International Order and Reactionary Politics

The goal

The course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the contemporary international order, tracing its historical evolution, institutional foundations, and the crises and transformations it faces today. It examines the development and decline of the liberal international order and introduces key theoretical frameworks—such as liberal internationalism, global right, reactionary internationalism, and civilisationism—as tools for analysing global political change.
Students will explore how major state and non‑state actors challenge or reshape the existing order, focusing on the strategies of Russia, China, the radical right in the US and Europe, Islamist movements, and alternative visions from the Global South. The Russo‑Ukrainian War is studied as a pivotal moment in redefining global norms and power structures, with attention to its far‑reaching political and security implications.
A distinctive regional focus is placed on the Western Balkans, where global ideological struggles intersect with local histories and political dynamics. The course analyses both Islamist and right‑wing extremism in the region, with particular emphasis on the radical right in Serbia, its historical roots, Russian influence, and its role within broader geopolitical contests.
Finally, the course addresses the phenomenon of foreign fighters as transnational actors whose activities illuminate the interconnectedness of local conflicts and global ideological struggles.

The outcome

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
● Critically analyse the historical evolution, core principles, and current challenges of the liberal international order, including its crises, transformations, and competing visions.
● Evaluate the strategies of major global actors—such as Russia, China, the radical right in the US and Europe, Islamist movements, and the Global South—in shaping or contesting the international order.
● Interpret complex geopolitical events, with particular emphasis on the Russo‑Ukrainian War, as pivotal moments in redefining global power structures.
● Assess the dynamics of radicalisation and extremism in the Western Balkans, with a nuanced understanding of both Islamist and right‑wing movements, and their links to broader international trends.
● Investigate the role of transnational actors, including foreign fighter networks, in influencing security, diplomacy, and ideological conflicts across borders.
● Integrate theoretical knowledge with empirical case studies, applying concepts such as liberal internationalism, reactionary internationalism, and civilisationism to real‑world political developments.
● Demonstrate advanced research and analytical skills through written work and presentations, enabling independent and critical engagement with contemporary international politics.

Contents of lectures

1. Introduction to the Course
2. Origins and Crisis of the Liberal International Order
3. Liberal International Order and Global-Power Challengers: Russia and China
4. Russian Civilisationism and Strategic Revisionism
5. Ukrainian Conflict: A Turning Point in the Transformation of the Global Order
6. The Global Right and Reactionary Internationalism
7. The Global South and Competing Visions of Order
8. Islamism as a Global Political Force
9. Radicalisation and Extremism in the Western Balkans
10. Radical Right and Civilisationism in Serbia
11. Foreign Fighters and Transnational Conflicts
12. Serbian Foreign Fighters in Ukraine
13. Student Presentations
14. Reading Week
15. Exam

1. Abrahamsen, Rita, Jean-François Drolet, Michael C. Williams, Srdjan Vucetic, Karin Narita, and Alexandra Gheciu. 2024. World of the Right. Cambridge University Press;

2. Adler-Nissen, Rebecca, and Ayşe Zarakol. 2020. “Struggles for Recognition: The Liberal International Order and the Merger of Its Discontents.” International Organization 75 (2): 1–24;

3. Bettiza, Gregorio, Derek Bolton, and David Lewis. 2023. “Civilizationism and the Ideological Contestation of the Liberal International Order.” International Studies Review 25 (2);

lectures, seminars, presentations, tutorials