International History Seminar

Information for students attending the seminar:

http://www.valt.helsinki.fi/blogs/jauneslu/ihsstudentspages.htm

If you want to be included in the seminar's mailing list (int-history@helsinki.fi), please send your contact information to juhana.aunesluoma@helsinki.fi.

Target group/Course level

Students completing study units at the Department of Social Science History may attend the International History Seminar. This applies to all major students at the department, exchange students as well as students studying the department's subjects as their minor subject studies.

In order to attend the seminar, you must register your attendance with the convenor Juhana Aunesluoma at juhana.aunesluoma(at)helsinki.fi.

Content

The International History Seminar (Political history, University of Helsinki) is a forum for the study and discussion of international history and the history of international relations. The program consists mainly of guest lectures and presentations given by the staff and researchers of Helsinki University. In addition to academics we welcome talks by practitioners, analysts and journalists.

The programme is announced in the beginning of the 1st period. Additions are normally made in the course of the academic year.

The seminar is aimed at anyone with an interest in the history of international relations and it is open to all. Students of Helsinki University may attend the seminar and include it in their syllabus.

The seminar's working language is English, although some sessions may be held in Finnish, subject to demand. All coursework can be written in Finnish, Swedish or English.

Completion

The seminar has many features that distinguishes it from other undergraduate courses and training. The seminar is an integral part of the department's ongoing research activity. We listen to and discuss oral presentations and readings.

The topics of the sessions deal with central issues in the research field at the moment, debates, controversies, new findings and so on. Scholars often test their ideas in the seminar, circulate draft texts for comments and rehears presentations to be given in bigger conferences.

We do not always fix the term's programme in advance and we make additions to it “as we go” and discuss among ourselves what to do next. The seminar has 6-8 sessions per term,. i.e. it does not have sessions every week.

Students in Bachelor’s degree programmes

To receive study points please follow these guidelines (these do not apply to master's theses -students).

Before attending the seminar, you must select which study unit in the department's degree requirements you will complete by attending the seminar.

In political history the options are study unit 6 (3+3 ECTS for minor subject students), stydy unit 9.2a, 9.2b (3 ECTS for major and minor subject studies) or study unit 11.5 and 11.6 (5 ECTS for major subject studies only)

For each one credit (ECTS) students must attend 4 seminar sessions and write a report of 1,5 pages for each session. For a 3 credit study unit you must therefore attend 12 sessions.

The reports add up to a course diary and can be extended up to 3 credits. The diaries are graded by the seminar convenor. For a 5 credit course, the student must in addition to the 3 credit diary write a 10–12 page essay and have it graded by the seminar convenor.

Please note that you can also include other quest lectures held at the University of Helsinki as a part of your course diary, given that their topic falls under the remit of the seminar (widely understood). This may be particular useful if the seminar has less than 12 sessions in the term or the student cannot attend all the sessions. Please see the university home pages for further details of guest lectures.

Students in Masters’ degree programmes

For English-language students who are writing their master's-theses in political history the seminar is a compulsory part of their syllabus. It forms the equivalent to the Finnish language course “Tutkimuskurssi”. In addition to the sessions mentioned in the term's programme the seminar has separate master's thesis sessions for the presentation and discussion of the student's projects.

All masters-students will be assigned presentations, readings and written work in conjunction with their thesis projects.