The Art and Science of Negotiation

Negotiation is a transactional exchange between two or more parties trying to achieve their respective goals by finding a mutually acceptable way of resolving their differences. Negotiation takes place in all aspects of social life, from family to community, business, politics, and international diplomacy. This class is an introduction to theories and methods of negotiation with a specific focus on intergroup and international relations. Moreover, this class covers selected methods of public diplomacy and conflict management in which an application of negotiation skills is necessary and useful. These methods contribute to the development of culturally-informed peace processes as well as broad-based peacebuilding platforms capable of sustaining and expanding the momentum of negotiations and conflict management initiatives. The method of instruction and learning is highly participatory and experiential. The class participants will play an active role in simulations, case studies, and other forms of hands-on exercises. They will explore real-world applications of the theories, methods, and practitioner insights. The learning objectives of this course are as follows: 1. Learn selected theories and skills in intergroup and international negotiation. 2. Acquire basic skills in a systematic, multi-angled analysis of social conflict as a basis for negotiation. 3. Explore diverse applications of negotiation skills in peace process design, post-conflict reconstruction, and other real-world contexts of diplomacy. 4. Create a mutually supportive environment of learning and self-reflection in which class participants can start building their own styles and ethics of negotiation based on their critical reflections on the course readings, discussions, and exercises