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Academic Year 2025/2026 - Teacher: STEFANIA PAOLA LUDOVICA PANEBIANCO

Expected Learning Outcomes

The course International Politics provides specific analytical and methodological tools of Political Science in order to understand and explain the functioning of global trade institutions and global trade governance. Specific attention is to be devoted to the EU's role in global trade, to relations among key global trade powers, to transformation of the global system and the evolution of international trade policy.
Students acquire Political Science knowledge and capacities to understand international political phenomena that shape global trade.
Via a dedicated role-play exercise, students will acquire negotiation techniques. Students are actively involved in the defense of specific interests.

Course Structure

The International Politics subject relies upon active learning. Alongside traditional academic lectures, attending students are involved in class debate and critical analysis of readings. Students are invited to read beforehand the selected texts. Students are also required to prepare individual or group presentations on topics such as euro-lobbying, 'trade-wars', EU-USA trade relations, the 'protectionist turn' of Trumpism, the global role of BRICS, the impact of energy dependence on political relations, etc. The project work is part of the student-centered active learning process and will be duly evaluated.

Required Prerequisites

Elementary notions of Political Science.

Attendance of Lessons

Attending classes is not compulsory, but strongly recommended. Attending students benefit of active learning and a tailored-made program focused upon her/his specific interests. This allows the development of specific negotiating and lobbying expertise.

Detailed Course Content

The International Politics subject seeks to analyse the governance of international trade, focusing in particular on state and non-state actors (EU, International Organizations and NGOs) that play a relevant role on the global scale. Significant dynamics of global trade, relations among major trade global powers - including the EU, processes of transformation of the global trade system. The key goal of this teaching module is to understand international trade via a strong theoretical approach. Main topics: - global trade actors (including EU and WTO); - interest groups and lobbying, especially on the European Commission; - the EU as a normative power; - the EU as a market power Europe. Students are strongly encouraged to critically debate and illustrate these topics in class. Role-play and a simulation exercise will provide attending students specific professional instruments.

Textbook Information

Compulsory and further readings are made available to students via studium and/or TEAMS and can also be downloaded from the UNICT online library.

Compulsory readings (attending students and non-attending students)

Knodt M., Chaban, N. Costa, O. and Mueller, P. (eds) (2026), The Routledge Handbook of the European Union Politics, Routledge, Oxon, pp. 1-27.

Further readings for students' class presentations and project work (compulsory for non-attending students)

Costa O. & Barbé E. (2023) A moving target. EU actorness and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Journal of European Integration, 45:3, 431-446, DOI:10.1080/07036337.2023.2183394

Freudlsperger, C. and Schramm, L. (2026) ‘External Actors, Pressures and Influences: European Integration and the Outside World’. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.70084.

Hooghe H. & Marks G. (2019) Grand theories of European integration in the twenty-first century, Journal of European Public Policy, 26:8, 1113-1133, DOI:10.1080/13501763.2019.1569711

Okabe, M. (2026) ‘Reconfiguring European Union Migration Governance: From Technocratic Policy Harmonisation to Transactional Diplomacy Under the 2024 Pact on Migration and Asylum’. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.70129.

McNamara, K. R., and Steinberg, F. (2026) Can Europe Sustain a New Rules-Based Geopolitical Order?. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 64: 1624–1634. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.70089.

Course Planning

	Subjects	Text References
1	Introduction to the course: topics and teaching methodologies	Syllabus
2	EU as an international actor	Handbook
3	Internal and external dimensions	Handbook
4	Politicization of migration issues	Handbook
5	Class presentations	To be selected
6	Class presentations	To be selected
7	Class presentations	To be selected
8	Class presentations	To be selected
9	Class presentations	To be selected
10	Class presentations	To be selected
11	Simulations of Negotiations: tecniques	Instructor's guidance
12	Role games	Instructor's guidance
13	Role games	Instructor's guidance
14	Role games	Instructor's guidance
15	Role games	Instructor's guidance
16	Research Seminar: how to write a paper	To be selected

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

Students attending classes are evaluated via the participation in the class debate, the class presentations and the presentation of a 'project work'.

His/her knowledge is evaluated as follows: class debate (10%); presentations (25%), critical analysis of the documents (25%), 'project work' - roughly 1000 words (included references) on a topic selected by the students according to their specific interests (40%).

Non-attending classes students will be orally examined on the compulsory readings.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND GRADING SCALE

In Italy, examination results are expressed on a scale from 18/30 (minimum pass) to 30/30 (maximum). The highest grade may be awarded with “lode” (cum laude), reserved for outstanding performance. There is no direct equivalence with percentages, but the system can be understood as ranging from “sufficient” to “excellent,” with an additional level of distinction.

Fail (0–17): The student does not demonstrate adequate knowledge of the basic course content and/or has not completed the required work.

18–20 (Pass – Sufficient): Minimal knowledge of the subject; very limited ability to apply concepts; significant difficulty in critical discussion.

21–24 (Fair – Discrete): Adequate command of course topics; correct but basic exposition; frequent need for guidance.

25–27 (Good): Solid knowledge of the subject; ability to handle cases and assignments independently, with only minor inaccuracies.

28–30 (Very Good – Excellent): Comprehensive and in-depth knowledge; autonomous ability to make connections between themes and sources; clear exposition with no significant errors.

30 cum laude (Distinction): Exceptional performance, marked by originality, critical insight, and virtually complete mastery of the subject.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

1. Explain the linkage between EU trade policy and European integration.

2. Analyze EU policy trade as an instrument of EU foreign policy.

3. The effects of crisis (e.g. euro-crisis, Brexit, COVID19) upon EU as a normative power.

4. Is trade (still) a 'neutral' topic in EU agenda?

5. Is the EU still engaged in multilateralism and trade liberalization?

6. Has the EU (still) a unique voice in global trade?

7. Lobbying techniques at EU-level: effective strategies.

8. EU and trade wars.

Degree Course in

International Relations