The Yegiora Files

International law as an academic subject is broad and technical. Many start by talking about the origins of international law. Then they look at the nature and scope of international law. Most importantly, they cover the subjects and sources of international law. International law is a key concept in the liberal school of thought in international relations which is a sub field of political science. The unit IR302 International Law in International Relations begins with discussing key terminologies and texts; then we look at how international law relates to international relations; and finally we explore how it governs the behaviour of actors like states, non-state actors and individuals according to liberal scholars. At the end of the semester, it is expected that you will be able to: Identify the key factors that define the relationship between international law and international relations. Analyze cases involving subjects like states, non-state actors and individuals usin...

The old methods of teaching and learning are slowly becoming outdated. It is challenging to absorb and recall information from a 2 hours oral lecture about a particular topic. Even if the facilitator uses a neatly organized PowerPoint presentation or speak using a lovely tone, students will have lapses which causes them to not record some or most of the information. If you can use the internet, useful hardware and or vital software to help you share the main content of a lecture as a: blog article - using a Learning Management System like Moodle or a blog site like Blogger if you have a Google account. podcast - using a Learning Management System like Moodle or a hosting platform like SoundCloud if you have an account. video - Using a Learning Management System like Moodle or a video hosting platform like YouTube.   Then these learning resources will be of value to students and those interested in the subject matter. In particular, it will be useful for the diffe...

The focus of the unit IR431 International and Regional Security is on the pivotal concept of security. States and non-state actors operate in an anarchic self-help international system where states depend on themselves and the international or regional security system they have created with their allies to survive.  The first learning outcome of the unit is to analyze contemporary security issues using major international relations theories. A thematic framework is used to help you connect the issues to the major theories. Only 3 of the 4 major theories that we looked at in IR202 Theories of International Relations is paired with contemporary security issues: Theme 2 - Rise of China and Realism Theme 3 - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Liberalism Theme 4 - Terrorism and English School Theory The final theme is Australia's Offshore Detention Centers and Human Security. In this theme, we will look at the 7 human security issues and review the treatment of the asyl...

The unit IR202 Theories of International Relations is an introductory unit. The unit aims to help you understand the importance of the main theories that define international relations as a the sub field of political science. The aim of this blog post is to highlight the main points in the unit outline . The unit outline is available on the Moodle unit webpage as a page resource module. You will need to visit the webpage and read the unit outline including the learning guide . There are so many theories, older theories as well as new emerging theories. The unit will focus on four selected theories: Realism Liberalism Constructivism  English School Theory The factor of time is the main reason why only 4 theories were selected out of the many. If you are interested in learning about the other theories then you have the required readings at your disposal. After reading, you can see me for further discussion to help you understand during my consultation hours. Anot...

When I first joined Divine Word University in 2012, I heard about Moodle. I had no idea how to use the Open-Source Learning Management System (LMS) to aid in teaching and learning.  After close to nine years, it has been a wonderful journey of self-discovery. I learnt a lot about myself as well as the LMS. I spent a great amount of hours reading about the LMS on its website and watched as many Moodle videos from YouTube . Furthermore, many hours, weeks, months and semesters were spent on experimenting with Moodle activities and resources. Those students who were thoughtful gave useful feedback verbally or via the unit evaluation which helped me to think creatively.   The learning journey is endless, the latest challenge is migrating content from the old Moodle server to the new Moodle server in 2020. Below is a video I created to share my experience with others. Since our theme for 2020 is: 'it is in giving that we receive' , I would like to shar...

The look north policy approach has been a controversial foreign policy approach taken by developing countries in the Pacific region. The usage of the phrase 'look north' is metaphorically used in reference to China. Geographically, China is not directly to the north of both PNG and Fiji , it is towards the north-west. The rapid transformation that started in the 1980s and continued to today was and is the main reason why countries in the Pacific have decided to look north. In particular, countries are interested in learning about the Chinese model of development and want to strategically position themselves in order to benefit from the growth of the country. The latest country to follow the look north policy direction is the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands cabinet has decided to adhere to the 'One China' policy in a major foreign policy shift after 36 years. They now view Taiwan as an integral part of the Chinese mainland and not as an independent countr...