What you'll learn:
- Understand how the US-led liberal international order was built - and why it’s breaking down today.
- Define the core principles behind post-9/11 US foreign policy and how they continue to shape global security.
- Identify the cracks in global institutions like the UN, WTO, and IMF - and why they’re struggling to stay relevant.
- Understand China’s strategy to challenge US power through economic leverage, diplomacy, and new global norms.
- Define the concept of “strategic autonomy” and explain why Europe is struggling to achieve it.
- Identify how Russia uses disruption, propaganda, and regional wars to reclaim great power status.
- Understand how key speeches by Bush, Putin, Xi, Macron, and others reflect larger shifts in global politics.
- Define the major geopolitical trends of the 21st century - including multipolarity, regionalism, and state-driven competition.
- Identify the methods modern leaders use to influence global outcomes - from military force to infrastructure loans.
- Understand how power dynamics have shifted over the past two decades - and what they might look like in the next ten years.
The rules are shifting. Fast.
For decades, the world followed a clear script — the US led, institutions enforced, and wars followed familiar lines. That era is over.
Now we’re watching something new emerge:
Old alliances falling apart
China and Russia rewriting the playbook
Europe trying to stand on its own
Global institutions losing control
The US unsure of its own role
But the biggest problem? Most people are still stuck thinking in 20th-century terms.
Why this course exists
If you feel lost trying to make sense of today’s global mess, you’re not alone.
News coverage is shallow
Most lectures are full of jargon
And politicians sound like they’re reading from outdated scripts
This course gives you something better: a clear, structured way to understand how power is shifting in real time — and what that means for the future.
Whether you’re a student, a policymaker, or just someone who wants to sound smarter at dinner, this course is for you.
What you’ll learn
You’ll follow five tight, focused sections — packed with real speeches, modern strategies, practice activities, and clear takeaways.
PART I: The Fragmentation of the Global Order
How the post-WWII system broke down
Why the UN, WTO, and IMF are struggling
What happens when no one’s in charge
4 Quick Quizzes
PART II: The Legacy of US Order: 9/11 to 2022
Bush’s post-9/11 strategy and its long shadow
What the 2022 National Security Strategy says about America today
2 Practice Activities
PART III: China in the Great Power Competition
How China is challenging US power — without firing a shot
What Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road plan really means
1 Quiz + 1 Practice Activity
PART IV: Russia’s Strategy of Disruption
Why Putin doesn’t want to lead the order — he wants to break it
Russia’s war strategy, propaganda machine, and use of chaos
1 Quiz + 2 Practice Activities
PART V: Europe’s Quest for Strategic Autonomy
Can Europe be a real power — or is it stuck in the middle?
What Macron and von der Leyen are really saying
1 Quiz + 2 Practice Activities
What you get
Clear video lectures
Downloadable handouts
Practice activities that make you think like a real analyst
Quizzes to track your progress
Real-world examples that connect the dots
AI-powered Role Plays - so you can practice in a kind of virtual sandbox, before you take your skills IRL
Who it’s for
Students of international politics or global studies
Analysts, consultants, or journalists needing sharper insight
Curious learners who want to actually understand the headlines
You don’t need a politics degree. You just need curiosity and a willingness to think.
Take the course. Watch the world make more sense.
From My Students:
"The course was very informative and helpful, and I will apply the knowledge I gain. The lecturer was incredibly fantastic. He explain all the concepts and the definitions of all the topics."
"Dr. Zwolski truly has teaching skills. He is a straightforward professor and his videos are both interesting and valuable."
"The course is really informative and provides a very in-depth analysis of several complex topics which otherwise would have been quite difficult to understand."
"The instructor is a good lecturer. Interesting material presented clearly and concisely."
"The lectures have been made very simple to understand! Kamil is doing an amazing job!"
"Crisp and clear videos, to the point, can be watched easily on the mobile phone."
"Wow! If your reading the comments and debating on whether or not to take this course,TAKE IT! If you read The Economist, Forbes, taking classes on International relations, or stationed on a foreign base, this class is for you! After this you should be able to decipher mainstream media news outlets! Semper Fi!"
