Patrick Kimunguyi

This course is available on the MSc in European and International Politics and Policy, MSc in European and International Politics and Policy (LSE and Bocconi), MSc in European and International Politics and Policy (LSE and Sciences Po), MSc in Political Economy of Europe in the World, MSc in Political Economy of Europe in the World (LSE and Fudan) and MSc in Political Economy of Europe in the World (LSE and Sciences Po). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

To apply for a place, ALL students should submit a statement via LSE for You outlining your specific reasons for applying, how it will benefit your academic/career goals, and how you meet any necessary pre-requisites (maximum 200 words).

The first round of offers will be made from 12-noon on the Friday before Autumn Term week 1. The final deadline for applications is 12-noon on the Friday of Autumn Term week 2.

For queries contact: ei@lse.ac.uk

This course has a limited number of places (it is controlled access) and demand is typically very high. Priority is given to students from the European Institute, so students from outside this department may not get a place.

This course examines the geopolitical repositioning of the European Union as it navigates a rapidly changing global landscape dominated by rising powers such as China and India and the growing influence of regional blocs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It focuses on how the EU engages with the Global South, analysing how historical ties, political priorities, economic interests, and normative values shape its international strategies. Drawing on key analytical frameworks such as postcolonialism, (inter)dependency, and regionalism, students will critically assess the dynamics of multipolarity and their implications for global cooperation and governance.

The course addresses pressing global issues such as security, trade, sustainable development, migration, climate change, the scramble for critical mineral resources, digital inequality, and human rights. A distinctive feature of the course is its strong emphasis on perspectives from the Global South. Students will explore how actors in the South perceive the EU and other international institutions, while critically questioning the power asymmetries that continue to shape the interactions between the EU and the Global South. Through a combination of lectures and interactive learning activities like simulations, debates, and policy-focused exercises, students will gain practical experience and develop analytical and problem-solving skills needed to address complex global challenges.

15 hours of seminars and 10 hours of lectures in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

Essay plan (1000 words).

Essay plan (1000 words).

Students will write an essay plan (1000 words) in response to a question selected from a list of essay questions provided for the summative assessment.

This will involve the following steps:

1. Students select an essay question from the list of questions provided for the summative questions.
2. They may also choose and formulate their own research question, but they must discuss it with the Convenor or instructor first for approval.
3. Write an essay plan of 1000 words on how they will respond to the question.
4. Submit the essay plan for feedback in week 7.
5. Written feedback will be provided to students.  Oral feedback sessions will also be offered for all students on the course.
6. Students proceed to the next step of writing the summative essays.

• Abrahamsen, Rita, and Adam Sandor, 'The Global South and International Security', in Alexandra Gheciu, and William C. Wohlforth (eds), The Oxford Handbook of International Security (2018; online edn, Oxford Academic, 5 Apr. 2018), https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198777854.013.25,
• Beringer, Sarah L., Sylvia Maier, and Markus Thiel, eds. EU development policies: Between norms and geopolitics. Springer, (2019).
• Biscop, Sven. The European Union and emerging powers in the 21st century: how Europe can shape a new global order, Routledge, (2016).
• Colombo, Silvia, and Eduard Soler i Lecha. "Europe and the ‘New’ Middle East: Geopolitical shifts and strategic choices." In Geopolitics of the New Middle East, Routledge, (2023): 7-26.
• Haastrup, Toni, Luís Mah, and Niall Duggan, eds. The Routledge handbook of EU-Africa relations. Routledge, (2020).
• Hansen, P. (2025). The Return of the Repressed: The Colonial History of the EU's Geopolitical Turn. Journal of Common Market Studies. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcms.13757
• Hilpert, Hanns Günther. ‘The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and Europe: Impact and Implications,’ In Political Economy of East Asian Economic Integration, Routledge, (2025): 164-195.
• Javed, S. (2025). The Global South Arena: A Comparative Study of China and European Union Policies. Journal of Political Stability Archive. https://journalpsa.com.pk/index.php/JPSA/article/download/312/322
• Lees, N. (2025). The Concepts of North and South. In The International Relations of the North–South Divide. https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/downloadpdf/monochap-oa/book/9781529241570/ch002.pdf
• Müller, Melanie. "The ‘new geopolitics’ of mineral supply chains: A window of opportunity for African countries." South African Journal of International Affairs 30, no. 2 (2023): 177-203.
• Muntschick, J., & Plank, F. (2024). The Performance of Regionalism in the Global South: A Multi-level Analysis. https://api.taylorfrancis.com/content/books/mono/download?identifierName=doi&identifierValue=10.4324/9781003318941&type=googlepdf
• Sanahuja, José Antonio, and Roberto Domínguez (Eds), The Palgrave Handbook of EU-Latin American Relations, (2025).
• Zielonka, Jan, ‘Europe as a Global Actor: The Asian Perspective. International Affairs,’ 96(4), (2020): 1123-1140.

Essay (100%, 4000 words).

The summative assessment is a 4000-word essay. It builds on the knowledge that students developed about their essay plan (formative assessment - 1000 words) and the feedback received.