The multi-disciplinary perspective they have developed in the program facilitates following solution-oriented perspective at times of crisis, evaluating existing resolutions and developing new alternatives. | ||||||
| 4 | PC4. Students will be able to conduct scientific research in the fields and sub-fields of political science and international relations, analyze the results and report the findings to stakeholders. | ||||||
| 5 | PC5. Students will be able to conduct scientific research in the fields and sub-fields of political science and international relations, analyze the results and make scientific publications. | ||||||
| 6 | PC6. Students will be able to work as group leader in public and private institutions, plan and administer events and activities. | ||||||
| 7 | PC7. As a result of development of critical thinking, students stay open to change and development; adopt never-ending learning principle to their life. | ||||||
| 8 | PC8. Students use the appropriate oral and written language skills and adopt professional ethics in their communication while sharing results, analyses, and solution suggestions with colleagues and stakeholders | ||||||
| 9 | PC9. Students use English language skills in research and fields of expertise; easily follow international developments and communicates with international stakeholders. | ||||||
| 10 | PC10. Students use fundamental computer skills in communication with colleagues and stakeholders. | ||||||
| 11 | PC11. Students will be able to lead decision-making mechanisms, involve in policy making and analysis processes, and manage negotiation processes in public and private institutions. | ||||||
| 12 | PC12. Students will be able to develop original and scientific solutions and knowledge in their fields of expertise, create projects and act as a consultant to decision-making mechanisms. | ||||||
Assessment Methods
| Contribution Level | Absolute Evaluation | |
| Rate of Midterm Exam to Success | 40 | |
| Rate of Final Exam to Success | 60 | |
| Total | 100 | |
| ECTS / Workload Table | ||||||
| Activities | Number of | Duration(Hour) | Total Workload(Hour) | |||
| Course Hours | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Guided Problem Solving | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Resolution of Homework Problems and Submission as a Report | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Term Project | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Presentation of Project / Seminar | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Quiz | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Midterm Exam | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| General Exam | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Performance Task, Maintenance Plan | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total Workload(Hour) | 0 | |||||
| Dersin AKTS Kredisi = Toplam İş Yükü (Saat)/30*=(0/30) | 0 | |||||
| ECTS of the course: 30 hours of work is counted as 1 ECTS credit. | ||||||
Detail Informations of the Course
Course Description
| Course | Code | Semester | T+P (Hour) | Credit | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALKANS and WIDER BLACK SEA REGION | INT4214739 | Spring Semester | 3+0 | 3 | 6 |
| Course Program |
| Prerequisites Courses | |
| Recommended Elective Courses |
| Language of Course | English |
| Course Level | First Cycle (Bachelor's Degree) |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Course Coordinator | Assist.Prof. Osman Zeki GÖKÇE |
| Name of Lecturer(s) | |
| Assistant(s) | |
| Aim | This course aims to provide a framework for understanding and analyzing the politics in the Balkans and the wider Black Sea region. Geographically, it is the region that stretches from the Balkans to the Caucasus and from Ukraine and Russia to Anatolia. Politically, however, the region includes the countries that lie on the shores of this sea: Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. Moreover, the wider Black Sea region includes the countries that have signed the Charter of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, that is, in addition to the countries mentioned above, Albania, Greece, Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan. This course will address the main issues, topics, and key concepts in the region. Strategic, political, economic, global and regional changes in the region will be addressed. |
| Course Content | This course contains; Week 1: Identifying Main Issues in the Balkans and the Wider Black Sea Region ,Week 2: Security in the Balkans and the Wider Black Sea,Week 3: Energy Politics in the region ,Week 4: Coloured Revolutions in the Wider Black Sea Region and the Geopoliticization of Democracy ,Week 5: Turkey and the Wider Black Sea ,Week 6: Russia’s Perspective on the Wider Black Sea ,Week 7: Turkey-Russia Relations after the Cold War,Week 8: MIDTERM EXAM ,Week 9: EU’s New Black Sea Policy ,Week 10: NATO and the Black Sea Security ,Week 11: The Black Sea Dimension of the Russia’s Relations with the West ,Week 12: From Crisis to a War: Political and Military developments in Ukraine ,Week 13: Prospects for Armenia and Azerbaijan ,Week 14: Overall Assessment of Politics in the Balkan and Wider Black Sea . |
| Dersin Öğrenme Kazanımları | Teaching Methods | Assessment Methods |
| - Students gain knowledge about the historical and cultural diversity of the Balkans and the Black Sea region. This helps them understand the past political, social, and economic dynamics of the region. | 10, 13, 16, 4, 9 | A |
| - Students understand the causes, consequences, and impacts of these conflicts, thereby grasping the complexity of regional politics. | 10, 16, 19, 6, 9 | A |
| - Students comprehend the advantages and challenges of regional integration by evaluating regional cooperation initiatives, international relations, and political dynamics in the Balkans and the Black Sea region. | 10, 16, 6, 9 | A |
| - Students understand the security dynamics of the region by examining security and stability issues in the Balkans and the Black Sea region. This allows them to assess factors that influence the political and economic future of the region. | 10, 16, 6, 9 | A |
| - Students comprehend the region's relations with the European Union, NATO, and other international actors, as well as the significance of these relationships in terms of regional politics, economy, and security. | 10, 13, 16, 6, 9 | A |
| Teaching Methods: | 10: Discussion Method, 13: Case Study Method, 16: Question - Answer Technique, 19: Brainstorming Technique, 4: Inquiry-Based Learning, 6: Experiential Learning, 9: Lecture Method |
| Assessment Methods: | A: Traditional Written Exam |
Course Outline
| Order | Subjects | Preliminary Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Week 1: Identifying Main Issues in the Balkans and the Wider Black Sea Region | |
| 2 | Week 2: Security in the Balkans and the Wider Black Sea | * Özgür Özdamar, “Security and Military Balance in the Black Sea Region”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, Vol. 10, No: 3, 2010. * Mitat Çelikpala, “Security in the Black Sea Region”, Policy Report No:2, Commission on the Black Sea, 2009. |
| 3 | Week 3: Energy Politics in the region | * Gareth Winrow, “Geopolitics and Energy Security in the Wider Black Sea Region”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, Vol. 7, No:2, 2007. “Re-Linking the Western Balkans: The Energy Dimension”, Center for Strategic and International Studies, September 2010. |
| 4 | Week 4: Coloured Revolutions in the Wider Black Sea Region and the Geopoliticization of Democracy | * Vsevolod Samokhvalov, “Colored Revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia: Repercussions for the System of International Relations in the Black Sea Region”, Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 10, No: 3, 2005. *Oksana Antonenko, “Towards a Comprehensive Regional Security Framework in the Black Sea Region after the Russia-Georgia War”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, Vol. 9, No:3, 2009. * Nona Mikhelidze, “After the 2008 Russia-Georgia War: Implications for the Wider Caucasus”, The International Spectator: Italian Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 44, No: 3, 2009. |
| 5 | Week 5: Turkey and the Wider Black Sea | * Mustafa Aydın, Ömer Fazlıoğlu, “The Turkish Policy towards the Wider Black Sea Region and Its Chairmanship of the BSEC”, Xenophon Paper No:2. *Emre İşeri, Çiğdem Billur, “Turkey as Transformative Regional Power in the Wider Black Sea region: Prospects and Challenges”, International Review of Turkish Studies, Vol. 2, No: 2, 2012 |
| 6 | Week 6: Russia’s Perspective on the Wider Black Sea | * Vsevolod Samokhvalov, “Russia in the Balkans: Great Power Politics and Local Response”, Insight Turkey, Vol. 21, No: 2, 2019. |
| 7 | Week 7: Turkey-Russia Relations after the Cold War | * Pavel Shlykov, Russian-Turkish Relations in the Wider Black Sea Region: Cooperation and Competition, Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 23, No: 2, 2018. |
| 8 | Week 8: MIDTERM EXAM | |
| 9 | Week 9: EU’s New Black Sea Policy | * Mustafa Aydın, “Europe’s New Region: The Black Sea in the Wider Europe Neighbourhood”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, Volume 5, No:2, 2006. Mihai Sebe, “Why the Black Sea Matters for the European Union”, Institute of European Democrats, June 2018. Bogdan Aurescu, “The role of the European Union in the Wider Black Sea Region”, Turkish Policy Quarterly, Vol. 10, No: 1, 2011 |
| 10 | Week 10: NATO and the Black Sea Security | *George Niculescu, “NATO and the Wider Black Sea Region”, Monitor Strategic, Vol. 3, No:4, 2005. * Siyana Luzkanova, “NATO and EU Strategies for the Black Sea Region: The Challenge of Power Balance in New Security Environment”, Journal of Shipping and Ocean Engineering, Vol. 7, 2017. |
| 11 | Week 11: The Black Sea Dimension of the Russia’s Relations with the West | * Vsevolod Samokhvalov, “Ukraine between Russia and the European Union Triangle Revisited”, Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 67, No: 9, 2015 *Jeffrey Makoff, “US-Russian Relations”, Ifri Papers, 2014. |
| 12 | Week 12: From Crisis to a War: Political and Military developments in Ukraine | *Taras Kuzio, “Euromaidan Revolution, Crimea and Russia–Ukraine War: Why it is Time for a Review of Ukrainian–Russian Studies”, Eurasian Geography and Economics, Vol. 59, No: 3-4, 2018. *Volodymyr Kulyk, “National Identity in Ukraine: Impact of Euromaidan and the War”, Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 68, No: 4, 2016. |
| 13 | Week 13: Prospects for Armenia and Azerbaijan | *Kaan Diyarbakırlığoğlu, “The Nagorno Karabakh Conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia from the Historical Perspective”, International Journal of Social, Political and Economic Research, Vol. 7, No:2, 2020. *Zaur Shiriev, Celia Davşes, “The Turkey Armenia-Azerbaijan Triangle: The Unexpected Outcomes of the Zurich Protocols”, Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 18, No: 1, 2013. |
| 14 | Week 14: Overall Assessment of Politics in the Balkan and Wider Black Sea |
| Resources |
Course Contribution to Program Qualifications
| Course Contribution to Program Qualifications | |||||||
| No | Program Qualification | Contribution Level | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| 1 | PC1. Students know the fundamental concepts, theories, research methods and analysis techniques used in the fields and sub-fields of Political Science and International relations. | ||||||
| 2 | PC2. Students understand the political, economic, social, and cultural relations among political systems, international actors, states and non-state actors; analyzes the reasons for the issues and problems in these fields, develop skills for systematic and critical thinking for alternative solutions. | ||||||
| 3 | PC3. Students of the program will be able to work at public and private institutions, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. They will be able to involve in the foreign policy making, analysis, and implementation processes; manage project implementations, and shoulder responsibilities at different positions of decision-making processes. The multi-disciplinary perspective they have developed in the program facilitates following solution-oriented perspective at times of crisis, evaluating existing resolutions and developing new alternatives. | ||||||
| 4 | PC4. Students will be able to conduct scientific research in the fields and sub-fields of political science and international relations, analyze the results and report the findings to stakeholders. | ||||||
| 5 | PC5. Students will be able to conduct scientific research in the fields and sub-fields of political science and international relations, analyze the results and make scientific publications. | ||||||
| 6 | PC6. Students will be able to work as group leader in public and private institutions, plan and administer events and activities. | ||||||
| 7 | PC7. As a result of development of critical thinking, students stay open to change and development; adopt never-ending learning principle to their life. | ||||||
| 8 | PC8. Students use the appropriate oral and written language skills and adopt professional ethics in their communication while sharing results, analyses, and solution suggestions with colleagues and stakeholders | ||||||
| 9 | PC9. Students use English language skills in research and fields of expertise; easily follow international developments and communicates with international stakeholders. | ||||||
| 10 | PC10. Students use fundamental computer skills in communication with colleagues and stakeholders. | ||||||
| 11 | PC11. Students will be able to lead decision-making mechanisms, involve in policy making and analysis processes, and manage negotiation processes in public and private institutions. | ||||||
| 12 | PC12. Students will be able to develop original and scientific solutions and knowledge in their fields of expertise, create projects and act as a consultant to decision-making mechanisms. | ||||||
Assessment Methods
| Contribution Level | Absolute Evaluation | |
| Rate of Midterm Exam to Success | 40 | |
| Rate of Final Exam to Success | 60 | |
| Total | 100 | |