International Coursework
As an International Scholar, I have taken various courses at the Unversity of Florida with an International concentration to them. Here are just a few
INR2001
Introduction to International Relations
I took this course in my freshman year at UF. This class was a great overview of the political considerations and issues that are faced on a global scale. This class truly sparked my interest in international relations and exploring other cultures and perspectives of the world. Through this class I grappled with issues of international law, whether technology does more good than bad, and what democracy means. These are questions with very complex answers, and precisely this is what I find so interesting about them. I have had to make some compromises and weigh risks to see where I stand on such issues. I believe that once this course was over, I had a more clear picture of my own beliefs and values.
URP3001
Cities of the World
I took this course as an elective in the Spring semester of 2020. This course discussed the issues that major cities around the globe struggle with. For me, this class was an opportunity to explore the world on a deeper sense. I have yet to travel to most countries, so this was a way to get to explore them without necessarily getting on a plane. I enjoyed my journey and found Nigeria to be quite interesting. I did a project on the villages that are being raided for the sake of development. This has become a huge issue there as it leaves many people homeless and even dead. These individuals are then forced to restart their lives at a different slum that accepts them. While these are typically inhabitted by the lower socioeconomic class, some people choose to live in such places because of the culture that comes with it. There is a strong sense of community that may not be apparent in more luxurious styles of living. This is an issue that takes place even in America. Not to the same extent, but it is useful to know what other countries are doing to better advocate for what should be done in the United States.
INR3102
US and World Affairs
I took this class in the Spring of 2019. It was a class that traced world events relating to the United States as a hegemon. The class was divided between before the Cold War period and a post-Cold War period. It was really interesting to see how the United States played a role in what happens not just within its borders, but beyond. One of the major projects was to follow a current event in the news and then discuss how it was covered in the New York Times. I chose to do my project on the War in Afghanistan that began in 2001 and still continues today. While my focus was particularly to captivate the perspectives that the New York Times captured, I learned about the intricacies of the issue. The number of lives lost continues to soar and, in my opinion, without purpose. There are surprise attacks and raids that are done without proper calculation. Doing this project changed the way I see warfare and led me to advocate for more diplomatic ways to settle international problems.
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