International Policy Making in the Shadow of the Future

This course is available for on-campus & online learning. Students participate in interactive, real-time classes. The Asia-Pacific region is changing rapidly as result of economic development, political change, and shifting international alignments. In many ways, it is the most dynamic region in the world. In this context, it is not enough for policy makers and policy advocates to understand where the region stands today. It is also vital for us to think deeply and systematically about where the region is headed tomorrow - whether the question is economic growth, environmental quality, or military conflict - even as we recognize that our ability to predict the future is limited. This course will equip students to grapple with the challenge of making policy in a rapidly changing region by introducing them to a few key tools. It will introduce students to the study of international relations, focusing on a select number of trends that are recognized as particularly important drivers of international change. In addition, it will introduce students to the concept and practice of scenario development, a technique used widely in both the private and the public sector as a means of thinking about and preparing for the future. Students will draw on both of these tools to develop scenarios that depict key aspects of the future in the Asia-Pacific region, building on course material and on their own expertise and research. By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze international developments in their areas of interest and to advocate new policies based on their analysis.