In this new course we will review contemporary Africa, including the African Union and regional organizations, and U.S. foreign policy toward the continent, including defense, diplomatic, and development aspects, from a practitioner perspective.
Through lectures, readings (including official U.S. government policy documents), discussions, presentations by guest speakers (with Q &A), case studies and writing exercises, we will learn about the interplay between U.S. interests and the interests of the 55 member states of the African Union.
Topics include: The African Union and the regional economic communities, African and American business interests, foreign assistance (development, humanitarian, security), major bilateral and multilateral diplomatic players, conflicts, climate change and humanitarian crises, and U.S. policy implementation. The emphasis will be on acquiring specific knowledge about these topics and an understanding of key dynamics.