The purpose of the course is to introduce students into the various aspects of international negotiations and the problems faced by the negotiators in the international, especially multilateral setting. In sum, we try to understand the process of the emergence of cooperation among states. The theoretical dimension of this problem is covered with the use of the bargaining theory as well as other approaches. We discuss several topics key to the process and success of international negotiations, such as the relationship between international negotiations and domestic politics, the role of negotiation deadlocks, or the problem of the negotiations' complexity. The theoretical and readings-based component takes up approximately one half of our time and of the workload connected with the course. The other half is taken up by a simulation of multilateral (trade liberalization) negotiations that runs throughout the semester (see below for more details). The purpose of the simulation is 1) to illustrate the concepts and theories discussed in the course and to provide students with a direct experience of the challenges of (multilateral) negotiations.
Last update: Parízek Michal, doc., Ph.D. (20.09.2022)
Aim of the course
The specific objectives of the course are:
to help students understand the nature of international negotiations of the challenges the negotiators face
to outline and discuss the theoretical and conceptual tools the discipline of international relations have developed to address international negotiations
to enable students to experience the problems discussed theoretically with use of a simulation based on a real-world example
to motivate students to study the subject matter further
Last update: Parízek Michal, doc., Ph.D. (20.09.2022)
Course completion requirements
Successful completion of the course requires first and foremost active participation and interest in the subject matter. On the formal level, this means you will need to:
regularly attend the online seminars
for each class, read carefully all the required readings and answer the questions on the course Moodle site (25% of the grade)
do the problem sets and quizzes (available on the course Moodle site) that help you understand and familiarize yourself with the material covered in each of the classes (25% of the grade)
prepare a short (up to 1500 words) position paper outlining the priorities and positions of your country in the negotiations (25% of the grade)
take active part in the simulation of multilateral negotiations we will conduct during the classes and try to reach in the negotiations as valuable an outcome as possible (see below for more details, 25% of the grade)
The following standard Faculty grading scheme is applied:
100-91: A
90-81: B
80-71: C
70-61: D
60-51: E
50 or less: F (fail)
Last update: Parízek Michal, doc., Ph.D. (10.09.2021)
Literature
James D. Fearon, “Bargaining, Enforcement, and International Cooperation,” International Organization 52, no. 2 (1998): 269–305.
David A. Lax and James K. Sebenius, The Manager as Negotiator: Bargaining for Cooperation and Competitive Gain (New York: Free Press, 1986).
Andrew Moravcsik, “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics,” International Organization 51, no. 4 (1997): 513–53.
James D. Morrow, Game Theory for Political Scientists (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994).
Abhinay Muthoo, “A Non-Technical Introduction to Bargaining Theory,” World Economics 1, no. 2 (2000): 145–66.
Amrita Narlikar, ed., Deadlocks in Multilateral Negotiations: Causes and Solutions (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010).
John S. Odell, “Breaking Deadlocks in International Institutional Negotiations: The WTO, Seattle, and Doha,” International Studies Quarterly 53, no. 2 (2009): 273–299.
Michal Parízek, Negotiations in the World Trade Organization: Design and Performance, 1 edition (New York: Routledge, 2019).
Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 1960).
James K. Sebenius, “Negotiation Analysis: A Characterization and Review,” Management Science 38, no. 1 (1992): 18–38.
Last update: Parízek Michal, doc., Ph.D. (10.09.2021)
Teaching methods
Seminars have two parts:
a lecture and discussion component summarizing the key theoretical and conceptual insights relevant to the topic
a simulation component, in which the simulated negotiations are conducted
Technically also online participation of international students is allowed, but I very strongly urge students who will not be able to take part in the course in person to consider not signing up. Especially for the simulation component of the course online participation is highly suboptimal.
