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PIR-10079 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

PIR-10079 - Regional Studies in World Politics: The International Relations of the Middle East, Africa and East Asia
Coordinator: Heidi Wang-Kaeding Tel: +44 1782 7 33217
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

The non-European world will define the future of world politics, and yet, in the West, its politics are poorly understood and often overlooked. This module will introduce you to the politics and international relations of the regions of the world that are defining the future: China and East Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. You will explore the internal and international power dynamics affecting these regions and learn how their politics are reshaping the contemporary world order.

Aims
1. Introduce students to the International Relations of the non-Western world.
2. Introduce students to the politics of key regions in the non-Western world
3. Introduce students to the interconnections between the Global North and the Global South, and the interconnections between regional and global politics


Intended Learning Outcomes

Analyse global political themes as they affect and are affected by the global south.: 2,3,4
Discuss and describe specific examples in the international relations of the non-Western world: 1,2,3,4
Explain the politics of individual cases in a non-Western region of the world: 1
Evaluate the dynamics of regional and global politics and the inter-relationships between them: 2,4
Write clearly on international themes as if for a general audience: 3
Appraise the development of personal learning and the relationships between knowledge gained on specific cases and wider themes in the study of world politics: 4

Study hours

24 hours lectures
24 hours tutorials
52 hours preparing for lectures and tutorials, engaging with materials on KLE
30 hours case study preparation
70 hours essay preparation
30 hours blog preparation
70 hours reflective diary preparation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Assignment weighted 20%
600 word case study analysing a specific example from a pre-set list
600 word case study analysing a specific example from a pre set list of questions

2: Essay weighted 30%
900 word essay
900 word essay chosen from a pre set list of essay questions

3: Creative Brief weighted 20%
600 word website blog
600 word blog written as if for a general audience on a website. The topic of the blog can be devised by the student and checked by the tutor.

4: Reflective Diary weighted 30%
Reflective diary
A 900 word reflective diary, critically reflecting on the student's learning; and demonstrating cumulative understanding of connections between different topics/themes covered in the module

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025