The Central and East European Perspective on Russia 2100-ERASMUS-CEUE
This course is designed as an introduction into advanced study of political and economic transformation in post-authoritarian states. The purpose of this course is to provide a theoretical and historical basis for understanding and analyzing contemporary political and socio-economic situation in Russia. The course is created to acquaint students with institutions and issues surrounding the international system from the political, economic and social perspectives. The course offers a comprehensive overview in classic and recent theories and analyses relating political, social, defence & security and economic aspects of transformation in Russia after the collapse of communism. The special attention is drawn to the different theoretical approaches in political science to transition and transformation concepts as well as to many methodological problems associated with a term of democratization. Main aim of this course is to equip students with practical skills helping them evaluate political, social, military and economic reforms still implemented in Russia. By the end of the course students will be able, among other skills, to identify the origins of political and economic modernization of Russia and frame it within the literature. All students are expected to attend lectures and to have read the assigned readings in preparation for the courses. Each student will be required to pass the written exam (test) based on the assigned readings and lectures.
Course coordinators
Assessment criteria
The students will be evaluated based on their whole semester performance. The final grade will be based on combination of factors that include:
1) Attendance and active participation 30%
2) Written exam (test) 70%
Bibliography
Basic readings:
1. Åslund A., How capitalism was built: the transformation of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, New York 2013
2. Black J. L., The Russian presidency of Dmitry Medvedev, 2008-12: the next step forward or merely a time out?, London 2015
3. Blank S.J. (ed.), Russian nuclear weapons: past, present, and future, Carlisle Barracks: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 2011
4. Blum D.W., National identity and globalization: youth, state, and society in post-Soviet Eurasia, Cambridge 2011
5. Ćwiek-Karpowicz J. (ed.), Sanctions and Russia, Warsaw 2015
6. Dellecker A. Gomart T., Russian energy security and foreign
policy, London 2011
7. Hass J., Rethinking the post-Soviet experience: markets, moral economies, and cultural contradictions of post-socialist Russia, New York 2012
8. Haas M. de, Russia's foreign security policy in the 21st century: Putin, Medvedev and beyond, London 2010
9. Lipman M., Petrov N. (ed.), Russia 2025: scenarios for the Russian future, New York 2014
10. Ostrovsky A., The invention of Russia: the journey from Gorbachev's freedom to Putin's war, London 2015
11. Oxenstierna S., The challenges for Russia's politicized economic
system, New York 2015
12. Pouliot V., International security in practice: the politics of NATO-Russia diplomacy, Cambridge 2010
13. Stewart S. (ed.), Presidents, oligarchs and bureaucrats: forms of rule in the post-soviet space, Farnham 2012
14. Sussex M., Kanet R.E., Russia, Eurasia and the new geopolitics of energy: confrontation and consolidation, New York 2015
15. Tolstrup J., Russia vs. the EU: the competition for influence in post-Soviet states, London 2014
Complementary readings:
1. Beissinger M.R., Kotkin S., Historical legacies of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe, New York 2014
2. Fedor J., Russia and the cult of state security: the chekist tradition, from Lenin to Putin, London 2011
3. Gorham M.S., Lunde I., Paulsen M. (ed.), Digital Russia: the language, culture and politics of new media communication,
London 2014
4. Klapsis A., An unholy alliance: the European far right and Putin's Russia, Brussels 2015.
5. Kristensen L. (ed.), Postcommunist film - Russia, Eastern Europe and world culture: moving images of postcommunism, London 2012
6. Vavilov A., Gazprom: an energy giant and its challenges in Europe, New York 2015