Abstract
The objective of the class is to familiarize students to the analysis of international relations in contemporary and (troubled) Middle East. At the end of the semester, students should be able to produce a clearly defined and illustrated analysis about dominant topics relevant to the region (such as war/peace, cooperation & bi/ multilateral diplomacy, economic integration and exchanges, bordering and othering, religion, ethnic and cultural divides). More precisely, the course will take as a starting point the event of October 7th 2023 to interrogate changes and continuities in transnational/international relations in the region. To do so, each class will be divided into a moment dedicated to analyses of pressing issues (and presentation of relevant primary sources from the region), a lecturing moment on the topic at stake (and based on 1-2 readings and empirical materials) around one main discussion, and an exposé by students to link current events to historic dis/continuities in the region.