A course taught at Sciences Po Rennes during a semester (20 h) – in 2022, 2023 and 2025
Despite the worldwide impact of the motto “Think global, act local”, cities strive today to combine
their international strategies with a local context which calls for isolationism. Is it possible to find a
balance between both? Can cities also “Think local and act global”? To achieve their goals as framed
by their local agenda, local authorities must seek the best tools. In a context where national resources
are not sufficient or unavailable,some of those political devices can be found at the transnational level.
It would therefore seem necessary to go beyond classic diplomacy to find a lever that allows a more
effective internationalization of local democracy. Such is the aim of this course: to reverse the classic
paradigm of international relations by offering students the means to think the transnational action of
cities from cities themselves; a concept that we called “new urban diplomacy” in our research.
You can read the syllabus HERE