This course will introduce students to the leading theoretical frameworks in the field of international relations studies, critically examining their ability to accurately explain events and processes occurring in the global arena.

Students will be exposed to realism and neo-realism approaches, which have dominated the discipline since the mid-20th century, and will analyze the insights they provide regarding state behavior and power dynamics between superpowers. Concurrently, the principles of liberalism and neo-liberalism will be studied as competing theories for understanding international relations and global institutions. We will assess whether they manage to provide credible explanations that stand up to reality regarding state behavior.

The constructivist approach, which began to establish itself in the 1990s and greatly influenced theoretical discourse, will also be studied extensively. Students will become familiar with the social aspects that this approach emphasizes, such as norms, culture, and identity, aiming to fill gaps in explanations offered by earlier theories.

An additional part of the course will be devoted to decision-making theories based on game theory and will include simulations mimicking famous dilemmas such as the "Prisoner's Dilemma".

After understanding the foundations of each theoretical approach, students will be asked to analyze how different theories interpret and attempt to explain pivotal events in international history, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Suez Crisis, the Iraq War (2003), the Iran hostage crisis, and other key case studies. The goal will be to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each theory and evaluate how well each manages to provide an accurate and relevant explanation for the complex reality of international relations.

* The course material will be tailored to the age of the learners.