The information about the M. Phil. Course in Foreign Policy Studies offered by Institute of Foreign Policy Studies at University of Calcutta has been provided below:

A Brief Outline of the M. Phil. Course in Foreign Policy Studies

The span of the course is two years. The main year is centered around course work and a level of free research (September 2009-September 2010). Assessment will be through appraisal of composed work (research projects and research papers) and in addition an examination. The second year is for the composition of an exposition, which must be put together before the end of June 2011.

Hopefuls are relied upon to finish their work for the degree and take their viva voce test for the paper by 31st August 2011. Papers 1 and 2 are planned to give an establishment to the course. Paper 1 sets up the wide issues of International Relations today and the part of remote strategy making. Paper 2 sets up the forms of the way outside approach making has advanced in India.

Possibility for the degree will then picked 2 papers, one from Group A, Foreign Policies and their International Context, (Papers 3, 4) and one from Group B, Indian Foreign Policy. Area and Sub district (Papers 5, 6, 7, 8).

Instructing will essentially be in the class position.

Syllabus

1. Theory and practice of International Relations and Foreign Policy
Analysis

Provides a recap of the tools of analysis for international relations as they
are normally discussed in a post-graduate classroom. The discussion will

centre on classic or very recent readings from major journals, with fixed
reading for a week.

a. Theories of International Relations: Idealism, realism, classical
realism, chaos theory, behaviouralism, constructivism, functionalism, game
theory, legal positivism, neo-realism, normative theory, positivism, post-
behaviouralism, rationalism, structuralism, post-structuralism, systems
analysis.

b. Practice: Collective security, globalization, imperialism,
internationalism, regionalism, sub-regionalism, developmentalism, non-
alignment, nuclear non-proliferation and world order, unilateralism,
bilateralism, multilateralism.

c. Diplomacy: Political, economic, cultural; gunboat diplomacy,
multilateral diplomacy.

d. Media and its impact

2. Indian Foreign Policy in Practice

This is intended to be an innovative paper – probably the first of its kind in
the way it is conceived. The paper initially provides the candidate with a
sense of how South Asia’s security needs were handled under the British
Empire, dealing with the institutional structures and intelligence framework
that was inherited by the Government of India in 1947. It will also deal with
how the Congress responded to foreign policy issues at different times. The
paper will then deal with the principles that came to be the reference points
of post-1947 India’s foreign policy at different times (e.g. different phases of
approach to non-alignment), comparing these with those which guided other
South Asian states. The paper the proceeds to address the compulsions that
shaped policy over time (specific incidents such as regional conflicts, or
broader factors such as migration and economic initiatives either

a. Foundations of Indian foreign policy and its evolution since 1947;
objectives, strategies of engagement – bilateralism and multilateralism;

b. Domestic roots of Indian foreign policy; convergence of strategic shifts
and economic policy;

c. The economic and strategic dimensions of Indian Foreign Policy – study
of the interface between development, security and cooperation in Indian
foreign policy

3. Internal dynamics of the various regions of Asia

Deals with parallels and differences between the Indian case and the case of
other countries in Asia, e.g. the practice of other Empires and their successor
states in South East Asia, or the character of countries subject to regulation
of their policies from abroad (in the case of East Asia). The main structures
and principles guiding policy in these cases (dealing with constitutional
differences in countries such as Thailand and Cambodia and preoccupations
such as regional integration). Study of the internal dynamics of the
component regions of Asia and how they impact upon respective approaches
to foreign policy

a. South Asia

b. South-east Asia

c. East Asia

d. West Asia

e. Central Asia

4. Multilateral Diplomacy: theory and practice –

Deals with the theory and practice of multilateral diplomacy that
predominates the world order since the Second World War, highlighting the
evolving discourse in the post-Cold War scenario. The course begins with the
theoretical foundations of multilateral diplomacy and then goes on to study
the objectives and modus operandi of the various international organizations,
in the light of their brief as global, regional or inter-regional platforms. The
course lays particular attention to India’s engagement with these various
organisations, and how India responds to a series the non-state-oriented
global concerns like climate-change, energy-security, global terrorism,
international money-laundering, and building a global economic cooperative
agenda. Organisations are to be classified into

a. Global – UNO, WTO, G-20, G-77, NAM, IMF, IAEA, NSG,
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),

b. Inter-regional – IOR-ARC, SCO, ARF, BIMSTEC, OPEC, IBSA (India,
Brazil and South Africa).

c. Regional – SAARC, EU, NAFTA, APEC, MERCOSUR, SADC, GCC

Group B, Indian Foreign Policy. Region and Sub region

5. India in the Indian Ocean World –

The traditional conceptualisation of India’s strategic space most often
focused on India’s land borders, downplaying the extended strategic space
provided by the Indian Ocean. Historically, in colonial and pre-colonial eras,
the significance of the Indian Ocean, however, used to be comparatively
greater in many strategic conceptualisations. Such strategic
conceptualisations have been multi-layered, involving economic and cultural
exchanges – forged principally through the diasporas formed over time
around the region. India’s current engagement with the Indian Ocean world
to a large extent being an attempt to revive these connections, this course
would help contextualising India’s Indian Ocean linkages.

a. The legacy of India’s engagement with the Indian Ocean World in pre-
colonial and colonial times

b. Independent India’s engagement with the Indian Ocean Rim Countries

c. Possible areas of economic, cultural and other exchanges with the rim
countries

d. India’s emergence as a major strategic player in the Indian Ocean:
India’s curtailing piracy, engagement with other global navies (viz. USA,
Australia, Japan), growing engagement with an expanding Chinese navy.

6. India and the Global Players –

This module deals with India’s evolving engagements with major global
players in the present international order. The module looks into the historic
linkages between India on the one hand and powers like the United States of
America, Soviet Union/Russia, China, Japan, EU, Britain and France over the
past six decades, and takes note of the changing levels of engagement.

7. India’s ‘Look East’ Policy –

India’s engagement with the dynamic economies of South-east Asia
developed primarily from the 1990s, in the context of reformulated foreign
policy objectives in the post-cold war period. The new approach involves
both bilateral and multilateral engagements with the region. The Look East
Policy has particular significance for the development paradigm being
pursued in strategically sensitive Northeast and Eastern India. Although the
policy is primarily economic in its motivation, strategic dimensions are also
present. The course would highlight the strategic, economic, social and
cultural interfaces that inform the ‘Look East’ Policy.

a. Indian foreign policy in a sub-regional context: East and North-East
India and its neighbourhood

b. Aims and Objectives of India’s Look-East Policy

c. Social, cultural and economic dynamics of the various countries of the
region

d. Possible challenges to India’s engagement with the region

e. Potential domestic impact of ‘Look East’ Policy

8. India in South Asia –

India’s emergence in the international arena as a leading player is to a large
extent dependent on India’s success in handling her neighbours in the
subcontinent. The peculiar Indo-centric nature of regional geo-strategic
formulations makes it useful to have a comprehensive grasp over the issues
that affect regional ties and exchanges. India’s approach to South Asia is
pegged both at bilateral and multilateral levels. Accordingly, this module also
divides into three.

a. India’s bi-lateral engagements with the South Asian countries, i.e
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan.

b. Regionalism in South Asia: the effectiveness of SAARC as a platform to
raise and resolve matters of common interest

c. Search for alternative routes: sub-regional and inter-regional
cooperation in South Asia.

d. Non-official initiatives towards regional conflict resolution: non-official
multi-track diplomacy and people-to-people grass-root level movements



Contact details:

Prof . Sugata Marjit
Vice-Chancellor, University of Calcutta, India
& Hon. Director, Institute of Foreign Policy Studies
Phone: 91-33-2219 3763 (O); 91-33-2241 3288 (O)
email : marjit@gmail.com, smarjit@hotmail.com

Shantanu Chakrabarti
Reader, Dept. of History, University of Calcutta
& Convenor, Academic Committee, Institute of Foreign Policy Studies
Phone: 91-33-2439 8645 (O)
Email: chakrabartishantanu@hotmail.com