教學大綱 Syllabus

課程簡介Course Description

International organisations (IOs) have been created over the past century to advance cooperation among states to find common solutions to international and transnational challenges. IOs are tools of international politics and international relations, while serving as indispensable fora for establishing and implementing international norms and principles. Some of the key international challenges tackled by IOs include armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, infectious diseases, climate change, international trade and global inequality. IOs vary greatly in terms of their mission, functions, membership, structure, powers and geographical scope. The role of IOs in international politics remains controversial: while some perceive them as enablers to achieving global solutions beyond the capacity of individual states, others question their effectiveness and legitimacy given their tendency to be controlled by the most powerful states. States and citizens alike are sometimes disappointed by the gap between IOs’ lofty aspirations and their actual performance in addressing global problems.  

The course will start by introducing the central analytical approaches that help students understand key characteristics of international organisations: their creation and design, their power and mandates, their decision-making processes, their impact and policy effectiveness, and their interaction with states and other IOs. This analytical framework is then applied to analyse the functions and performance of IOs concerning specific global challenges and policy domains, including peace, security, human rights, trade, crisis response, health and environment. Finally, the course will examine the responsibility and accountability of IOs, examine reasons for Taiwan’s limited participation in these international fora. 

The course will be taught by Associate Professor Kevin Chang (JD, LLM, MA, GradDipIntLaw, GradDipLegPrac, BSc), who is a senior advisor on international law and who brings more than 20 years’ experience as a lawyer, advocate and practitioner with the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Australian Government and other international organisations. Professor Chang is a Lawyer of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. He also teaches at the University of Sydney and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. 

The first half of the course will be conducted in-person on campus, the second half online. Students will be expected to read the prescribed reading material in advance, submit reflection notes and participate in class discussions. The course assumes students will already have a solid foundation in international relations and politics.