Course coordinator
Dr Minran Liu
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
This course examines contemporary Australian foreign policy. We explore theories of foreign policy in international relations before examining the process of foreign policy formation and the role of history, culture and identity in influencing Australian foreign policy. We then apply these insights to Australian foreign policy in exploring Australia's key relationships (including the US, Asia-Pacific and UN system) and its engagement with key issues in global politics (including security, economics, development and environment).
POLS2201 examines contemporary Australian foreign policy. It looks at contending approaches to the study of foreign policy, the historical context of Australian foreign policy and the process of foreign policy formation. It then explores key current and future foreign policy relationships (ranging from the US to China, Japan, the Pacific, Indonesia and India) to key international issues confronting Australia (ranging from environmental change to security challenges, development imperatives and human rights).ﾠ
Course requirements
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
2 units POLS-coded course
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
GT253
Course contact
Lecturer
Dr Minran Liu
Course staff
Tutor
Mr Viet Dung Trinh
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Seminars: There will be 12 two-hour seminars starting in WEEK 1.
Tutorials: There will be 8 tutorials starting in WEEK 2.
Aims and outcomes
The course is designed to provide you with a broad knowledge of Australian foreign policy. There is an emphasis on the use of theories of foreign policy and international relations to better understand contemporary Australian foreign policy practices and challenges, and case studies of Australian foreign policy decision-making and action are used throughout.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Apply theories to understand Australian foreign policy.
LO2.
Describe key factors shaping Australian foreign policy.
LO3.
Evaluate contemporary challenges facing Australian foreign policy.
LO4.
Write policy recommendations in alignment with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) standards.
LO5.
Persuasively communicate matters related to Australian foreign policy in writing.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution | Tutorial Participation | 15% |
24/02/2025 - 26/05/2025
Part of the participation component includes a brief, which is due on 19 May at 2 PM. |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Policy Recommendation (1000 words) | 25% |
24/03/2025 2:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Research Essay (1500 words) | 30% |
26/05/2025 2:00 pm |
| Examination |
Final Exam
|
30% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Tutorial Participation
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
24/02/2025 - 26/05/2025
Part of the participation component includes a brief, which is due on 19 May at 2 PM.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Tutorial Attendance and Participation /12 (1.5 per tutorial for 8 tutorials)
Tutorial Reflection /3 (500 words)
For the eight weeks of tutorials, students will receive 1.5 marks for participation for each tutorial attended in which they:
- Arrive on time
- Listen to others
- Illustrate a willingness to speak or participate in class activities
- Engage other students respectfully
If you cannot attend a tutorial due to extraordinary circumstances, you will have the opportunity to make up for your lost mark with a review of the two essential readings for that week, submitted to your tutor by the following week. You must obtain permission for this in advance from your tutor, and it must be due to unforeseen events (not ongoing work or study commitments, eg).
Three (3) marks will be allocated to students submitting a brief (500-word) reflective note on how readings, tutorial activities or discussions illuminated or illustrated one core theme in the course. An example exercise is available on Blackboard. This reflective piece will be submitted via Turnitin. It will not be formally assessed, and no feedback will be provided, but it will be checked to ensure you have completed the exercise and are eligible to receive these three additional marks. This piece of assessment is due on Monday, 19th May, at 2 pm.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments (brief (500-word) reflective note) for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
You must obtain permission for this in advance from your tutor, and it must be due to unforeseen events (e.g. not ongoing work or study commitments).
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Policy Recommendation (1000 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
24/03/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
The first written assessment for this course will be a two-page A4 Ministerial Policy Recommendation. Students will choose a key policy issue under the jurisdiction of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and recommend a policy change to the Minister, adhering to a template provided on Blackboard.
The policy recommendation will need to consider the following in both the briefing itself and recommendations:
- Briefly outline current policy and rationale behind it
- Clearly outline change and rationale
- Detail other key players and their likely reactions
- Detail like-minded states in the international system with whom the country concerned could potentially build a coalition
- Outline domestic implications (eg costs)
- Note key domestic stakeholders and their concerns.
The policy recommendation itself should be no more than 2 pages and 1000 words in total, with an additional list of sources that you have consulted provided on an additional page/s. Any submission longer than 2 pages (excluding the bibliography) or 1000 words will attract a penalty of 10% (2.5 marks).
A criteria sheet is available on Blackboard and below, example policy recommendations are also available on Blackboard, and an extended FAQs and tips on the exercise is also available on Blackboard.
Policy Recommendations are to be submitted electronically through Turnitin by 2pm on Monday 24th March.
In the title you enter on Turnitin, you should clearly identify your tutor.
No in-text referencing or footnotes are required for this piece of assessment, and should be avoided to ensure consistency with the assessment type (see the examples on Blackboard).
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Research Essay (1500 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
26/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
Each student will write a research essay. A list of 4 essay questions will be made available within two weeks of the start of the semester on the Blackboard.
- A full list of marking criteria is on blackboard, but as a general guide the essay should attempt to develop a clear argument in response to the question, one supported by significant engagement with literature on that topic.
- Students must reference the specified source mentioned in the essay question, engaging closely with it and providing page numbers whenever the source is used in the essay.
- The course's readings should provide guidance for reading material relevant to your topic but should not constitute the extent of your reading.
- The essay should also attempt to engage at some level with theories and conceptual frameworks associated with foreign policy in international relations, although the extent of engagement depends on the question chosen.
- Students should acknowledge and attempt to engage with counter-arguments to maximise the strength of their arguments.
- Essays must be typed, fully referenced and include a complete reference list.
- Essays lacking proper citations in a standard referencing style will automatically receive a failing grade.
- All essays submitted are to be the original and individual work of the student submitting them. The assignment must be submitted electronically through Turnitin in Word form (not PDF). Penalties will apply for late submissions (10% per day) and excessive variation from the set word limit- more than 10% variation from the word limit will result in a penalty of 10% (3 marks). Please consult the School Essay guide for additional guidance on referencing systems. Please list the question chosen for the essay in the title of your submission.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Final Exam
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
The final piece of assessment for this course will be a central exam conducted during the central exam period. Students will have 2 hours to complete the exam.
Students will be required to answer two questions in essay form. Students will be required to complete one question from Part A of the exam questions and the other from Part B. The topics covered in Part A correspond approximately with the first half of the course (from 'Introduction' to 'Australia and Northeast Asia'), while the topics covered in Part B correspond with the lectures in the second half of the course (from 'Australia and the Pacific, South and Southeast Asia' to 'The Future of Australian foreign policy'). Students will choose one of 6 possible questions from Part A and one of 6 possible questions from Part B.
The exam will be scheduled during the Central Exam period
Each of the two questions will be worth 15 marks. The maximum score for the assessment will be 30 marks.
The assessment is hurdled: Students must receive a pass in the final exam to pass this course. Students who do not receive a pass for the final exam can only receive an overall grade of 3 or less for the course. Students who receive an overall score of 3 in the Course are eligible to apply for a supplementary assessment (my.uq Supplementary Assessment)
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Students must receive a pass in the final exam to pass this course. Students who do not receive a pass for the final exam can only receive an overall grade of 3 or less for the course. Students who receive an overall score of 3 in the Course are eligible to apply for a supplementary assessment (my.uq Supplementary Assessment)Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student does notﾠaddress the question, shows no evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The studentﾠaddresses the question poorly and showsﾠvery little evidence of reading. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The student makes an effort to establish a single major argument for the essay andﾠemploys some research which is correlated with the argument. Makes a visible effort to achieve adequate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Evidence of attempting to achieve a recognisable narrative flowﾠappears throughout the assignment. The studentﾠaddresses the question and shows evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. However,ﾠfalls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student makes a reasonable effort to provide evidence to support a visible argument andﾠemploys an adequate research base to support the argument. Achieves a reasonable, if not completely coherent standard of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A recognisable narrative flow is sustained throughout the essay. The studentﾠanswers the question and shows evidence of adequate research and a degree of understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The studentﾠprovides suitable evidence to support an argument andﾠemploys a comprehensive research base that directly relates to the topic, though it may not completely support the argument. Achieves decent levels of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The studentﾠanswers the question in a direct, well supported fashion and shows evidence of some wide reading and a reasonable understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The studentﾠdemonstrates a very good grasp of the chosen topic andﾠprovides a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The studentﾠemploys a reasonably extensive and well-organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and achieves a high level of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The studentﾠanswers the question in a direct, reasonably sophisticated fashion, employs wide research and shows a sound understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The studentﾠdemonstrates a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic andﾠsucceeds in addressing the question by providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The studentﾠemploys an extensive and well organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument andﾠachieves impeccable levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The studentﾠanswers the question in a direct and elegant fashion, employs significant research and shows a deep understanding of the issues at hand. |
Additional course grading information
Grades will be awarded on the following basis:
- Failﾠ 1 - 19%
- Failﾠ 20 - 44%
- Failﾠ 45 - 49%
- Passﾠ 50 - 64 %
- Creditﾠ 65 - 74 %
- Distinctionﾠ 75 - 84 %
- High Distinctionﾠ 85 - 100 %
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Word Length Penalty
Unless otherwise indicated, in the case of written submissions with a specified word count, you are given a +10% leeway on the upper word limit. If your written submission is over this leeway limit, it will attract a 10 percentage point penalty. For example, if your essay is 1,500 words, you may write up to 1,650 before attracting a word count penalty. If your essay exceeds the upper word limit, it will attract a 10% word count penalty. Therefore, if your essay is worth 40 marks, you will lose 4 marks from your allotted grade. Unless specified, penalties only apply to exceeding the word length, not for failure to write a sufficient amount.
Students should note:
• The Author-date in-text referencing system will count toward the word length;
• References in the Footnote referencing system will not count toward the word length. If you are using footnotes, any content included in footnotes beyond the specific text reference will count towards the word length.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Essay Guide
The School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide can be downloaded from the School’s Student Support webpage.
The Guide sets out guidelines you should follow in preparing written assignments.
Essay Writing Assistance
The School of Political Science and International Studies schedules regular “drop-in” sessions designed to provide one-on-one advice and assistance in essay planning and writing.
There is no need to make an appointment and you are encouraged to bring your essay with you.
The day and time of these sessions will be finalized at the beginning of each semester and published on the Student Support webpage.
Student Services
Student services offer a variety of short courses during the semester which will help you improve your study, research and writing skills and thus your academic performance in this course.
Library Resources
UQ Library offers training in software, assignment writing, research skills, and publishing and research management.
The University’s library holdings for Political Science and International Studies are primarily located in the Central Library.
There is a help desk in the Library. Students are also welcome to contact the BEL/HASS Librarians for assistance.
Email: librarians@library.uq.edu.au
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Seminar |
Seminar 1: Introduction, What's Foreign Policy? - What's Foreign Policy? Learning outcomes: L02, L03 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Seminar |
Seminar 2: Identity, Traditions and History - Australian Identity and Foreign Policy Learning outcomes: L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 1: Identity, Traditions and History - What role do history and identity play in foreign policy? Learning outcomes: L02, L03 |
|
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Seminar |
Seminar 3: Theories of Foreign Policy - Foreign Policy Analysis and IR Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 2: Theories of Foreign Policy - Introductions Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Seminar |
Seminar 4: Making Australian Foreign Policy - Foreign Policy as Negotiation and Contestation Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 3: Making Australian Foreign Policy - What role does the process of foreign policy making play in influencing the form and content of policy? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Seminar |
Seminar 5: Great and Powerful Friends - Origins of Australia-US Relations Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 4: Great and Powerful Friends - Is the American alliance the guarantor of Australian security? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Seminar |
Seminar 6: Australia and Northeast Asia - Australia and Asian Engagement Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
No tutorials |
|
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Seminar |
Seminar 7: South & Southeast Asia, the Pacific - Australia-India Relations Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 5: Australia & the Asia-Pacific - How does Australia view its region? |
|
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Seminar |
Seminar 8: Security and Defence - Security and Defence Policy Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 6: Security and Defence - How does Australia generally view and approach its security? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
No Seminars this week- mid semester break |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
No tutorials this week - mid semester break |
|
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Seminar |
Seminar 9: Trade and Economics - Trade and Economic Policy Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 7: Trade & Economics - Is trade relevant to foreign policy? How? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Seminar |
Seminar 10: Human Rights - Domestic Politics and Public Policy Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
No Tutorial |
|
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Seminar |
Seminar 11: Development and the Environment - Ethics, Values and Foreign Policy Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 8: Global Responsibilities? - How should we make sense of the relationship between domestic politics and foreign policy? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Seminar |
Seminar 12: Conclusion, Future of Australian Foreign Policy - Future of Australian Foreign Policy Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
No Tutorial |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.