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As the 21st century begins, major tensions among big powers—the US, Russia, China, the EU—have increased as they dispute over the East Pacific, Ukraine, the Middle East, etc. Concurrently, on-the-ground violence and localized conflict have escalated in Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Older conflicts, such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq, continue, while newer violence escalates, for example in Libya, Yemen, and Syria. Other concerns like nuclear proliferation, the environment, cyber intrusions, terrorism, and refugees increase. Is there a connection between big power relations and localized conflicts? Is economic strength shifting from the West to Asia? Is economic inequality both between and within nations growing as globalization expands? Are all these disturbances signs of a great global transition as a world largely designed at the end of WWII transforms into a new 21st-century one? Are there positive features, such as international action, conflict resolution, economic improvement, global literacy, and education, that can help shape the outcome? Can the United Nations evolve into an effective agent of international cooperation? Will big power rivalries increase or decline? Can they join together in helping create a new global order? Who will be the winners and the losers? This course examines these and other key questions in the context of current world affairs.
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professiona...929