International Relations in the Information Age

Today, information technology fuels international politics in ways unimaginable just a few short years ago. Wars are fought online, social media platforms fuel genocide, and we carry in our pockets a computer millions of times more powerful than the one which landed humans on the moon. This course takes students on deep dive into the impact of the information age on the discipline of international relations and the practice of international politics. The course will be structured around empirical material helping students to frame their understanding of the impact of the information age on International Relations. Students will tackle a range of topics, including the history and geopolitical impact of the internet, the concept of cyberwar, platform governance and information warfare. The course will approach these via key theoretical frameworks in International Relations, including constructivist, neorealist and critical approaches.