Contemporary courses, spring semester 2026

Right Wing Extremism in Europe and the Rise of the Nationalist Right.

Course Description:

While the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ushered in an era of openness, the years following Unification witnessed an increase in xenophobic violence against asylum seekers. Throughout the 1990s, right-wing populists gained in the polls in France, Austria and Italy. In recent years, nationalist political parties have gained momentum in national elections in Germany, the UK and France, as well as in European parliamentary elections. In this course, students will look at these European case studies and study relevant terminology, such as totalitarianism, authoritarianism and the role of corporate power. We will examine to which extent history repeats itself, and how political instability in Europe is of relevance to America. Students in this course will explore concepts such as totalitarianism, authoritarianism, fascism.  

America & its Allies: Transatlantic Security in the 21st Century.

Course Description:

In this course students will explore contemporary challenges to the transatlantic alliance. We will study the two pillars of European security architecture in the 20th century: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). We will look at European integration since the end of the Cold War and how American leadership had shaped both transatlantic relations and European reconciliation in the aftermath of World War II. Students will also examine how the war in Ukraine has changed Europe' s threat perception in recent years, and to what extent US foreign policy still matters to countries in Europe.