Course Description

This module in the Global Affairs cluster explores the critical question of how to enhance collective
action in the face of multiple transboundary, geopolitical, and planetary crises. The first part of the
module examines the complexities involved in governing emerging global challenges in a more turbulent
world. We address major debates in International Relations relating to the changing nature of global
systemic risks, global leadership, and the reform of global institutions. These introductory sessions
provide the frameworks for examining the major constraints and opportunities facing global governance
in the contemporary era. Special attention is given to China’s expanding role in global affairs and what
this means for international norms, institutions, and regulation. In the second part of the module,
we look in greater depth at three frontier realms of global governance: Climate Change and the
Environment; AI, Ethics & Regulation; and Outer Space. The module concludes with a student-led
debate over the intersections across these frontiers and the implications for the future trajectory of
global governance.