IR213 International Issues in the Balkans
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Apr 04, 2026
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Political Science and International Relations
Jahja Muhasilović
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
This course aims to develop students` understanding of key international political phenomena related to the Balkans starting with the dissolution of Yugoslavia and coming all the way to today. It also aims to teach students how to critically analyze contemporary issues in the Balkans.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
* Finlan, Alastair. The Collapse of Yugoslavia, 1991-99. Osprey Publishing, 2004. * Ivo H. Daalder & Michael E. O'Hanlon (2000) The United States in the Balkans: There to stay, The Washington Quarterly, 23:4, 155-170 * Keil, Soeren, and Zeynep Arkan, eds. The EU and Member State Building: European Foreign Policy in the Western Balkans. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. * BTI Bosnia 2024 * BTI North Macedonia 2024 * Florian Bieber, The Serbia-Kosovo Agreements: An EU Success Story? Review of Central and East European Law 40 (2015) 285-319 * Erin K. Jenne & Florian Bieber (2014) Situational Nationalism: Nation-building in the Balkans, Subversive Institutions and the Montenegrin Paradox, Ethnopolitics: Formerly Global Review of Ethnopolitics, 13:5, 431-460 * Knezović, Sandro, and Nani Klepo. 2017. "Croatian Foreign Policy in 3D." Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung * Danuta Gibas-Krzak (2013) Contemporary Terrorism in the Balkans: A Real Threat to Security in Europe, The Journal of Slavic Military Studies, 26:2, 203-218 * Arsovska, J. (2011). The Rise of Balkan Organized Crime. In M. Natarajan (Ed.), Introduction to International Criminal Justice (pp. 239-247). * Anastasijevic, D. "Organized Crime in the Western Balkans"
Additional Literature
Kaplan, Robert D. Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History. Picador, 2005. Todorova, Maria. Imagining the Balkans. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.Teaching Methods
Lectures
Discussions
Video materials
Screenings
Quizzes
Exams
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to the Course | |
| 2 | End of the Cold War and Dissolution of Yugoslavia | Finlan |
| 3 | Wars in Yugoslavia | Finlan |
| 4 | Greater Serbia Project | Lukic |
| 5 | Pax Americana and the Balkans | Daalder and O'Hanlon |
| 6 | Thessaloniki Commitment and the EU in the Balkans | Keil and Arkan, 1-50 |
| 7 | Post-Dayton Bosnia | BTI Bosnia 2024 |
| 8 | Midterm Exam | |
| 9 | Kosovo-Serbia | Bieber |
| 10 | Montenegrin Independence and Identity issue | Jenne and Bieber |
| 11 | Croatian Irredentism in the European Cloths | Knezovic, Klepo |
| 12 | Semester Quiz; Macedonian Agony | BTI North Macedonia 2024 |
| 13 | Terrorism and Organized Crime in the Balkans | Gibas-Krzak, Arsovska, Anastasijevic |
| 14 | Non-Western Geopolitical Actors: Russia | Karagiannis |
| 15 | Review and Discussion |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
| Section | Type | Day 1 | Venue 1 | Day 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IR213.1 | Course | Tuesday 12:00 - 14:50 | B F2.2 | - | - |
Office Hours & Room
| Day | Time | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12:00 - 17:00 | B F1.7 |
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 4 5 6
Midterm Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 2 3 4
Quiz
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 4
Participation and Attendance
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 3 4 5
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture Hours
45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)
Quiz
30 hours ⏳ (5 week × 6 h)
Midterm Exam
30 hours ⏳ (3 week × 10 h)
Final Exam Study
45 hours ⏳ (3 week × 15 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [IR213] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Apr 04, 2026 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| IR213 | International Issues in the Balkans | 3 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| Prerequisite | Junior Standing | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Jahja Muhasilović | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Monday: 12:00-17:00 |
|||||||
| jmuhasilovic@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | - | Assistant E-mail | ||||||||
| Course Objectives | This course aims to develop students` understanding of key international political phenomena related to the Balkans starting with the dissolution of Yugoslavia and coming all the way to today. It also aims to teach students how to critically analyze contemporary issues in the Balkans. |
|||||||||
| Textbook | * Finlan, Alastair. The Collapse of Yugoslavia, 1991-99. Osprey Publishing, 2004. * Ivo H. Daalder & Michael E. O'Hanlon (2000) The United States in the Balkans: There to stay, The Washington Quarterly, 23:4, 155-170 * Keil, Soeren, and Zeynep Arkan, eds. The EU and Member State Building: European Foreign Policy in the Western Balkans. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. * BTI Bosnia 2024 * BTI North Macedonia 2024 * Florian Bieber, The Serbia-Kosovo Agreements: An EU Success Story? Review of Central and East European Law 40 (2015) 285-319 * Erin K. Jenne & Florian Bieber (2014) Situational Nationalism: Nation-building in the Balkans, Subversive Institutions and the Montenegrin Paradox, Ethnopolitics: Formerly Global Review of Ethnopolitics, 13:5, 431-460 * Knezović, Sandro, and Nani Klepo. 2017. "Croatian Foreign Policy in 3D." Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung * Danuta Gibas-Krzak (2013) Contemporary Terrorism in the Balkans: A Real Threat to Security in Europe, The Journal of Slavic Military Studies, 26:2, 203-218 * Arsovska, J. (2011). The Rise of Balkan Organized Crime. In M. Natarajan (Ed.), Introduction to International Criminal Justice (pp. 239-247). * Anastasijevic, D. "Organized Crime in the Western Balkans" | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
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| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Lectures, discussions, video materials, screenings, quizzes, exams | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Introduction to the Course | |||||||||
| Week 2 | End of the Cold War and Dissolution of Yugoslavia | Finlan | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Wars in Yugoslavia | Finlan | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Greater Serbia Project | Lukic | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Pax Americana and the Balkans | Daalder and O'Hanlon | ||||||||
| Week 6 | Thessaloniki Commitment and the EU in the Balkans | Keil and Arkan, 1-50 | ||||||||
| Week 7 | Post-Dayton Bosnia | BTI Bosnia 2024 | ||||||||
| Week 8 | Midterm Exam | |||||||||
| Week 9 | Kosovo-Serbia | Bieber | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Montenegrin Independence and Identity issue | Jenne and Bieber | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Croatian Irredentism in the European Cloths | Knezovic, Klepo | ||||||||
| Week 12 | Semester Quiz; Macedonian Agony | BTI North Macedonia 2024 | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Terrorism and Organized Crime in the Balkans | Gibas-Krzak, Arsovska, Anastasijevic | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Non-Western Geopolitical Actors: Russia | Karagiannis | ||||||||
| Week 15 | Review and Discussion | |||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Exam | 1 | 40 | 1,4,5,6 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| Midterm Exam | 1 | 30 | 2,3,4 | Not Allowed | |
| Quiz | 1 | 20 | 1,2,4 | Not Allowed | |
| Participation and Attendance | 1 | 10 | 3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture Hours | 3 | 15 | 45 | Quiz | 6 | 5 | 30 | |||
| Midterm Exam | 10 | 3 | 30 | Final Exam Study | 15 | 3 | 45 | |||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 0 | ||||||||||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 28/04/2026 | |||||||||