IREn4006 Executive skills in international relations and European politics

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2026
Extent and Intensity
2/2/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Martin Chovančík, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Rastislav Vrbenský, MSc, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Michal Struk, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Tomáš Marek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Hagar Mohamed Mosaad Farag (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Oldřich Krpec, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Zinaida Bechná, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Oldřich Krpec, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract
The course aims to couple core competencies typically required by IOs, government agencies, NGOS, and many TNCs with practical skills that help students operate in the process and project-based environments of many fo these organizations. The course aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of key practical processes present in international and national organizations. The course is designed to provide students with an overview of the state of the art in individual processes and allow for exercises to gain experience with tools utilized on a daily basis.
Learning outcomes
After the course students will be able to: - self-asses their core competencies as they are accentuated by potential future employers - assess the viability, and feasibility of a not-for-profit project proposal within a government, IO, or NGO setting - understand the project management approaches of international organizations as well as major corporate employers - prepare and execute a project pitch or policy proposal with improved substantive, visual, and communicative style
Key topics
1 - Information, expectations, resources 2 - Week off - Reading week 3 - Core competencies in IOs - double session with dr. Rastislav Vrbensky 4 - Project design and processes - double session with dr. Michal Struk 5 - Week off - Reading week 6 - Project evaluation and international metrics - Double session with dr. Michal Struk 7 - Week off 8 - Projects in the public sector - double session with dr. Michal Struk 9 - UN projects from the bottom up - with Hagar Mosaad 10 - Data visualization theory - double session with Tomas Marek 18. 11 - Data visualization exercises - double session with Tomas Marek 12 Delivering a pitch - persuasive communication (JIC) 13 Joint session with UN Volunteer head
Study resources and literature
  • Getting past no : negotiating with difficult people (Orig.) : Jak překonat nesouhlas : zásady vyjednávání s lidmi, s nimiž nelze vyjednávat. info
  • Vahamaki, J., Ch. Verger. 2019. Learning from Result-Based Management Evaluations and Reviews. OECD Development Cooperation Working Paper.
  • Project Management Institute. The Standard for Project Management and a Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (Pmbok Guide). Seventh ed. Newtown Square Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute; 2021.
  • Managing successful projects with Prince2. Sixth edition. Norwich: Axelos, 2017, 327 pp. ISBN 978-0-11-331533-8. info
  • FISHER, Roger and William URY. Getting to yes : negotiating agreement without giving in. Edited by Bruce Patton. 2nd ed. New York: Penguin Books, 1991, xix, 200. ISBN 0140157352. info
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
The course is composed of a series of block guest lectures delivered by experts in the respective fields. A combination of in-person and online lectures, readings, and a semester-long team project preparation.
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
The course is evaluated by the expert assessment of produced work in the semester-long preparation of the project proposal. During the semester students fulfill multiple minor (but required) assessments in the form of: - online teamwork peer-review - self-assessment/career plan submission
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024, Autumn 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2026, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2026/IREn4006