Global affairs is the study of international political and economic factors, relationships and issues that shape today’s world. It combines the disciplines of political science, history, economics, and anthropology. Students who major in global affairs become familiar with the world beyond their own borders and learn to understand how these interactions influence each other, from negotiating trade agreements to supporting international organizations. This knowledge makes students better equipped for careers as liaisons or advocates in the private sector, working for governmental agencies or for non-profit organizations, or as analysts and researchers at universities or research institutes.
A system in which no one country dominates, but rather there are a variety of alliances that prevent the rise of a single hegemon. In this arrangement, countries often play a self-consciously balancing role, switching sides to maintain equilibrium and avoiding a confrontation. Examples include Britain’s involvement in the 19th century with Germany and France.
The process of bringing newly independent nations into the world’s system through diplomacy and cooperation with established powers. This was greatly accelerated by decolonization and enhanced by the establishment of international organizations like the United Nations.
A country caught between two or more strong countries, such as Lebanon between Syria and Israel or Poland or Czechoslovakia in the aftermath of World War II. The idea of a clash of civilisations is associated with Harvard University’s Samuel Huntington, who argued in 1993 that old ideological divisions were being replaced by new cultural ones.