Undergraduate Studies

in
International Relations
Student Guidebook

2024
General Overview of the Discipline of International Relations (IR)
In essence International Relations studies that abstract notion of the ‘international system’ and
examines the interactions that takes place here between various actors (for example, state,
international organizations, civil society, non-governmental organizations) and their environment as
they engage in the activities of conducting international relations. The discipline has numerous sub-
fields that studies among other, foreign policy analysis, security studies, international law, international
organization, international political economy, environmental issue as well as different global regions.

What makes International Relations at Wits unique

o Wits is the only university in Africa where International Relations is an independent discipline
and not combined with Political Studies.

o Consequently, a focal point of our curriculum and research has been the international relations
of Africa. Adding knowledges from the Global South to the study of international relations a
further priority. However, we do not advocate the exclusion of Western ideas and theories in
achieving this objective. Rather we seek to create a curriculum where the value of knowledge
is not determined by its origin but by its capacity to elucidate that which we study.

o IR is a core member of the multidisciplinary, trans-faculty Wits E-Science MA programme.

o IR academics have been recipients of large research grants from prestigious donors/funding
organizations. Academics feature frequently on the programmes of various international
conferences and their work appears in renowned publications.

o IR’s engagement with international relations is not limited to teaching and research with
academics contributing to debates in local and international media as well as participating in
the activities or initiatives of national and international non-governmental organizations.

o Through the Wits International Office our students have participated in international exchange
programs where they have spent a semester studying at a foreign university.

o We endeavour to expose our students to the practicalities of international politics by hosting

numerous events each year where they can engage with people who work in the field of
international relations at both state and non-state institutions. We also create opportunities
for students to interact with academics and students studying International Relations at other
local and international universities.

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Potential Careers
• Diplomat
• Working for Local, Provincial or National government as an international relations analyst
• Working for an international organization, humanitarian organizations or non-governmental
organizations
• Working for a regional organization
• International Relations Analyst for local and international businesses
• International political economy analyst
• International law expert
• Media – political/international relations reporter
• Research consultant on an IR speciality
• Working for an international relations research institute
• International public health
• Security analyst or working in the security sector.
• Election monitoring/observation
• Data analyst (requires an MA in our E-Science programme

International Relations - Undergraduate Programme

• Within a BA degree, a student can choose to major in International Relations where students
will take the course over a three-year period being introduced to the numerous sub-fields of
the discipline as well as the implications these interactions have in our daily lives. International
Relations offers a progression of units over three years.

• While our undergraduate courses cover the numerous concepts and practices that define the
field of IR, special emphasis is given to the need for new ideas and approaches for dealing with
emerging post-apartheid and post-Cold War concerns such as intrastate conflict, refugees,
migration, climate change, transnational organised crime, South-South cooperation,
transnational civil society movements – including indigenous social movements, race, gender,
post-colonialism and the impact of technological advancements on the conduct of international
relations.

• Students who are considering an undergraduate major and a possible career in international
relations must ensure that they complete all units up to and including the 4 third-year courses.

• Students interested in IR but who do not necessarily want to major in the discipline are
welcome to register to take IR for a semester, or an entire year or more. Additionally, students
from other Faculties are also welcome to register to take one or two semesters of IR depending
on the rules of their Faculty.

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Entrance Criteria
We have no mark requirements for matric
subjects nor do have to have studies specific
subjects to take IR. International Relations
draws on history, geography, economics,
politics, law, sociology, psychology, media
studies, public health, and philosophy its study
of the world. Consequently, IR can never be
accused of boring our irrelevant. As this is not
a subject taught at school, our first-year
programme focuses on teaching students the
basics of our discipline.

Languages
We strongly recommend that students wishing
to pursue a career in International Relations
develop a proficiency in one or more
languages aside from English. The language
that you chose should be informed by where you see yourself ultimately working. The United Nations
produces documents in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and English. Working in the Asian-Pacific region
would require Mandarin, Hindi and Japanese. The languages of BRICS are currently Russian, Portuguese,
Hindi, and Mandarin. If students want to work at a local political level, then proficiency in at 3 of South
Africa’s recognised languages is essential.

At Wits students can choose to study many of the above languages. As we recommend that students
take a language at least until second -year level, those wishing to pursue a European language able to
apply for an exemption from the compulsory South African language requirement at first-year level.
Please email both the head of IR as well as the European language you wish to study. You can click on
the following link to investigate the wide range of languages Wits has to offer:
https://www.wits.ac.za/sllm/

Other courses that complement IR

All the other courses within the School of Social Sciences relate well to the study of international
relations. Economics, law, history, geography, sociology, psychology, media studies, public health, and
philosophy are all good subjects to combine with IR for those wanting to pursue a career in
international relations.

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Being an international relations student
While university can be an enormous amount of fun both intellectually and socially, it can also be
daunting. Every year we introduce you to new and often more complex knowledge and require a
greater degree of sophistication in how you interact with it. Our curriculum and all the courses
contained therein are designed to help students master the fundamental knowledge and accompanying
academic skills that they demand in a coherent, structured, and incremental way. Lectures, tutorials,
prescribed literature, and media as well as course assessments all function to assist students in their
learning. Thus, we encourage students to be active participants in their learning of IR by keeping up
with their lecture and tutorial attendance, the assigned weekly preparation material, and exercises as
well as course assessments. If you encounter difficulties with any aspect of the course, arrange to
consult your lecturer or tutor as soon as possible so that they can assist you. Nevertheless, it is the
amount of hours that you are prepared to devote to the study of IR that will ultimately determine the
level of expertise and ability that you will develop. Although academics can facilitate or entice students
to establish good learning practices to some degree, it is up to the individual student to do the work
required.

IR beyond the classroom

As international relations happen daily, new material to investigate is arriving almost continuously
making the study of IR so dynamic. IR runs an annual seminar series aimed at the discussion of
important contemporary events that have global implications. These seminars are open to all students
interested in IR beyond the classroom environment. Topics, times, and venues are advertised to all IR
students well in advance.

Registering for International Relations courses

The Faculty of Humanities oversees the registration of all undergraduate students. Faculty
administrators are available during the registration period to assist students experiencing any problems
with the process. IR can only assist students with academic problems related directly to their enrolment
in IR.

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Amendments to registration
A student who needs to change their details after registration may do so using a Graduate Studies
Amendment Form. Changes to a student’s name or address as well as substantive changes relating to
courses for which the student is registered for (i.e., cancelling or changing the course you have
registered for) are all made using the yellow Amendment Form, which is available either at the graduate
Faculty office or can be downloaded from: https://www.wits.ac.za/humanities/faculty-
services/undergraduate-services/

Person details may be updated online via the student portal. See the following link:

https://www.wits.ac.za/students/

What is the deadline for amendments to

course registration?
All students may amend their registration any time
during the first two weeks of each semester. After
this student may not swop courses but are still
allowed to de-register. However, fees for that
course may still be incurred.

All requested amendments to registration must be

applied for on the appropriate form, obtainable
electronically or in hardcopy from the Faculty
Office.

What is the deadline to cancel a course or

degree?
The deadlines for the cancellation of registration
and the cancellation of modules are set out in the
fees booklet https://www.wits.ac.za/study-at-
wits/student-fees/ This booklet will outline the
financial penalties that you may incur depending
on when you cancel. Please contact the Faculty
Office for appropriate procedures.

What happens if I do not cancel a course?

To cancel a course or to amend anything regarding your registration, you must obtain an amendment
form from the Faculty office and obtain the necessary signatures. The form must be submitted at the
Faculty office. If you intend to cancel a course and do not do so, you will continue to be registered for
the course and will be deemed to have failed the course at the end of the year. It is therefore extremely
important to make sure that you have cancelled any courses that you do not intend to take and make
sure that you have evidence that you have cancelled the course. To find more information about the
process as well as the forms you need to complete Please go to
https://www.wits.ac.za/humanities/faculty-services/undergraduate-services/

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 Note:
• It is your responsibility to make sure
that you are registered for the correct
modules by accessing your I-Wits email
after registration and downloading the
confirmation of registration letter.
• If you are unsure about your
registration, please contact the Faculty
office to confirm your registration and
amendments to registration have been
processed and are correct.
• IR will not accept late registrations
after the end of the second week of each
semester.
• Students banned from participating
in or receiving instruction or supervision in
any course/s for which they are not
registered.

Our Undergraduate Curriculum

First year of Study
First-year IR contains 2 courses designed to introduce students to the exciting and interesting subject
matter the constitutes our discipline.

INTR1012A - Introduction to the Discipline (Semester One)

International Relations (IR) is a multidisciplinary field with origins in history, economics, political
science, sociology, and law. The study of IR contributes to societies’ overall understanding of why
states do such things as go to war, why they trade with each other, and why they care when human
rights are being abused elsewhere. You, as budding IR scholars and experts, are here to gain an
understanding of the key events and tools that are used to unpack why states, international
organizations, even individuals, behave the way they do. In BLOCK 1 you will learn fundamental IR
concepts; you will be immersed in the historical background and philosophies of IR; you will come to
appreciate how foreign policy is crafted and the role of international institutions and law in IR.
Importantly, you will be taught the foundational skills required for critical thinking and analytical
writing to become a well-informed, well-rounded IR scholar. BLOCK 2 focuses on War & Peace, a
central concern of IR. Some scholars argue that war made IR! From the Thirty Years War to the World
Wars, the Cold War, the War on Terror, war has shaped power relations between states within the
inter-state system. The study of War & Peace in IR deals with challenging questions such as: Why do
states go to war? Is war ever justified? Should peace be maintained at all costs? What are the
different and new types of war? What mechanisms are used to deter wars and maintain peace? These
questions are key to understanding the inter-state system and IR.

INTR1010A - Africa and South Africa's International Relations (Semester Two)

For students to understand the international relations of both South Africa and other African states
their diplomatic and domestic history will be examined. Students would also study how foreign policy

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is created, what types of issues determine these countries' foreign policy and who contributes to the
process. Regional, sub regional and continental organizations which contribute to international
relations of South Africa and Africa will be discussed as well as issues of common concern to all states.
Moreover, South Africa's as well as Africa's contribution to international organizations and regimes
will also be dealt with. This course would build on the knowledge established in the introductory IR
course especially that pertaining to foreign policy decision-making and theory. This would also serve
to reinforce content learnt in the first semester and students would now have to apply theory to
practice. The course also addresses the issue of international political economy in greater detail,
focusing on its operation in Africa and the implications thereof for the economies of these states.

Second Year of Study

The two second-year courses building on the fundamental theories and concepts covered in the
previous year’s courses proceeds to examine three very important IR areas, namely international law,
security studies and international political economy.

INTR2008A – Law and Security (Semester One)

This course introduces two very important components of International Relations namely, international
law and security studies. The course provides and essential excursion into the field of international law,
which provides the underlying principles that govern the relations between all states. No study of
International Relations would be complete without it. This brief course will examine a variety of topics
ranging from what is international law, its creation and application, to subfields of international law
such as statehood, human rights and the use of force. Special emphasis will be given to the role of the
United Nations, but this should not erode the importance of other multilateral forums or bilateral
negotiations in the construction of international law. Understanding sources of conflict in order to
devise mechanism to resolve and ultimately prevent conflict between countries has been a stated goal

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of International Relations since its inception. Yet, the world is still plagued by conflict that has morphed
from mainly being precipitated by states to include nonstate actors such as liberation/terrorist
movements, rebels, militias, private military organisations, and criminal cartels. Acknowledged sources
of insecurity extend not just to armed conflict but to epidemics, human trafficking, slavery, famine,
climate change and illicit narcotics as well as newer threats such as cybercrime, and bio-warfare. The
course seeks to unpack, assess, and make sense of both old and new security threats.

INTR2007A – International Political Economy (Semester Two)

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the study of International Political Economy (IPE).
Using key theoretical and analytical tools students will learn to make sense of global economic
relations; relates structures and/or institutions and the impact that they have on the world economy.
Among others we will consider how the process of globalization affects the development process of
states in different regions of the world as well as the potential of South-South cooperation in
providing alternative, more equitable, de-Westernised economic interactions between states.

Third Year of Study

In their third year of study students will take 2 IR courses in each semester = 1 compulsory course + 1
elective course per semester = 4 courses for the year.

There is a tutorial programme for both compulsory courses and these are held in the assigned
timetable slot for IR on a Friday morning. Please do not schedule any other course during this time.

Third-year Compulsory courses

All students must take the compulsory course in Semester One which is INTR3025 – Thinking,
Theorising and Research IR which and in Semester Two INTR3012 – Transnational Issues. Both these
courses are taught in the Monday timetable slot.

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INTR3025 – Thinking, Theorising and Researching International Relations (Semester One – Compulsory
Course)
The objective of this course is to allow students to critically engage with IR theory. The course’s focus
is two-fold for the IR theory section 1) It asks why IR theory is Western centric and what are the
implications of this for the field broadly and the discipline within the global South in particular and 2)
How do we create global IR theory. As basic and mostly Western IR theoretical paradigms have been
covered in both first and second year, students are assumed to be familiar with these, although you
may want to revise these from your first-year textbook. The course further intends to facilitate critical
engagement and reflection regarding the origins, purposes, and uses of knowledges in the study of IR.
The course will also investigate the incorporation of indigenous knowledge from various parts to the
globe to expand the analytic capacity of IR especially in the Global South. Student will also be
introduced to some of the quantitative and qualitative research methods used by IR scholars with the
last 3 weeks focusing on using quantitative methods as a means of conducting IR research.

INTR3012 – Transnational Issues (Semester Two – Compulsory Course)

This course examines key transnational issues that shape and inform world politics. It looks at new
values diffused by global actors, including transnational social movements which seek to address
global inequality and the global democratic deficit. The focus, in particular, will be on the various non-
traditional security issues that are increasingly capturing international attention. Key concepts to be
examined include human rights and humanitarian intervention, specifically the notion of the
‘responsibility to protect’ (R2P), transnational social movements, global migration, as well as the
scramble for natural resources. Students are expected to gain greater awareness and understanding
of transnational issues, particularly as they get to explore them in/from African contexts.

Elective Courses
Students can then choose 1 elective course per block. These courses are taught on the Wednesday
timetable slot. We recommend that those students interested in our Postgraduate programme select
courses on the basis that they may want to specialise in the area in later years of study. There are 4
electives per semester that students can
choose from.

The elective courses are designed to be

small seminar style classes with a
maximum number of 40 students per
course. These classes are designed to
approximate a post-graduate teaching
environment that are far more interactive
with weekly discussions and class
presentations. Due to the high levels of
engagement, linked to student
assessment, these are classes that should
not be missed. Thus, there is an 80%
attendance requirement to be allowed to
submit the final assessment and
attendance is taken weekly.

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Semester One Elective Courses
Students are only allowed to choose 1 of these courses per semester.

INTR3002 – International Organizations (Semester One)

This course is designed as a specialised study of international organisations (IO) which are important
actors in international relations. Its principal aim is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the
various priorities and operations of both international (the United Nations) and regional (the African
Union & the European Union) organisations. The histories and theories related to this field will be
examined. Students will also be required to critically evaluate the role and utility of these
organisations in today’s complex and dynamic international context.

INTR3022 – Intermediate International Political Economy (Semester One)

The objective of this course is to give you an in depth understanding of the study of International
Political Economy as it relates to Africa. Complex economic theories are introduced. Student’s use of
quantitative research skills to analyse economic data is expanded. Students are asked to critically
evaluate existing policies of IPE actors. Students will be exposed to a comprehensive set of ideas and
readings.

INTR3023 – Foreign Policy Analysis (Semester One)

The focus of this course is on consolidating student’s knowledge of foreign policy theories and
practice. Moreover, it seeks to develop students’ understanding of foreign policy concepts and the
theoretical frameworks within which they function. Students will also be required to analyse and
evaluate different foreign policy approaches or tactics together with their ultimate outcomes. Finally,
students are required to apply what they have learned in a simulation exercise.

INTR3024 – South African Foreign Policy (Semester One)

This course probes the evolution of South Africa’s foreign policy against the backdrop of changes in
both the domestic and international arenas. The focus will be on the interplay of events and actors
in the post-apartheid era. The course attempts to build on the previous courses on South
African/African International Relations, but it is also an opportunity for students to gain in-depth
appreciations of the continuities and discontinuities in South African foreign policy. Conceptually,
the course is anchored in ideas about foreign policy--the projection of interests and power beyond
borders. Empirically, the course touches on a wide range of subjects such as South Africa in Africa,
the Great Lakes region, Southern Africa, relations with Nigeria, the United States, and the BRICs.
Students are encouraged to broaden their intellectual horizons by examining equally important
themes and debates such as South Africa in the United Nations, relations with Western Europe,
North Africa, Middle East, Latin America as well as bilateral relations with countries such as Angola,
Japan, and North Korea.

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Semester Two Elective Courses
Students are only allowed to choose 1 of these courses per semester.

INTR3008 – East Asia (Semester Two)

This course focuses on the international relations of the key East Asian states, China, Japan and Korea.
The economic and political evolution of these three states will be discussed and evaluated. Inter-state
conflicts over the following issues will be discussed and evaluated: China-Taiwan, North-South Korea,
South China Sea, Sekaku/Daioyu Islands, Dokto/Takashima Islands. Conflicts are evaluated within the
following theoretical frameworks: realist, neo-realist, Marxist, liberal, integration theory and
constructivism. South Africa’s democratic transition is offered as a model for conflict resolution in
East Asia. Additional topics for evaluation include China-US relations, China-Africa relations, Japan-
Africa relations, Korea’s economic miracle and Korea-Africa relations. Given that over 25 percent of
South Africa’s foreign trade is now with these three East Asian nations, the region is becoming
increasingly important and relevant.

INTR3010 – The Middle East (Semester Two)

This course provides an understanding of the dynamics
of domestic, regional, and international politics in the
Middle East. The course examines among other topics
1) The Arab Israeli conflict; 2) Prospects for peace and
3) The impact of political Islam and the foreign policy of
selected Arab states.

INTR3013 – United States Foreign Policy (Semester Two)

The United States of America is a global super-power.
The globalisation of the international political economy
since the 1980s, the end of the Cold War and the ‘war on
terror’ have reshaped the role of America and its foreign policy in the world. In many ways the new
world order created over the past three decades has attempted to remake the world in the image of
the USA. This course will attempt to equip students to engage in a critical analysis of American foreign
policy. Students will interrogate how American foreign policy is shaped and will be provided with critical
conceptual tools to understand the various social forces that mediate and determine policy outcomes.
Moreover, students will be encouraged to scrutinise American foreign policy ‘from below’. This means
students will be encouraged to engage with American foreign policy generally from the standpoint of
the global South and particularly from the perspective of Africa. Moreover, the operations of power
within American foreign policy and its consequences for the South and Africa will be critically assessed.

INTR3021- The International Relations of Africa (Semester Two)

The course has three core themes: Firstly, it explores the historical origins of Africa’s dependence on
external forces, and its marginality in global politics, both in theory and in practice. Secondly, it
examines how the different IR theories have conceptualised Africa, and how their representations of
Africa have informed and shaped practices on and toward the continent. Thirdly, it will examine
African perspectives on IR, in particular, those drawing from critical theory in its most engaging
aspects. The course thus offers a functional knowledge of the underlying areas and philosophies that
have defined Africa and its place in the making of the international order. The course thus explores
the international relations of Africa from historical, theoretical, and geopolitical perspectives.

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Course Format and Lecture Attendance
Lectures are held in person on campus. However, some components of the course may be presented
in an online format as the discretion of your lecturer. Even though lecture attendance is not
compulsory, we strongly recommend that students attend lectures as there is a strongly correlation
between lecture attendance and student performance in course assessments. As IR covers complex
and multifaceted issues it is often more difficult develop a thorough understanding of these by engaging
with the course material by yourself only. Learning is a social exercise and most people learn better
together. Lectures are opportunities for students to learn from experts in the area being studied.
Irrespective of class size, lectures can be highly interactive where questions can be raised or greater
clarity asked for on an issue or debates initiated.

At third-year level students are required to

attend 80 percent of all their elective
courses’ seminars to be granted DP (to be
allowed to submit their final assessment or
write the final exam). Attendance is taken
weekly and as these are small classes
absences are easily noticed. Moreover,
students will be required to participate in
seminar activities and presentation for
assessment purposes, thus being absent for
these seminar assessments will result in you
being given a mark of zero.

Course Preparation
Preparing for a class means doing all the
reading and any written work that have been assigned for the respective class or topic. All courses in
their outline should provide students with assigned weekly material that they are expected to have
covered before class. As a finite amount of content can be covered in lectures, doing the assigned class
and tutorial readings expands your knowledge of the subject substantially, allowing you to begin to
develop your expertise in an area.

Tutorial Programme and Attendance

All IR courses except for the third-year elective course have tutorial programmes. Here the large class
is divided into smaller groups and meet weekly with their assigned tutor to explore a particular facet of
a course in greater depth. An exceptional amount of thought goes into designing the content and the
format of these programmes to make them vibrant learning experiences within a peer learning
environment which have been found most conducive to participants intellectual development.

All IR tutorials are scheduled on the timetable slot allocated to IR; therefore, no student should have
any timetabling conflict with their tutorial. Please consult your course outline for further information
regarding when the programme starts and its format.

All tutorials should be attended unless you have a valid excuse for your absence. To be granted DP for
your course i.e., to qualify to submit your final form of assessment or write the final exam - 80 percent

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of its tutorials must be attended. Many tutorial programmes have class activities/assignments and/or
class participation components where frequent absenteeism will have a detrimental impact on your
grades. If you are going to be absent, please be polite and excuse yourself from the tutorial. Please also
come to class on time.

Referencing and Plagiarism

At university we expect all students to reference their use of the ideas of other academics they have
used when writing any academic work. In doing this we acknowledged the contributions academics
have made to the area that we are studying as well as our understanding thereof. Our first-year courses
will assist students in learning when and how to reference. Please note that IR at Wits uses the Chicago
referencing system. The following website comprehensively outlines the correct referencing format for
this style https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

Plagiarism is more than not referencing in a paper; it extends to copying work from others as well as
using AI sites or paper writing syndicates to write your papers. Irrespective of the form it takes,
plagiarism constitutes academic misconduct. Where most of a paper’s content has found to been
plagiarised, it will be given a mark of zero. At first- and second-year minor cases of plagiarism will be
dealt developmentally but marks can still be deducted. At third-year level we have a zero-tolerance
policy irrespective of the degree of plagiarism and students will be reported to the School of Social
Sciences plagiarism committee who will take the matter to an academic misconduct hearing that could
result in a student’s suspension or expulsion from the university. Thus, it is in your best interest to adopt
good research and writing practices as well as time management skills to avoid these practices. Cutting
and pasting from electronic versions of articles and books and then changing a few words is not an
acceptable practice and constitutes plagiarism. Students need to practice the skills of writing other
scholars’ ideas and arguments in their own words. If you quote from a source, please place the quote
in quotation marks.

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Ulwazi Course Site
All our undergraduate courses have an Ulwazi site used to post general information regarding the
course; the course syllabus; readings; important announcements; assessment formats and rubrics;
additional resources and student marks/grades. All courses are required by university policy to have a
fully populated Ulwazi course site, which sets out the weekly lecture and tutorial contents, together
with required learning materials such as readings or videos that are required for the week. Further the
site should set out the course assessments, their due dates, assessment and marking rubrics as well as
the mark percentage for each component. If an IR Ulwazi course site is undeveloped or
underdeveloped, please inform the Head of Discipline so that this can be rectified immediately.

Please check your Wits email regularly as all announcements posted on Ulwazi should be sent to this
address. To reiterate: your Wits email is also one of the primary ways our administrator will contact
you should the need arise. To access Ulwazi please go to https://www.wits.ac.za/ulwazi/

Our physical location

IR is located on the first floor of Robert Sobukwe block, on the East Campus of the university. Student
notice boards are found on the wall between offices 125A-E and 126. Office 126 is also where course
material can be collected.

Our staff
Current Head of Discipline
Professor Jacqui Ala
Room: RSB108
Email address: [email protected]

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Departmental Administrators:
Ms Laura Bloem [email protected] +27117174382 Head Administrator

Office: RSB109

Ms Nonhlanhla [email protected] +27117174387 Course material, tutorial

Mkhize administration and general
student queries
Office: RSB 126

Full Time Academic Staff

Academic Areas of expertise

Professor Rod Alence o Data science

Office RSB 120 o Quantitative research methods
Email : [email protected] The IPE of Africa

Prof Malte Brosig o International organizations,

Office: RSB 113 o Peace and security (Europe & Africa),
Email : [email protected] o Global governance,
o BRICS,
o Peacekeeping,
o The United Nations Security Council.

Mr Larry Benjamin o The Middle East

Office: 124 o International negotiation processes,
Email: [email protected]
Prof Jacqui de Matos-Ala o IR pedagogy -
Office : RSB o Knowledge production in IR,
Email : [email protected] o IR theory from Africa and the Middle East
o Norm localization and disability rights
o Gender, Race & Culture
o IR research methods (decolonization)
o Historical international relations practices
from the Global South
o Subaltern studies
o
Zimkhitha Manyana o Foreign policy and diplomacy
Office : RSB 112 o Impacts of technological advancements on
Email : [email protected] the practice and study of IR
o Political and IR theory
o IPE
o IR research methods

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Prof Dilip Menon o International History in the post 1800 period
Office: RSB 123 o Theory from the Global South
Email : [email protected] o Cold War IR with reference to the global
south.
o The International Relations of South Asia

Dr Mopeli Moshoeshoe o International trade

Office: RSB 119 o The SADC
Email : [email protected] o International Political Economy

Dr Candice Moore o SA foreign policy

Office: RSB 117 o BRICS - selected global issues and global
Email : [email protected] regions.
o IR theory
o Global south in international institutions

Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh o Nuclear non-proliferation

Office: RSB 115 o Nuclear security
Email : [email protected] o South African foreign policy
o Race and International Relations
o Postcolonial IR

Prof Vish Satgar o Climate change and international relations

Office: RSB 114A o Decolonising IR
Email : [email protected] o Democratic Marxism

Dr Michelle Small o (In)Security, Violence, and Conflict in Africa.

Office: RSB 119 o Non-State Violence Actors in Africa.
Email : [email protected] o Private Security and Military Companies
(PSMCs) in Africa.
o Foreign Military Presence in Africa.
o Arms, Weapons, Small Arms and Light
Weapons (SALW) in Africa.
o Transnational Organized Crime in Africa.
o Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Displacement,
Migration in Africa.

Dr Natalie Zahringer o International law,

Office: RSB: 114B o Norm evolution and contestation,
Emails: [email protected] o International organisations especially
o The UN, EU, ICC and AU.
o R2P,
o Atrocity crimes and security issues linked to
this such as humanitarian interventions and
international criminal accountability.

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Interacting with IR Academics and Administrators
o Our staff are staff are happy to make themselves available to students to assist them with
questions and queries related to their study of International Relations.
o If you need assistance beyond what we can provide as far as possible we will refer you to
those who can.
o Both academics and administrators have set time where they are available to consult with
students. In as far as possible try and consult with them during these times. If you are unable
to meet during these times you can email staff to arrange an alternative time.
o Consultation times for academics are posted on their Ulwazi course sites and on the door of
the administrator ‘offices.
o Outside of these times staff are not required to be in their offices. Staff are often busy with
other tasks, so students should not assume that we will always be in our offices.
o Students can also email requests to staff.
o In your email please clearly state who you are, which course you are in and the request
that you are making.
o Please address the staff member by their title and last name unless they have stated
otherwise.
o If you are comfortable in doing so, please at the end of the email next to your name
list the pronoun that you wish to be addressed by, namely, he/she/they.
o Please double check that you have the correct email address.
o Staff should respond to all email inquiries within 48 hours of their receipt.
o If you receive an out of office response, the staff member will only respond to your email once
they are back in their office or they will refer you to the person filling in for them while they are
absent.
o Staff are not required to answer emails outside of working hours which are generally before
8:30 and after 4:30 and over weekends with concessions made on Friday afternoons to
accommodate the religious/cultural practices of staff members.
o In all engagements between staff and students, all parties should maintain and demonstrate
mutual respect for each other in these interactions.
o The process for resolving lecturer-student disputes particularly related to marks is set out in
the addendum section of this document.
o Student and staff membership of social media groups associated with the Wits IR department
is voluntary. All official IR social media sites must comply with the Social Media policy of the
University. We caution that there have been instances of non-Wits students joining class
WhatsApp groups where they have used this as a platform to scam students by asking for
money as well as threatening students with harm if they report this conduct. Please be wary of
meeting up with people on class WhatsApp groups and/or responding to requests to loan
people money or other items especially if you do not know them personally. Further, no
bullying, harassment or discriminatory accusations made against group members, lecturers,
administrators, or tutors on these groups will be tolerated and such conduct will be subject to
disciplinary procedures as mandated by university policy C2017/631. This applies to both
official Wits IR social media as well as WhatsApp groups set up for a specific IR course.

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Other Useful Information
Importantly - Should you experience any difficulties that impact on your ability to attend this course,
cover its content and/or submit assessments by the assigned dates, please discuss this with your course
convener as soon you are able so that we can make accommodation arrangements. The sooner we
know, the sooner we can help you and the greater the number of options at our disposal.

For emergency telephonic counselling, please contact the Wits student Crisis Line 0800 111 331 toll
free 24/7/365. Wits Students are also encouraged to use the Wits Student Crisis Texting App. Details
on how to access the Wits Student Crisis App are posted below.

CCDU BRAAMFONTEIN CAMPUS WEST [Main Office]:

CCDU Building, Braamfontein Campus West, Wits University
Closest Entrance: Gate 9, Enoch Sontonga Ave, Braamfontein.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 011 717 9140/32

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities should contact the Disability Rights Unit to access the various
accommodations that would facilitate more conducive learning and physical environments. Please see
their webpage https://www.wits.ac.za/disability-rights-unit/ for more information.

Teaching and Learning Advisors

Should students require assistance with planning their curriculum, mentoring, time management,
study-skills or dealing with the academic implications of personal problems, then it is strongly
recommended that they consult with Faculty Teaching and Learning Advisors, whose contact details
are listed below:

Dr. Lindiwe Tshuma

Email: [email protected]
Tel: 011 717 4090
Faculty of Humanities, South West Engineering Building, Room 2

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Nompumelelo Bhengu-Schmitz
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 011 717 4099
Faculty of Humanities, South West Engineering Building, Room 3

The Wits Writing Centre

The Wits Writing Centre (WWC) is a free and confidential service open to any Wits student who wants
to work on their writing. For more information about their services please use the following link
https://www.wits.ac.za/students/wits-writing-centre/

Graduation
Graduation ceremonies for post-graduate students are usually held in April, July and December. Final
corrected research reports, dissertations and theses need to be submitted 6-8 weeks before a
graduation ceremony in order of a student to graduate. Given the time taken for the work to be
processed, and for corrections to be done, students and supervisors need to plan hand-in times
carefully if they want to graduate at a specific ceremony.

We look forward to seeing you at

Graduation!
Acknowledgements
Wits University website https://wits.ac.za
The Faculty of Humanities website - https://www.wits.ac.za/humanities/faculty-
services/postgraduate-services/
The Faculty of Humanities Rules and Syllabus Booklet
The University Fees Booklet 2022
From Application to Graduation, the Wits School of Education 2021

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Addendum
University Assessment Policies, and Related Procedures
Assessment is a very important part of the learning process. Our lecturers put a lot of work into ensuring
that assessments set for each level of study help students master the competencies that their course
seeks to develop. IR is also committed to making our assessment task as well as criteria clear to
students, either in a verbal or oral format or both. This holds true irrespective of the assessment format.
All our assessment activities are informed by and where mandated comply with the Senate Standing
Orders on Assessment document G-SC-TLC-2022-004.

The IR marking process.

o All assessments are marked according to the assessment criteria set by the lecturer for that
assessment. These are required to be communicated to students beforehand in either in their
course outline or on the Ulwazi site.
o If an assessment is marked by a tutor, it will be marked according to the assessment criteria
set by the lecturer.
o The lecturer meets with their tutors to review the marking criteria before they begin marking.
o The lecturer reviews the marking of each tutor to ensure that their marking is valid and
reliable, conforming with the marking criteria and awarding the appropriate mark.
o Students should receive feedback on all formative assessments. However, this feedback may
take different formats. For example, there may be a marking rubric with comments for an
essay or an answer sheet for a tutorial exercise or multiple-choice test. However, this does
not make some forms of feedback superior to others.
o It is important that students pay attention to the feedback they receive as this is designed to
assist in their academic development.
o Feedback is an important part of the learning process.
o Using feedback constructively necessitates that you are open to having your work critiqued by
someone with more academic experience. It is important to note that your work is being
critiqued for the purpose of improving your academic abilities and that it is your work that is
being evaluated not you as an individual. This is often a hard distinction to make but feedback
should not be taken as a personal slight but seen as something positive.

The role of the external examiner/internal examiner in the assessment process.

o As per the university standing orders on assessment (G-SC-TLC-2022-004), all exit level courses
are reviewed by an external examiner.
o An external examiner is an International Relations academic from another university that has
been approved by the Faculty of Humanities as possessing the necessary competencies to
evaluate IR courses and provide an appraisal to the lecturer as well as the Head of IR and the
Head of the School of Social Sciences as to of the overall standard and quality of the course

21
 and the standard, clarity, suitability and overall quality of the assessments selected for external
examining and that these align with the course or programme learning outcomes.
o The external examiner also reviews a selection of completed student assessments to check that
markers have adhered to the marking criteria and applied them consistently and fairly.
Assessments constituting no less than 30 percent of a course’s total marks are sent to the
external examiner for this review. An additional 30 percent is internally moderated by members
of the Wits IR staff.
o An internal examiner is a staff member from IR who performs the same function as the external
examiner. They evaluate all second-year course content, assessments and marking as well as
exit level courses.

Procedures for asking for clarification on feedback and/or the mark assigned.
o Should you need further clarification regarding your feedback or on the mark you received you
should make an appointment to see the person who marked the assessment.
o This could be either your tutor or your lecturer and they would be happy to assist you further.
o Only after engaging in this process are students allowed to request a re-evaluation of their
assessment.

Re-evaluation Process and Procedures.

o Should you subsequently believe that your feedback and evaluation deviates from the set
assessment criteria, you are required in writing (sent to the lecturer’s email address) to
• formally request a re-evaluation of your assessment from your lecturer.
• Please cc the Head of Discipline in this email.
• set out in detail how the feedback and evaluation deviates from the assessment criteria
for the evaluation as set out in the evaluation rubric.
• provide your lecturer with this documentation within 7 days of receiving your assessment
feedback.
o The lecturer will then evaluate this request and then respond in writing, addressing the points
raised by the student. If the lecturer believes that a mark adjustment is warranted this
amendment will be made.
o A lecturer is allowed 2 weeks to review and/or re-evaluate an assessment.
o Should the student still be dissatisfied with this outcome, they can request, in writing, that
their assessment be sent to the external or internal examiner for final moderation. Please
email this request to the lecturer and CC the HOD
Please note:
• The external or internal examiner has the discretion to both raise or lower a mark. Per
university policy, the decision of the external or internal examiner is final.
• Only individual requests for reassessment will be considered. No class demands for
reassessment will be entertained.
• At all times when dealing with evaluation disputes International Relations will follow the
above procedure set out in the university’s standing orders on assessment. As per the
standing orders on assessment (G-SC-TLC-2022-004), the Head of Discipline does not
automatically need to be involved in this process.
• The internal/external examination process has been devised by the university to resolve mark
disputes and ensure reliability, validity, and fairness in the evaluation of assessments. The
Head of Discipline receives all reports from the external/internal examiners. Only if the

22
 lecturer fails to consistently respond to a student’s request for assistance regarding feedback
and evaluation should they email the Head of Discipline.

Procedures for raising complaints and concerns related to academic issues.

o All complaints and concerns related to a specific course are to be raised with the lecturer of
that course.
o Please be specific as to what the problem is that you are experiencing and/or the request that
you are making.
o Be mindful of the fact that academics and administrators may be to comply with university
policies in specific instances and therefore may not be able to accommodate your request.
o All academic related complaints will be dealt with by the IR academic staff according to the
procedures set out above.
o All complaints of an academic nature need to be lodged at the appropriate level as per
university document UR-Pr-2019-021. and can only be escalated to a higher person if the
parties are unable to resolve the problem satisfactorily. If this chain of escalation is not
followed strictly upper members of management structures will simply refer students back to
the relevant person that they should have engaged with initially.
o A request for escalation requires a detailed email be sent to the subsequent person in the
escalation chain formally making this request and CCed to the course lecturer as well. The
email must give a detailed account of the grievance/s as well as what actions have been taken
to address this issue, and the progress made to date in attempting to resolve these as well as
why a final resolution has not been achieved.
o If further meetings between the parties and the HOD and/or HOS are deemed necessary only
students enrolled in the course and who are party to the complaint will be allowed to attend
the meeting.

The chain of escalation for academic matters

Deputy Dean
IR Head of Head of School of
lecturer Undergraduate
Discipline Social Sciences
or Postgradaute

Queries for IR Administrators

o If a mark has been incorrectly recorded, please contact your lecturer as well as an IR
administrator to get this corrected immediately. Please raise this issue as soon as you become
aware of it. Please follow up to ensure that the corrections have been recorded.
o Issues related to the procession of tutor contracts and payments.

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Course queries that should go the Head of Discipline
1. If after numerous requests a course fails to provide students in its first week with:
• the course content,
• readings, academic competencies the course seeks to develop,
• the course assessments, their due dates as well as their contribution to the course’s mark
total (no assessment component may count more than 40 percent of the total marks for
a course)
• the assessment criteria for each assessment in writing.
• This information can either be provided in a course reading pack, printed course outline
and/or on Ulwazi.
2. Lecturers being repeatedly absent from class without arranging make-up classes.
3. Assessments taking longer than 4 weeks to be returned to students without a reason being
given to students by lecturer.
4. Lecturers repeatedly missing student consultation times.

For further details on where and how to direct queries that you may have please consult the following
link https://www.wits.ac.za/students/student-grievance-procedures/steps/#d.en.1091805

Other complaints and disputes

o Complaints about harassment or discrimination by a member of staff against a student need to
be directed to the Head of School who is mandated to consult with the HOD of IR and refer the
matter to the relevant university structures. The university takes such allegations very seriously
and will investigate these complaints extensively through the Gender and Transformation
Office.
o Any person found to have created fictious complaints that impugn the reputation and good
standing of an administrator, academic member of staff or tutor, will have disciplinary
proceedings instituted against them. All such matters will be addressed as per University Policy
G-C-2020-037.

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