Course coordinator
Dr Jiye Kim
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
POLS2211 International Organisations and Political Cooperation examines cooperation by states in international and regional politics. Focusing on political, security, humanitarian and economic regimes evident in international and regional organisations, the course critically engages with theories, concepts and case studies to understand how and the extent which international and regional organisations shape international political cooperation and vice versa. With a focus on exploring the mandates, structures and functions of such international organisations as the United Nations, the European Community, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Pacific Island Forum (PIF), this course enables students to gain critical knowledge and skill necessary to understand and analyse the challenges faced by international organisations.
A sound understanding of international relations in the 21st century requires an examination of the roles that international organisations play in the global politics. More than ever before, international organisations are affecting the way that states conduct their activities, domestically and at a regional and global level. This also affects, in a fundamental way, the nature of state sovereignty in international relations, a (sometimes resisted) development that has important ramifications for the way we live, and for the nature of state relations. The rise of international organisations means that we need to reflect on the role that these organisations play in a world that operates on the logic of state sovereignty and power politics, but which is also impacted by international law and norms of behaviour. This course questions and critiques the relevance of international organisations in such diverse and sensitive domains as security, sustainable development, humanitarian interventions and international peace. It focuses on the mandates, structures and functions of a range of international and regional organisations such as United Nations (arguably the most important of our international organisations), the European Union (EU), ASEAN, the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) and civil society and nongovernment organisations (NGOs). With the consideration of the dynamics of international organisations within the context of global interdependence, global order change, regional integration and power competition, the course provides a unique perspective to understand and analyse contemporary global politics.
Course requirements
Assumed background
No specialist background is assumed.
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
2 units POLS course
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Jiye Kim
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Lectures:ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ There will be 12, two-hour lectures starting in Teaching Week 1.ﾠﾠ
Tutorials:ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ There will be 8, one-hour tutorials starting in Teaching Week 2.ﾠ
Aims and outcomes
POLS2211 aims to deepens students’ knowledge of world politics and their understanding of the possibilities and limitations inherent in political cooperation and international organisations. It encourages the interchange of varying perspectives on international organisations and provides students with sound analytical skills and perspective to analyse world politics with a focus on the roles of international organisations.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand the dynamics that move states to cooperate (or compete) in international organisations.
LO2.
Identify the respective mandates and objectives of international organisations in world politics.
LO3.
Understand the concepts and theoretical positions that apply regarding cooperation, collective actors and the constitution of common interests in world politics.
LO4.
Demonstrate skill in articulating complex ideas and issues of global and regional politics in a logical and coherent manner.
LO5.
Demonstrate knowledge and skill to appreciate and analyse some of the most compelling challenges that international organisations faces in the contemporary world.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection |
Participation
|
20% |
4/08/2025 - 27/10/2025 |
| Examination |
In-class Exam
|
40% |
16/09/2025 2:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique |
Essay
|
40% |
10/11/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Participation
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
4/08/2025 - 27/10/2025
Task description
Tutorial participation - 2 marks per tutorial (8 tutorials total)
- Marks are based on the quality of tutorial participation, not just attendance.
- Assessment rubrics are available on Blackboard.
Essay Input - 4 marks
- Essay Input I and II activities will be conducted during the Week 9 and Week 11 tutorials, respectively.
- In each activity, students will write approximately 100 words in class.
- Each activity will be graded out of 4 marks. Only the higher mark from the two activities will be counted. The lower mark will be disregarded.
- Assessment rubrics are available on Blackboard.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
In exceptional circumstances the students can contact the course coordinator if unable to attend a tutorial or comply with the essay component.
In-class Exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
16/09/2025 2:00 pm
Task description
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Word count: 1000 words
- Structure:
Long answer x 1 (1000 words)
Students will choose and answer one question from a selection of multiple options.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Essay
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
10/11/2025 2:00 pm
Task description
- 3,000 words
- Essay questions will be made available on Blackboard early in the semester
- Students will be asked to record their work-in-progress argument through the Essay Input I and II activities.
- Assessment instructions and rubrics are available on Blackboard.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit the assessment via Turnitin link available on the Blackboard site.
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.
Prior approval is needed for an extension of the deadline. Students seeking an extension must apply through the online extension application process.
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.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student does not address the question, shows no evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student addresses the question poorly and shows very little evidence of reading. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
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 and employs 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 flow appears throughout the assignment. The student addresses the question and shows evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. However, falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
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 and employs 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 student answers the question and shows evidence of adequate research and a degree of understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student provides suitable evidence to support an argument and employs 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 student answers 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) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a very good grasp of the chosen topic and provides a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs 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 student answers the question in a direct, reasonably sophisticated fashion, employs wide research and shows a sound understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic and succeeds in addressing the question by providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs an extensive and well organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and achieves impeccable levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers 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:
1.ﾠ Failﾠ 1 - 19%
2. Failﾠ 20 - 44%
3. Failﾠ 45 - 49%
4. Passﾠ 50 - 64 %
5. Creditﾠ 65 - 74 %
6. Distinctionﾠ 75 - 84 %
7. 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.
Marking Criteria/Rubric
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available on Blackboard.
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
As this course covers a wide range of material, you must be prepared to read a number of other works to supplement the main text. Library resources are always in short supply and you are encouraged to plan well ahead in order to secure the materials you need. Please note that many of the readings listed may be available online.
Websites
You may find it useful to look at the home pages of certain organisations. To this extent, the following addresses are provided for your use.
Please Note however, that the consulting sources on the web can lead you to finding material in dubious sources. Learn to identify reliable sources and to beware of unreliable ones. Websites should only be used to supplement your wider reading or to gain up-to-date technical or administrative information on the various institutions.
OSCE http://www.osce.org/
Council of Europe http://www.coe.int/
European Union http://europa.eu/
ASEAN http://www.aseansec.org/
The Pacific Islands Forum https://www.forumsec.org/who-we-arepacific-islands-forum/
Additional Readings
The course coordinator may assign additional readings if deemed necessary. Such additional readings will be made available on the Blackboard site.
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 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Lecture |
Introduction
|
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Lecture |
Theories
|
Tutorial |
Theories |
|
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Lecture |
History
|
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Lecture |
United Nations
|
Tutorial |
United Nations |
|
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Lecture |
Region in Focus I: Europe
|
Tutorial |
Region in Focus I: Europe |
|
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Lecture |
Region in Focus II: Asia
|
Tutorial |
Region in Focus II: Asia |
|
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Lecture |
Region in Focus III: Pacific and Beyond
|
Tutorial |
Region in Focus III: Pacific and Beyond |
|
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Lecture |
No lecture (In-class exam during the scheduled lecture time) |
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Lecture |
Issue in Focus I: Climate Change
|
Tutorial |
Issue in Focus I: Climate Change |
|
Mid Sem break (29 Sep - 05 Oct) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester break |
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Lecture |
Issue in Focus II: Weapons of Mass Destruction
|
Tutorial |
Issue in Focus II: Weapons of Mass Destruction |
|
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Lecture |
Issue in Focus III: Technologies
|
Tutorial |
Issue in Focus III: Technologies |
|
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Lecture |
Issue in Focus IV: Outer Space
|
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Lecture |
Course Review
|
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 for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.