SCAND 590 A: Special Topics in Scandinavian Literature

Autumn 2021
Meeting:
TTh 12:30pm - 2:20pm / MEB 237
SLN:
23234
Section Type:
Lecture
Joint Sections:
JSIS A 455 A , SCAND 455 A
Instructor:
Syllabus Description (from Canvas):

SCAND 455 / JSIS A 455

Instructor: Guntis Šmidchens   Office: Raitt Hall 305 T  e-mail: guntiss@uw.edu   

Syllabus with lecture schedule for weeks 1-4

Course Description

Three decades ago, the three North European countries - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - declared independence from the Soviet Union.  In 2004, they joined the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO military alliance).  Where are they today?

In Fall Quarter 2021 the course will focus on current issues, for example,

We'll also study recent events such as

We will meet (by Skype or in class visits) leading specialists and researchers of the region: Daunis Auers (author of our textbook); Asta Zelenkauskaitė (online disinformation researcher), Indra Ekmanis (editor of FPRI's Baltic Bulletin), Andres Kasekamp (professor of Baltic History and Politics at the University of Toronto), and more. 

 

Course Objectives

  • Learn skills useful for a job in international studies (foreign service, international business, public administration, world health, etc.): 
  • How to research and write reports about current developments in Baltic politics, military security, economy, and society. 
  • How to quickly find government documents.
  • How to navigate the web resources of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, and other international agencies. 
  • How to follow breaking news... even when the news is in languages you do not speak, in countries you may have never studied before!
  • How to present your research effectively. Your portfolio of work done for this class will be evidence of your skills as an international researcher and analyst.

Grades (students must pass all four components to pass the course)

  • Grades:  30%: Three reports (3-5 pages) on current issues in Baltic politics, economics, societies, and security.
  • 20% one report expanded to a research paper (10-15 pages). 
  • 20% Oral presentations and peer reviews of classmates' work. 
  • 15% in-class and online discussion of assigned readings.  
  • 15% in-class and online discussion of current news

Reading:

GE Requirements Met:
Writing (W)
Credits:
5.0
Status:
Active
Last updated:
November 12, 2024 - 1:37 pm