The seminar explores ideas about and explanations of the conduct of international relations. We will discuss the main theoretical approaches in the academic study of international relations and key theories and approaches to the study of international affairs. These theories include: realism, institutionalism, and social constructivism. The course links those theories to the study and practice of international law and global issues and encourages students to discuss topics of interest from the viewpoint of international relations theory.

Julia Vassileva is a PhD researcher and lecturer in International law and Foreign policy at the School of Governance, Law and Society at Tallinn University. She previously worked in Brussels for the European Commission and the European External Action Service; and holds degrees in Law and International relations from the University of Oxford, the College of Europe, and Vienna University. She has also been a lecturer at the University of Vienna, a visiting lecturer at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs in Tbilisi, and a researcher at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford.