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International Organization (IO)
International organizations play critical roles in every global policy field. The International Organization Specialization allows students to focus on how the policy field they have chosen, as a concentration, is affected by crucial international entities, including the United Nations, Bretton Woods institutions, and international nongovernmental organizations. Students will be required to complete 3 three-credit courses to satisfy the requirements of the International Organization Specialization.
Background and purpose
The way we see the world is determined by the mental maps we make of it. In international affairs, the nation state is still seen as the essential building block of political and social organization, which defines how the world interacts globally. Yet, this perception is to some extent an illusion: people function at many levels simultaneously, in their family, in their community, in their nation, in their region, and globally -- and the scope of the issues addressed varies accordingly, from the choice of a family physician, the selection of a school board or the establishment of fair taxation rates, all the way to the broadest concerns about nuclear threats and the implications of climate change. And at each functional level, there are matching institutions that allow for joint decision making,
This specialization intends to provide students with a mental map of the international organizations that shape public policy and determine global action at a level beyond the nation state. Such a mapping exercise is useful for all SIPA students, as each of the concentrations and regional specializations requires clarity about the institutions that influence the developments in their area of study, be it the large global structures of the United Nations system or the Bretton Woods framework, regional actors such as the African Union, non-governmental behemoths like World Vision International, or specialized public-private partnerships, exemplified by GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. Insight into the nature and scope of such international organizations is key to understanding the decision making processes affecting economic development, human rights, the environment, international security and social policy.
Content
The content of the core course anchoring the specialization focuses particularly on the mandate of these organizations, their history, their governance structure, their funding sources and mechanisms, their key achievements and most serious challenges, and above all, their impact on the world around them. None of this is static – mandates change or atrophy, power shifts, funding fluctuates, influence waxes and wanes.
In addition, there is a wide array of courses available that meet the requirements of the specialization, including those embedded in the UN Studies Program (which profits from the historic ties between SIPA and the United Nations Secretariat). Close ties also exist with the regional study programs. An overview of these courses can be found here under “curriculum”