About this course
This comprehensive International Relations course is designed specifically for CSS 2027 aspirants to develop conceptual clarity, theoretical understanding, analytical reasoning, and examination-oriented writing skills.
The course systematically covers IR theories, international political systems, security and strategic studies, international political economy, foreign policy, international and regional organizations, contemporary global issues, and Pakistan’s position in regional and international politics.
Special emphasis will be placed on connecting theory with contemporary developments, enabling students to analyze global events through competing theoretical perspectives rather than relying on descriptive narratives.
The course will also focus on CSS past-paper trends, question interpretation, argument development, answer structuring, application of theories, case studies, contemporary examples, maps, diagrams, scholarly references, and regular writing practice.
Instructor: Dr. Muhammad Tahir Rashid
Target: CSS 2027
Mode: Live Online
What you will learn
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand the nature, scope and evolution of International Relations as an academic discipline.
- Explain and critically apply major IR theories to contemporary international politics.
- Analyze international events through Realist, Liberal, Constructivist, Marxist and other theoretical perspectives.
- Understand the concepts of power, national interest, sovereignty, balance of power, security and foreign policy.
- Critically examine changing patterns of the international political and economic order.
- Analyze traditional and non-traditional security challenges, strategic competition and nuclear politics.
- Evaluate the foreign policies and strategic interests of major global and regional powers.
- Understand Pakistan's position within South Asian, Middle Eastern and global geopolitics.
- Connect theoretical concepts with contemporary issues such as great-power competition, regional conflicts, climate change, economic security and emerging technologies.
- Interpret CSS questions by identifying command words, theoretical requirements and analytical dimensions.
- Develop well-structured, evidence-based and theoretically informed CSS answers.
- Effectively incorporate scholarly arguments, case studies, maps, diagrams and contemporary evidence into examination answers.