Course description

For many years, public policy was largely understood as a national responsibility. Governments developed policies within their own borders, while issues arising beyond those borders were primarily considered matters of foreign policy and diplomacy. Today, this distinction is increasingly difficult to maintain.

Global developments can directly influence how governments design and implement policies across a wide range of areas. Economic trends, international standards, cross-border challenges and global networks can all shape national policy decisions. As a result, public servants increasingly need to understand how international developments affect their work and how domestic policies interact with wider global processes.

At the same time, policymaking is no longer shaped by governments alone. Traditional international organisations, such as the World Bank and OECD, now operate alongside a growing range of informal international organisations, multi-stakeholder initiatives and public-private partnerships. Businesses and civil society organisations also play an increasingly important role in developing international standards, influencing policy, sharing policy approaches across countries and contributing to the delivery of policies at regional and global level.

The course examines how these actors and their networks affect policymaking, how global and regional governance arrangements function in practice, and the implications for national policy autonomy. Through an exploration of conceptual approaches, public-sector innovation and the involvement of private actors, participants will examine key challenges in transnational governance, including regulation, accountability, transparency, power, influence and equity.

The course is part of the EUI Global Executive Master’s Geopolitics and Security (GEOS) specialisation track.

Learning outcomes

This course provides participants with a deeper understanding of the dynamics of transnational governance. In particular they can expect to:

• Explore the challenges of national policy sovereignty as well as the opportunities and constraints presented by globalisation and regionalisation.
• Understand the global rule making dynamics that involves (i) existing de facto policy formulation and co-ordination practices of transnational governance; and (ii) pressures for de jure global/regional policy mechanisms and institutions.
• Gain critical awareness of, and facility with, some of the core conceptual literature of public policy, international relations and international political economy related to transnational governance.
• Learn a series of opportunities through case studies and group work to see the extent and relevance of transnational governance as a salient factor in local and national policy making process; and
• Understand of the role of those ‘non-traditional actors’ in the policy process to be found outside the borders of the sovereign state. Special attention will be given here to inter-governmental international institutions on the one hand and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), business associations and scientific bodies and professional associations on the other.

Information for applicants

The course is designed for an online audience and it includes biweekly live online sessions, pre-readings, and assignments with feedback. As a participant you can expect a hands-on approach, with plenty of space dedicated to live interaction and engagement with real-world examples.

The training course will have live online sessions from 11 January to 11 February 2027.

For a detailed schedule and an overview of learning activities together with the exact dates and times of the sessions, please consult the programme timetable.

Certification

Accepted participants who complete all the necessary course assignments and attend at least 75% of the sessions will receive a Certificate of Completion with 3 ECTS credits included. The credits obtained by completing this course can be used towards the EUI Global Executive Master.

Participants who do not complete the assignments but have regularly attended the course will receive a Certificate of Attendance.