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The course discusses the international politics in the post-Soviet space—a region comprising countries that gained independence during the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Each class familiarizes the students with key relevant geopolitical, IR, and legal terms and concepts. These are exemplified through select case studies of contemporary issues, events, and trends with regional and transregional significance. As a whole, the semester is designed as a crash-course into the post-1990s developments and is especially suited for exchange or entry-level students with little or no previous systematic academic or real-life exposure to the region.
The course is open only to students of Master’s degree programs. Last update: Kolodii Roman, Mgr. (08.09.2026)
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After completing the course, the students are expected to gain a general understanding of key problems and developments in international politics that are taking place in the post-Soviet space. The course intends to help the students further develop their critical and analytical skills. Furthermore, the course aims at making students follow the daily news on a regular, daily basis and thus to foster their working habits. Last update: Kolodii Roman, Mgr. (08.09.2026)
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Course completion requirements are: a) attendance and active in-class participation (20%) A passing grade (51% and more) is required for every part in order to successfully complete the course. Attendance and active class participation are required as the course is designed as a seminar. One unexcused absence is allowed. Further absence would require legitimate justification. As for the presentation, students are requested to consult with the instructor on the topic of their assigned presentation at least a week beforehand (after lectures or by email). The presentation should be based around a research question, provide theoretical/conceptual background for the topic at hand, and be some 20 minutes long. Registration for presentations is available here on the first comes-first served basis. If the students cannot deliver their scheduled presentation, they need find a replacement themselves and inform the lecturers as soon as possible. Failure to deliver the assigned presentation will result in failing the entire course. The final test will take place in-person in January. It will consist of closed and open-ended questions. There is zero tolerance in regard to plagiarism. Misconduct will result in failure of the course and further action according to the Faculty rules. Last update: Kolodii Roman, Mgr. (08.09.2026)
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REQUIRED: What is Postsoviet? Gorshenina, Svetlana. n.d. “Orientalism, Postcolonial and Decolonial Frames on Central Asia: Theoretical Relevance and Applicability.” In EUROPEAN HANDBOOK OF CENTRAL ASIAN STUDIES. History, Politics, and Societies, 175–245. Ibidem. https://doi.org/10.24216/9783838215181. Regional IOs Ambrosio, Thomas. 2008. “Catching the 'Shanghai Spirit': How the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Promotes Authoritarian Norms in Central Asia.” Europe-Asia studies 60 (8): 1321-1344. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668130802292143. OR: Arynov, Zhanibek, and Temirlan Umirbekov. 2025. “Contesting the Unknown? Public Perceptions of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.” Contemporary Security Policy, March, 1–28. doi:10.1080/13523260.2025.2474868. Ukraine Shyrokykh, Karina. “The Evolution of the Foreign Policy of Ukraine: External Actors and Domestic Factors.” Europe-Asia Studies, vol. 70, no. 5, 2018, pp. 832–50. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26594095 Belarus + Moldova Cantir, Cristian, and Ryan Kennedy. “Balancing on the Shoulders of Giants: Moldova’s Foreign Policy toward Russia and the European Union.” Foreign Policy Analysis, vol. 11, no. 4, 2015, pp. 397–416. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44784753 Massicot, Dara, Michelle Grisé, Kotryna Jukneviciute, Marta Kepe, Casey Mahoney, Krystyna Marcinek, Yuliya Shokh, and Mark Stalczynski, Cooperation and Dependence in Belarus-Russia Relations. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2061-3.html. Kazakhstan + Uzbekistan Laruelle, Marlene, and Diana T. Kudaibergen. “Making Sense of the Bloody January 2022 Mass Protests.” Chapter. In The Kazakh Spring: Digital Activism and the Challenge to Dictatorship, 244–74. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024. OR Anceschi, Luca. 2020. “After Personalism: Rethinking Power Transfers in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.” Journal of Contemporary Asia 51 (4): 660–80. doi:10.1080/00472336.2020.1772853. Tajikistan + Kyrgyzstan Davé, Bhavna. n.d. “Labour Migration From Central Asia to Russia: Laws, Policies and Effects on Sending States.” In EUROPEAN HANDBOOK OF CENTRAL ASIAN STUDIES. History, Politics, and Societies, 857–81. Ibidem. https://doi.org/10.24216/9783838215181. OR: Li-Chen Sim & Farkhod Aminjonov (20 Oct 2022): Statecraft in the Steppes: Central Asia’s Relations with China, Journal of Contemporary China, DOI: 10.1080/10670564.2022.2136937 Baltics Vilson, M. (2020). The Foreign Policy of the Baltic States and the Ukrainian Crisis: A Case of Europeanization? New Perspectives, 23(2), 49-76. https://doi.org/10.1177/2336825X1502300203 Caucasus Siri Neset, Mustafa Aydin, Ayça Ergun, Richard Giragosian, Kornely Kakachia, Arne Strand (2023). Changing Geopolitics of the South Caucasus after the Second Karabakh War. Prospect for Regional Cooperation and/or Rivalry. Bergen: Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI Report 2023:4), https://www.cmi.no/publications/8911-changing-geopolitics-of-the-south-caucasus-after-the-second-karabakh-war RECOMMENDED: Allison, Roy. "Russian 'deniable' intervention in Ukraine: how and why Russia broke the rules." International Affairs 90, no. 6 (2014): 1255–1297. Aslund, Anders, and Maria Snegovaya. The impact of Western sanctions on Russia and how they can be made even more effective. Report. Washington, DC: Atlantic Council, 2021. A. Wess Mitchell, "The Case for Deterrence by Denial." The American Interest, Aug 12, 2015. Sierakowski, Sławomir. “Belarus Uprising: The Making of a Revolution.” Journal of Democracy, Volume 31, Number 4 (October 2020): 5–16 Way, Lucan Ahmad, “Belarus Uprising: How a Dictator Became Vulnerable.” Journal of Democracy, Volume 31, Number 4, (October 2020): 17–27. Riley, Alan. Nord Stream 2: Myths, Illusions and Realities. London: The Henry Jackson Society, 2021. Edele, Mark. "Fighting Russia’s History Wars: Vladimir Putin and the Codification of World War II." History & Memory 29, No. 2 (Fall/Winter 2017): 90–124. Aslan Souleimanov, Emil, and Valery Dzutsati. "Russia's Syria War: A Strategic Trap?" Middle East Policy XXV, no. 2 (Summer 2018): 42–50. Vincent, Warwick F. “Arctic Climate Change: Local Impacts, Global Consequences, and Policy Implications.” In The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics. Edited by Ken S. Coates and Carin Holroyd. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. Chapter 31. Flake, Lincoln E. “Contextualizing and Disarming Russia’s Arctic Security Posture.” Journal of Slavic Military Studies Vol. 30, No. 1 (2017): 17–29. Souleimanov, Emil, Eduard Abrahamyan and Huseyn Aliyev. "Unrecognized states as a means of coercive diplomacy? Assessing the role of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Russia's foreign policy in the South Caucasus". Southeast European and Black Sea Studies 1 (2017): 1–14. Hill, William. More than a Frozen Conflict: Russian Foreign Policy Toward Moldova. Washington, DC.: Atlantic Council, 2018. Last update: Kolodii Roman, Mgr. (08.09.2026)
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Use of generative AI tools: The use and citation of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT or MS Copilot) in seminar papers and other coursework must comply with the decrees of the IMS Director No. 7/2023 and 9/2023. Generative AI tools may be used unless explicitly prohibited by the instructor. However, they may not be used to generate substantial sections of the text or replace the student’s own intellectual contribution. The student remains fully responsible for any content generated with assistance of AI tools. Presenting AI-generated content, whether verbatim, rephrased, or only slightly modified, as one's own work constitutes plagiarism. Every submitted paper must include a transparent statement specifying which generative AI tools were used, in which stage of the work they were employed, and how they were used, or confirming that no generative AI tools were used. If this statement is missing or incomplete, the instructor is not permitted to accept the paper for evaluation. Unless the instructor explicitly prohibits the use of generative AI tools, the decision to use or not to use them rests fully with the student. The student has the right to request that the instructor does not use AI assistance for evaluating their work. Last update: Kolodii Roman, Mgr. (08.09.2026)
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Grading is based on the Dean's Measure no. 20/2019: https://fsv.cuni.cz/deans-measure-no-20/2019 91% and more => A 81-90% => B 71-80% => C 61-70% => D 51-60% => E 0-50% => F More in SMĚRNICE S_SO_002: Organizace zkouškových termínů, kontrol studia a užívání klasifikace A–F na FSV UK. Last update: Kolodii Roman, Mgr. (08.09.2026)
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Last update: Kolodii Roman, Mgr. (08.09.2026)
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