The course offers a well-researched and broad-ranging primer to the United Nations system. Consisting of an introduction to the complex UN family and its history, and a series of ‘snapshots’ of key UN functions, which are used to explore important UN themes and help learners develop important analysis, communication, and policy-based skills.
Offered By
Global Diplomacy: the United Nations in the World
University of LondonAbout this Course
Learner Career Outcomes
32%
29%
Learner Career Outcomes
32%
29%
Offered by

University of London
The University of London is a federal University which includes 18 world leading Colleges. Our distance learning programmes were founded in 1858 and have enriched the lives of thousands of students, delivering high quality University of London degrees wherever our students are across the globe. Our alumni include 7 Nobel Prize winners. Today, we are a global leader in distance and flexible study, offering degree programmes to over 50,000 students in over 180 countries. To find out more about studying for one of our degrees where you are, visit www.london.ac.uk

SOAS University of London
SOAS is the world’s leading institution for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and offers a truly global perspective. With its vast repository of knowledge and expertise on our specialist regions, SOAS is uniquely placed to inform and shape current thinking about the economic, political, cultural, security and religious challenges of our world.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Introduction
An overview of the MOOC
The UN Today: what is it?
This week will introduce the idea of the United Nations as a system of more-or-less connected agencies that exist to address a wide range of world problems, and provide an overview of how different parts fit together to constitute the modern United Nations system.
Where did the United Nations come from, and why?
This week will provide an overview of the historical circumstances of the beginning of the UN – what early UN agencies were, what were the influential powers and groups at the early negotiations, and what values the UN was founded on, with comparisons to modern-day approaches.
Power in international politics: how does the UN Security Council work?
This week will use the UN Security Council as a primer to the issue of relative power in international institutions. After examining the structure and operations of the Council, it will encourage students to examine the fundamental issues that determine its existence, including the status of the five permanent members, its ability to carry out its function, and the prospects for reform.
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM GLOBAL DIPLOMACY: THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE WORLD
Really enjoyed the course. Some of the recommended reading was no longer accessible and the material was not up to date to 2020. However, it gave a good introduction to the UN and the issues involved.
It was very interesting to get to know better about the UN structure and concepts, and it helped me a lot to get my first opportunity in an UN mission! Starting a new career. Thank you so much.
Very useful course with valuable inputs. Thank you very much for your efforts and making it available for free. Highly recommend to those who study global diplomacy, UN system and human rights.
The most fascinating thing about this course, in my opinion, was how it focused on the singular aspect of the United Nations, and gave us perhaps the most detailed account on this organization
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