International Relations

The first part of your semester revolves around this project: you will represent a member state of the EU during a mock European Summit. To prepare for the summit, you will research the position of ‘your’ country on current affairs and participate in lobbying rounds. All classes offered during this semester contribute to this project.  

The European Summit gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your lobbying, negotiating, collaborative and intercultural communication skills to reach a collective goal: a shared vision for the European Union.  

Dwelling upon the experiences you have gained during Project 1, the focus of this second project is more global. You will dive into the challenges and opportunities of the African continent. You will acquire profound knowledge of economic and political relations at global level and the increased role of non-governmental organizations, transnational networks, corporations and individuals when it comes to boosting opportunities in Africa. Furthermore, you will get insight in lobbyist and focus group power, and the influence and interdependent role of power blocs such as the EU, the US and China. The project will be concluded by participating in a global conference in which you and your fellow students will represent a power bloc/country and its stance on the development of the African continent. In preparation for the conference, you are asked to write a diplomatic paper and will practise lobbying skills to that end.

Working as a diplomat means managing relationships. You can bring all the expertise you want but if communication is poor, you won’t succeed. In this course, you will learn how to adopt the most effective behaviour in your communication in order to achieve your goals. You will first get insight into your own behavioural patterns, with all its strengths and pitfalls. This will be done by completing several self-assessment tests and exercises from different perspectives and theories, like Leary’s Rose interaction model. All with the aim to reflect on and study the effects of different behaviours on others and work on the IRC (Intercultural Readiness Check) competences. We also will be practising real-life cases in which you will learn how to communicate more adequately in negotiation cases. All in all this course has a practical focus, aiming at developing you as a professional in an international context.  

This course gives you a thorough understanding of the decision making processes in the European Union and the interests and goals of the various players therein: EU-institutions, governments of member states and non-member states, experts and lobby groups.  

By participating in an online case study, you will develop knowledge with regard to intercultural competencies such as dealing with cultural differences. Together with students from our partner institution, Widener University (USA), you will analyze an international business case whilst experiencing working in multinational project teams online. By doing so, you will get hands-on experience when it comes to problem solving, conflict resolution, dealing with time differences and showing perseverance and flexibility. After this module, you will be able to explain which factors play a role in creating international teams, analyzing whether individual differences can be culturally determined. Besides that, you will find out that communication styles will differ within cultures, as well as the way in which professionals regard work relations. Lectures will include theory and practical skills training. 

The European policy law module provides a solid introduction to the European Union, European laws and regulations and comprehensive European law enforcement. Equally, you will gain considerable insight into European competition law and the single market. As both European law and European political reality are changing every day, lectures will focus on topical developments 'as they happen'.  

Take your English proficiency to a higher level during the module Professional English! You will acquire practical knowledge of professional English that can be used in a political and economic setting. This entails proper negotiating and report writing skills in English. During block 1, lectures focus on English oral proficiency, whereas block 2 teaches you to apply grammar and register correctly, preparing you to independently and concertedly write a formal report. During this block, you will learn to correctly interact in professional (business) settings. Oral and negotiation skills will be explained and subsequently practised, in order to get you ready for the final 'conference'.  

You will acquire a proper English or American accent and will be able to identify business etiquette practices. In addition, you will be assisted in writing the country/sector analysis and formal report.

This module is aimed at providing you with the right set of competencies to become a starting international diplomat. It is vital that you work individually to attain these competencies and to meet your personal goals. As part of this 2 ECTS programme, you are stimulated to e.g. join conferences, bilateral meetings and to fulfil duties during activities at Windesheim. You are required to compile a portfolio containing proof of all the activities you have performed during the course of this elective.   

Learning and innovation skills increasingly are being recognized as those that separate students who are prepared for a more and more complex life and work environments in the 21st century, and those who are not. A focus on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration is essential to prepare you for the future. Hence, this course focuses on different techniques for creativity and critical thinking. 

The course aims to give you an understanding as well as practical knowledge of the legal problems arising in the area of international business, and to equip you with the skills needed to prevent and tackle these problems. 

A strong focus will be on the ability to apply a number of treaties and EU-Regulations to international business cases, such as the UNCISG (contracts of sale), CMR (contracts of carriage), Brussels I (rules on jurisdiction) and Rome I (rules on the applicable law). 

Other subjects include the Incoterms; various modes to enter a new market: the difference between agency, distribution, franchising and employment; and international payments: the cheque, the draft and the letter of credit. 

We live in an increasingly interconnected world. In this course we will examine the relationships between countries, and the role of other actors on the world’s stage, from a political, economic and cultural viewpoint. Topics such as security, trade and business, human rights, global poverty and the environment may be examined. We will apply the various theories related to International Relations to current world affairs. 

Complete your exchange semester or year by taking one or more electives. The module Introduction to Windesheim is compulsory for all international students, but you are free to choose from the other options. You will receive ECTS credits when you complete a module successfully. 

Introduction to Windesheim
Intercultural Awareness
Drama and Improvisation
Dutch Language
Dutch Society

Want to know more about the exchange programme of International Relations? Check the course catalogue for more information about matters such as assessment and teaching methods.

Read the course catalogue