OADI 2235 - International sanctions in a Shifting Geopolitical Order

***UPDATED for 2025/26***

Sanctions increasingly represent the foreign policy tool of choice for governments and international organisations seeking to address some of the world's most pressing political and security challenges. Student participants on this course will have the opportunity to examine the design, utility and consequences of sanctions, including in the UN, EU and US contexts, as well as in the less explored field of regional organisations. The course examines the impact and effectiveness of sanctions and the complex interplay between overlapping sanctions regimes. It takes issue with the methodology employed for sanctions evaluation in scientific, media and policy circles, and explores their implications. We will consider Global South perspectives on sanctions and hear from sanctions experts from Africa and Asia (TBC) while also drawing on perspectives from international law and other disciplines. Attention is paid to the unintended consequences of sanctions, particularly from a humanitarian angle in light of financial sector “de-risking” and the “chilling effect” seen among humanitarian organisations and medical and food companies in light of a more complex global compliance environment. Through lectures, group discussions, film screenings and thematic presentations, students will gain a strong grounding in this highly topical, multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral field. Classes will be supplemented with interaction with, and lectures from, sanctions practitioners. Students will also be given the opportunity to develop skills in writing for diverse audiences in the form of a think tank style policy briefings.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand why sanctions are used in today’s world and how might they be used to best effect with mitigation of unintended consequences.
• Develop a detailed knowledge of a range of global security, foreign policy and normative challenges.
• Learn to analyse the field of sanctions from a multidisciplinary and multisectoral perspective.
• Hone the ability to synthesise complex information in a concise and policy-relevant manner.
• Explore the key legal, ethical and practical considerations at play in international sanctions policy

Professional Skills

Public speaking, analysis, interpreting data from a range of sources, concise writing style.

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Feedback will be provided in verbal or written format after the presentations and written assignments.

Participation 10% (requires students to participate in discussions and not just attend the class)

• In Class Presence: 4 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Online learning activities: 5 hours a semester
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 20 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 5 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 20 hours a semester