MA Global Diplomacy: South Asia (Online Learning)

There are two core modules and a range of elective modules on offer each session. There are also four research mini modules.

• 2 x core modules (30 credits each)
• 2 x elective modules (30 credits each)
• 4 x research mini modules
• 1 x dissertation on a topic related to South Asia (60 credits)

Of the taught modules, one core module and one elective module must be from the South Asia list, while one core module and one elective module must be from the Diplomacy list.

• 2 x core modules (30 credits each)
• 2 x elective modules (30 credits each)
• 4 x research mini modules

Of the taught modules, one core module and one elective module must be from the South Asia list, while one core module and one elective module must be from the Diplomacy list.

• 1 x core module (30 credits)
• 1 x elective module (30 credits)
• 2 x research mini modules

You will gain an interdisciplinary, social science foundation to the study of the region of South Asia. By engaging with a series of key debates related to economic, political and social change, you will gain an understanding of the underlying and overarching processes which are shaping societies, polities, and economies in the region.

You will learn about the key concepts of diplomacy and the institutional development of diplomatic relations. You will also be introduced to the strategy and tactics of negotiation and its place in international relations between states.

This is an opportunity for students to produce a sustained piece of individual, academic research on a topic of their choice, related to South Asia and diplomacy or International Relations, under the guidance of one of SOAS’s expert academics.

Students are able to indicate preferred modules from the below list for each elective session. These are subject to availability.

Afghanistan: Strategic and Geopolitical Perspectives

You will engage with political debates about the strategic and geopolitical significance of Afghanistan and analyse the ways in which the region became a site for the Cold War through U.S. and Soviet direct and indirect interventions. You will also develop a nuanced understanding of how the ‘war on terror’ impacts upon the region in terms of the struggle to develop sustainable local governance amidst international security interests.

You will become conversant with a number of current themes which are shaping contemporary India and use a range of conceptual tools to evaluate the political shifts that have taken place in the electoral ascent of Hindu nationalism alongside emerging civil society movements. By engaging with contemporary literature and debate you will develop a deeper and broader understanding of how state, society and politics are evolving in contemporary India.

You will learn about international and national level policies and their implementation across and within national boundaries in South Asia. You will develop an understanding of the challenges involved in applying international policy in a range of South Asian contexts, where non-governmental and international organisations are also engaged with global issues and national policy. You will gain an understanding of the history of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and its constraints and limitations.

Diplomatic Systems

You will learn about the conditions in which diplomacy is stimulated and the nature of different diplomatic systems that arise as a result of variations in these conditions. You will also study historical and contemporary case studies from Byzantium to Ancient Greece and from the French system to a transatlantic system of diplomacy.

Global Diplomacy: Global Citizenship and Advocacy

Develop an understanding of how to influence policy at an international level and how to affect policy changes to meet the aims of non-governmental and international organisations. You will look at how to achieve change at a global level, networking across national boundaries and on global issues.

You will learn about forms of governance and politics as they have evolved in relation to economic organisation and development in South Asia. You will explore the relationship between governance and economic processes thematically and gain an understanding of the changing nature of ‘the state’ and its roles and functions in a number of South Asian contexts.

Beginning with the creation of independent India and its borders in 1947, you will acquire the analytical tools you need to assess how India’s foreign and security policy has evolved over time. The module will highlight a number of contemporary issues which address both internal and external security policy in India, including the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and India’s bi-lateral relations with its neighbours (principally Pakistan) in relation to borders, militarisation, and security. You will also evaluate India’s aspirations for global stature at the international policy level.

International Economics

You will learn about the theory of international economics and become familiar with the practice of international economic relations through the study of current policy debates about the workings of the contemporary international economy.

International Security

Focusing on developments since the end of the Cold War, you will be given the analytical tools to think critically and independently about the nature of contemporary international security. You will consider a range of contemporary security issues including terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Iraq War and the future of the Middle East, and the prospects for peace and security in the 21st century.

You will analyse the evolution of the Pakistani state since Pakistan’s creation in 1947. You will develop analytical insights into the uses of religion as a means of ideological unity across its provinces and securitisation through the prominence of the military as a means of maintaining the state’s internal and external power. The factors that influence persistent violence, political instability, wealth disparity, and low economic growth will be critically examined.

You will gain an understanding of the ways in which Islamism circulates in contemporary South Asia in a range of different contexts across the region. The historical roots of political Islam in South Asia will be explored in relation to colonialism and the emergence of politicised religion while its contemporary legacy will be charted out in terms of recent regional and global developments.

The objectives of this module are to provide an advanced understanding of the working of the economies of South Asia and of relevant contemporary economic issues. Topics covered include: debates on the impact of colonialism on contemporary South Asia; the role of the state in post-colonial economic development, and the contemporary concern with good governance and the investment climate; the impact of patron-client relationships on economic performance, agriculture and the agrarian question, including land reform and technical change; industrialisation and the industrial sector including the regulatory framework, the debate on growth, stagnation and restructuring, the role of industrial policy before and after liberalization and growth after liberalization.

Strategic Studies

The area of strategic studies is increasingly relevant in light of conflicts in the past decade in Ukraine, Georgia, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan. You will address a range of strategic influences such as power and force, asymmetric/irregular warfare, and the role of security providers such as NATO. The relationship between strategy and policy will be explored through a series of case studies including US involvement in Vietnam and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You will develop an informed understanding of the complex structure of the Indian economy. You will learn to apply basic economic theories to the analysis of a range of economic policies and to identify and de-construct key debates and issues in the political economy of India.

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules