Module: Digital International Relations

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Digital International Relations
Module Code	POL1051 (ITS: LG396)
Faculty	Law & Government	School	Humanities & Social Sciences
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	10

Description

This ten-credit core module examines the cutting edge themes and debates on digital international relations. It seeks to understand how digital technology and big data shape contemporary politics. In particular, the module explores themes such as digital contention and activism in democracies and authoritarian regimes, digital wars and peace-making diplomacy, as well as digital mediation, humanitarianism, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. The module draws on interdisciplinary scholarly debates on digital politics as well as provide most up to date examples from policy and practice.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the evolution of international relations from analogue to digital mode
2. Develop a comprehensive understanding of key concepts and themes on digital IR
3. Learn a wide range of policy examples and practices pertaining to the digital IR
4. Make sense of the future intellectual directions and policy trends in world politics

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	22	No Description
Assignment Completion	100	No Description
Assignment Completion	128	No Description
Total Workload: 250

Section Breakdown
CRN	11417	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Gëzim Visoka	Module Teacher	Lynn Walsh, Maura Conway

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Essay	4,000 words essay	70%	Week 12
Project	1000 words policy analysis report	30%	Week 7

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Analogue versus Digital International Relations

Technology and Big Data

Digital Contention

Digital Authoritarianism

Digital War

Digital Diplomacy

Digital Mediation

Digital Humanitarianism

Digital Peacekeeping

Digital Peacebuilding

Futuring Peace

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Daniel R. McCarthy: 2017, Technology and World Politics, Routledge, London,
Annika Richterich: 2018, he Big Data Agenda: Data Ethics and Critical Data Studies, University of Westminster Press, London,
William Merrin: 2019, Digital War: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, London,
Mohamed Zayani: 2015, Networked Publics and Digital Contention, Oxford University Press, Oxford,
Paul Reilly: 2021, Digital contention in a divided society: Social media, parades and protests in Northern Ireland, Manchester University Press, Manchester,
Jan van Dijk: 2020, The Network Society, Sage, London,
Patrick Meier: 2015, Digital Humanitarians: How Big Data Is Changing the Face of Humanitarian Response, Routledge, London,

Articles:

Oliver P. Richmond: 2020, Peace in Analogue/ Digital International Relations, Global Change, Peace & Security, 32, 19, 0
2018: Governing others: Anomaly and the algorithmic subject of security, European Journal of International Security, 3, 21, 0, 1
Big Data, new epistemologies and paradigm shifts: Big Data & Society, 1, 12, 0, 1, Andrew Iliadis and Federica Russo
Big Data & Society: 1, 7, 0, 1, Tiberiu Dragu and Yonatan Lupu, 2021
February 2021: 27, 0, 1, Antoine Bousquet, 2020, Researching “Digital War”: terminological snares, conceptual pitfalls, and methodological hazards
4: 0, 1, David J. Betz and Tim Stevens, 2013, Analogical reasoning and cyber security, Security Dialogue
0: 1, Kristin Bergtora Sandvik, Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert, John Karlsrud and Mareile Kaufmann, 2014, Humanitarian technology: a critical research agenda, International Review of the Red Cross, 96, 21,

Other Resources

None