This course will seek to strengthen our understanding of what is going on in Russian politics today. We will look at formal political institutions and different actors who contribute to Russian politics. We will also discuss practices which characterize the contemporary situation. We will make use of the research literature and up-to-date press and internet materials when discussing these questions. Students will be expected to read research articles and other relevant materials for the lectures. In addition, students will write a seminar paper and give a presentation based on this paper. Before coming to the course, students should have familiarized themselves with some methods of textual analysis (e.g.POLVOA11).  After completing the course, students should have understanding of the institutional design and practices of Russian politics and their development from the 1990s until today. They should also be able to seek information on the topic of the course, to form research questions and give well-founded answers to them in a seminar paper.   The course consists of lectures, discussions in groups during the lecture, and seminar sessions in which students give their presentations.

Enrolment by 17 October (max. 30 students, priority on students majoring in Political Science or IR) Sirke.Makinen@uta.fi

The course will be assessed by a seminar paper (the topic to be agreed with the teacher) and presentation. In addition, students are expected to read the required materials and attend lectures and seminar sessions.