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Ukraine - the State in Between
Study Course Description
Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:5.00
Study Course Accepted:19.02.2024 12:39:10
| Study Course Information | |||||||||
| Course Code: | PZK_174 | LQF level: | Level 7 | ||||||
| Credit Points: | 5.00 | ECTS: | 7.50 | ||||||
| Branch of Science: | Politics | Target Audience: | Political Science | ||||||
| Study Course Supervisor | |||||||||
| Course Supervisor: | Māris Andžāns | ||||||||
| Study Course Implementer | |||||||||
| Structural Unit: | Faculty of Social Sciences | ||||||||
| The Head of Structural Unit: | |||||||||
| Contacts: | Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf rsu[pnkts]lv | ||||||||
| Study Course Planning | |||||||||
| Full-Time - Semester No.1 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 10 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 20 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 10 | Class Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 20 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 40 | ||||||||
| Part-Time - Semester No.1 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 7 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 14 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 7 | Class Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 14 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 28 | ||||||||
| Study course description | |||||||||
| Preliminary Knowledge: | Overall knowledge of the methods and theories in the field of international relations, as well as general knowledge of Ukraine and surrounding region. | ||||||||
| Objective: | To provide knowledge on Ukraine, its history, politics, economics, and its special geopolitical location affecting those. The course aims to portray interlinked nature of international, local and regional politics, using Ukraine and its complex statehood as a case-study/tool. | ||||||||
| Topic Layout (Full-Time) | |||||||||
| No. | Topic | Type of Implementation | Number | Venue | |||||
| 1 | History of Ukraine: Origins of the Current State | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 2 | History of Ukraine: 20th Century, the Soviet Union and Its Collapse | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 3 | Ukraine’s Two Revolutions of the 21st Century | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 4 | Russia: From an Occasional Ally to Nemesis | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 5 | The Undeclared War and Ensuing Humanitarian Crisis | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 6 | Ukraine – EU Relations: Context of the Eastern Partnership | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 7 | Ukraine: Bilateral Relations with Neighbouring States | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 8 | Wider Relations: US, Canada, Israel, Turkey | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 9 | Wider Relations: International Organisations (IMF, NATO, OSCE, UN) | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 10 | Inside Ukraine: Regionalism, Oligarchy and Politics | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 11 | Ukraine and Historical Impact of Various Empires | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 12 | Ukraine in the Soviet Union and After its Collapse: Consequences | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 13 | Causes and Outcomes of the Orange and Maidan Revolutions | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 14 | Deterioration of Ukraine and Russia Relations: Resources, Politics, Economy | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 15 | The conflict in Ukraine’s East: Potential for Reintegration or Frozen Conflict? | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 16 | Ukraine and its Path to the EU: Reform Process, Political and Financial Aid, Sustainability of Relations | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 17 | Ukraine’s Neighbours: Friends and/or Frenemies? | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 18 | Ukraine in the Global World – Bilateral Relations | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 19 | Ukraine in the Global World – International Organisations | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 20 | Ukraine’s Internal Politics – an Extension or a Result of its Foreign Policy? | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| Topic Layout (Part-Time) | |||||||||
| No. | Topic | Type of Implementation | Number | Venue | |||||
| 1 | History of Ukraine: Origins of the Current State | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 2 | History of Ukraine: 20th Century, the Soviet Union and Its Collapse | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 3 | Ukraine’s Two Revolutions of the 21st Century | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 4 | Russia: From an Occasional Ally to Nemesis | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 5 | The Undeclared War and Ensuing Humanitarian Crisis | Lectures | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 6 | Ukraine – EU Relations: Context of the Eastern Partnership | Lectures | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 7 | Ukraine: Bilateral Relations with Neighbouring States | Lectures | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 8 | Wider Relations: US, Canada, Israel, Turkey | Lectures | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 9 | Wider Relations: International Organisations (IMF, NATO, OSCE, UN) | Lectures | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 10 | Inside Ukraine: Regionalism, Oligarchy and Politics | Lectures | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 11 | Ukraine and Historical Impact of Various Empires | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 12 | Ukraine in the Soviet Union and After its Collapse: Consequences | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 13 | Causes and Outcomes of the Orange and Maidan Revolutions | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 14 | Deterioration of Ukraine and Russia Relations: Resources, Politics, Economy | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 15 | The conflict in Ukraine’s East: Potential for Reintegration or Frozen Conflict? | Classes | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 16 | Ukraine and its Path to the EU: Reform Process, Political and Financial Aid, Sustainability of Relations | Classes | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 17 | Ukraine’s Neighbours: Friends and/or Frenemies? | Classes | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 18 | Ukraine in the Global World – Bilateral Relations | Classes | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 19 | Ukraine in the Global World – International Organisations | Classes | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| 20 | Ukraine’s Internal Politics – an Extension or a Result of its Foreign Policy? | Classes | 0.50 | auditorium | |||||
| Assessment | |||||||||
| Unaided Work: | During the module students will prepare for the seminars, read literature, write two essays and prepare a exam presentation. The aim of a seminar is to develop students' ability to argue and present their opinion in a consistent and logical manner; to promote activity; to test students’ knowledge of the topic and materials in question. The aim of the essays is to develop the ability to identify the key issue of the topic; to identify and evaluate alternative arguments and views; to offer an opinion, explaining and arguing why this particular opinion is better than any other. The report should compare all possible alternatives, considering all their strengths and weaknesses. Another goal is to develop skills to independently study the situation and the problem, give it an assessment and be able to find solutions. | ||||||||
| Assessment Criteria: | Attendance – 10% Activity and preparedness during seminars – 30% Papers – 40% Final Presentation – 20% | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Full-Time): | Exam (Written) | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Part-Time): | Exam (Written) | ||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | |||||||||
| Knowledge: | Students will understand and summarize the impact of Ukraine’s historical developments on the contemporary Ukrainian politics, as well as describe Ukraine’s approach in promoting cooperation in a regional and international context. Students will also demonstrate knowledge of Russia’s / EU / US interaction in the context of the Black Sea and Eastern European regions. As Ukraine’s present and the Ukrainian-Russian context have a decisive impact on the security situation in the Baltic States and its assessment of Russia’s risks, an in-depth understanding of Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy vectors will expand students' knowledge of Russia's potential actions in other regions. | ||||||||
| Skills: | Students will be able to independently acquire a large amount of materials, critically select and draw objective conclusions on their basis. Students will analyze and forecast the influence of personalities on the development of Ukraine's foreign policy course and its location between various geopolitical and regional projects. | ||||||||
| Competencies: | Students will evaluate and argue the impact of various factors on the development of Ukraine – why country as a whole is still among various geopolitical projects. Students will develop and provide new recommendations for Ukraine's future development scenarios in the professional, academic and business environment. Such competencies will also be transferable to other regions and other topical issues where interdisciplinary and inter-regional competences and related skills and knowledge are needed. | ||||||||
| Bibliography | |||||||||
| No. | Reference | ||||||||
| Required Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | “10 facts you should know about russian military aggression against Ukraine,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, 2019. Available from: https://mfa.gov.ua/en/10-facts-you-should-know-about-russia… | ||||||||
| 2 | “2019: U.S.-Ukraine relations: Both pluses and minuses,” Ukraine Weekly, 24 January 2020. Available from: http://www.ukrweekly.com/uwwp/2019-u-s-ukraine-relations-bo… | ||||||||
| 3 | Berger, Miriam. “The U.S. relationship with Ukraine runs deep. Here’s why,” Washington Post, 12 November 2019. Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/11/12/us-relation… | ||||||||
| 4 | “Canada’s engagement in Ukraine,” Government of Canada, 2020. Available from: https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/country-pays/uk… | ||||||||
| 5 | De Maio, Giovanna. Russia’s View of Ukraine after the Crisis. Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), 2016, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/resrep09810 | ||||||||
| 6 | “EU relations with Ukraine,” European Council, 2020. Available from: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eastern-partner… | ||||||||
| 7 | “EU-Ukraine relations – factsheet”, European Union External Action Service, October 2020. Available from: https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-Homepage_en | ||||||||
| 8 | “EU-Ukraine relations,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, 2019. Available from: https://mfa.gov.ua/en/about-ukraine/european-integration/eu… | ||||||||
| 9 | Gerasymchuk, Sergiy. “The Relations Between Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova: Prospects For 2020,” Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, 12 February 2020. Available from: http://prismua.org/en/english-the-relations-between-ukraine… | ||||||||
| 10 | Getmanchuk, Alyona. “Russia as aggressor, NATO as objective: Ukraine’s new National Security Strategy,” New Europe Center, 30 September 2020. Available from: http://neweurope.org.ua/en/analytics/rosiya-yak-agresor-nat… | ||||||||
| 11 | Gressel, Gustav. “Russia’s Ukraine policy: Change to stay the same,” European Council on Foreign Relations, 3 February 2020. Available from: https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_russias_ukraine_poli… | ||||||||
| 12 | “History of Ukraine,” Internet Encyclopaedia of Ukraine, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, 2020. Available from: http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=p… | ||||||||
| 13 | Iwański, Tadeusz. “Ukraine: relations with Belarus suspended,” Centre for Eastern Studies, 2 September 2020. Available from: https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2020-09-02/uk… | ||||||||
| 14 | Kappeler, Andreas. “Ukraine and Russia: Legacies of the imperial past and competing memories,” Journal of Eurasian Studies, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2014, pp. 107-115, Sience Direct. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S18793665… | ||||||||
| 15 | Karatnycky, Adrian. “Ukraine's Orange Revolution.” Foreign Affairs, vol. 84, no. 2, 2005, pp. 35–52. JSTOR. Available from: www.jstor.org/stable/20034274 | ||||||||
| 16 | Kobylyuk, Mykola. ““Joke” suggesting Romanian-Ukrainian war: What stands behind it,” UNIAN, 5 June 2019. Available from: https://www.unian.info/politics/10575381-joke-suggesting-ro… | ||||||||
| 17 | “Kuleba outlines priority issues of Ukraine-Poland relations,” Ukrinform, 28 July 2020. Available from: https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3071344-kuleba-ou… | ||||||||
| 18 | Kupfer, Matthew. “Ukraine-Israel relations on the upswing, but challenges remain,” Kyiv Post, 9 May 2019. Available from: https://www.kyivpost.com/business/ukraine-israel-relations-… | ||||||||
| 19 | Kuromiya, Hiroaki. “Ukraine and Eurasian History in the Twentieth Century.” Harvard Ukrainian Studies, vol. 34, no. 1/4, 2015, pp. 195–213. JSTOR. Available from: www.jstor.org/stable/44364492 | ||||||||
| 20 | Kusa, Ilya. “Ukraine’s Uncertain Foreign Strategy amid Turkey’s Growing Regional Power,” Wilson Center, 13 February 2020. Available from: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/ukraines-uncertain-f… | ||||||||
| 21 | Levonyuk, Tetyana. “A Trouble-Free Neighbor: What Should Ukraine Change in Relations with Slovakia?” New Europe Centre, 13 September 2019. Available from: http://neweurope.org.ua/en/analytics/bezproblemnyj-susid-sh… | ||||||||
| 22 | Magocsi, Paul Robert. A History of Ukraine: The Land and Its Peoples, Second Edition 2nd Edition, University of Toronto Press, 2010. | ||||||||
| 23 | Masters, Jonathan. “Ukraine: Conflict at the Crossroads of Europe and Russia,” Council on Foreign Relations, 5 February 2020. Available from: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-crossroad… | ||||||||
| 24 | Matuszak, Sławomir. The oligarchic democracy. The influence of business groups on Ukrainian politics. OSW Studies, 2012, pp. 13-23. Available from: https://www.osw.waw.pl/sites/default/files/prace_42_en_0.pdf | ||||||||
| 25 | “Orange Revolution. Study Guide”, International Centre on Nonviolent Conflict, 2016. Available from: https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/wp-content/uploads/2016… | ||||||||
| 26 | “Relations with Ukraine,” NATO, 12 June 2020. Available from: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_37750.htm | ||||||||
| 27 | Sasse, Gwendolyn. “Ukraine: The Role of Regionalism.” Journal of Democracy, Vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 99–106, 2010. Available from: https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/ukraine-the-rol… | ||||||||
| 28 | Schlein, Lisa. “Rights Violations Rampant in Parts of Ukraine, UN Report Says,” VOA News, 3 October 2020. Available from: https://www.voanews.com/europe/rights-violations-rampant-pa… | ||||||||
| 29 | Schmid, Ulrich, and Oksana Myshlovska (eds). Regionalism without Regions: Reconceptualizing Ukraine’s Heterogeneity. Central European University Press, pp. 3-24, 2019. JSTOR. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7829/j.ctvs1g8jn | ||||||||
| 30 | Socor, Vladimir. “Ukraine and Hungary Move to Settle Differences Over National Minority Legislation, Part 1&Part 2,” Eurasia Daily Monitor, Vol. 17, No. 80-81, June 2020. Available from: https://jamestown.org/program/ukraine-and-hungary-move-to-s… | ||||||||
| 31 | “Status Report as of 21 September 2020,” OSCE, 24 September 2020. Available from: https://www.osce.org/special-monitoring-mission-to-ukraine/… | ||||||||
| 32 | “Ukraine Crisis Continent’s Most Pressing Challenge, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Chair Tells Council, Underlining Importance of Dialogue,” SC/14099, 6 February 2020, United Nations. Available from: https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/sc14099.doc.htm | ||||||||
| 33 | “Ukraine to Change Law on Bank Insolvency in Bid for IMF Loans,” Global Insolvency, 2020. Available from: https://globalinsolvency.com/headlines/ukraine-change-law-b… | ||||||||
| 34 | “Ukraine,” IMF, 2020. Available from: https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/UKR | ||||||||
| 35 | “Ukraine-Poland Relations,” ICPS, 2018. Available from: http://icps.com.ua/assets/uploads/images/files/ua_pl_relati… | ||||||||
| 36 | “Ukraine's revolution of dignity: The dynamics of Euromaidan,” Journal of Eurasian Studies, vol. 7, no. 1, 2016, pp. 85-91, Science Direct. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S18793665… | ||||||||
| 37 | “Understanding Ukraine’s Euromaidan Protests,” Open Society Foundations, 2019. Available from: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/understan… | ||||||||
| 38 | Wilson, Andrew. “Ukraine and the oligarchs: Endless delays to reform,” European Council on Foreign Relations, 13 May 2020. Available from: https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_ukraine_and_the_olig… | ||||||||
| Additional Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | The above list of Required Reading is not exhaustive, and it is expected that students choose additional literature. Furthermore, additional reading materials will be added at the launch of the course, taking into account the dynamic developments in Ukraine, its relations with its partners, as well as ongoing developments in the region/world. Suggested readings will also be provided for each of the seminars. | ||||||||
| Other Information Sources | |||||||||
| 1 | “Eleven films about Euromaidan you can watch online,” Euromaidan Press, 2017. Available from: http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/02/21/10-films-about-euroma… | ||||||||
| 2 | “Orange Revolution”, International Centre on Nonviolent Conflict. Available from: https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/orange-revolution-engli… | ||||||||
