1. Salon Presentation By: Claudia Melissa Flores Laitano
Institution: UNITEC (Universidad TecnolÓgica Centroamericana
Country: Honduras

2. Introduction History of the IR Plan; Differences between the plans;
Blocks of Knowledge;
Study Plan;
Specific Formation in IR;
Specific Formation Areas;
Proposals;

3. A Little bit of history of our IR Plan
UNITEC started with this bachelor’s degree in 2005, but it wasn’t until 2006 the curriculum (study plan) was approved by the DES, as response of different needs and national contexts. There was a need to impulse original, relevant programs and regional identity.
The enrollment in 2005 was of 33 students between our two main campuses in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, by 2017 we have over 411 students.
In 2010, the university did evaluations of the degree with the professors and students (active and graduates) to improve and reform the plan, which was approved in 2014 but was implemented in 2013.

4. http://www.unitec.edu/assets/planes/pdf/L13A.pdf PLAN 2006
Reformed Plan 2014
Name: International Relations Degree
Name: International Relations Degree
Code: L-13
Code: L-13
Mode:
Mode: Presential
Duration of the degree: 16 academic periods
Duration of the degree: 17 academic periods
Duration of the period: 11 weeks
Number of periods in the year: 4
Credits: 205
Credits: 217
Number of classes: 60
Number of classes: 61
Creation and approval date:
First reform approval:

5. Blocks of Knowledge

7. Specific Concentrations in IR

9. SPECIFIC FORMATION AREAS
DIPLOMACY:
Integration Law
Cooperation Management for Development and Humanitarian Aid.
Public Diplomacy
Solutions to International Conflicts

10. SPECIFIC FORMATION AREAS
2. INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE:
Logistics and International Commerce Organization
Negotiation Strategies on International Commerce
Organizational and Legal Framework
Controversy Solutions to International Commercial Conflicts

11. SPECIFIC FORMATION AREAS
3. POLITICAL SCIENCE:
Comparative Political Systems
Structure and Social Political Systems
Geopolitics and Geostrategies
Local Development Project Management

12. PROPOSALS
Redesign the course Theory and Practice of Foreign Policy:

13. PROPOSALS Redesign the course Theory and Practice of Foreign Policy:
Description of the course: The course Theory and Practice of Foreign Policy is organized in three parts. The first part introduces the main theoretical elements and concepts of the analysis of foreign policy, which allows to know and explain the options of international insertion that the States pursue, the process in decision making and the actors that are involved. The second part addresses transversal issues of different countries of the Latin American and Caribbean regions, to expose some tools to guide and enrich comparative studies, as well as a selection of study cases of Latin America. The third part, the Central American Region, presenting the historic path of their foreign policy and the actual agenda of the countries in the context of their position in the region and in the International System.
Previous Understandings: Actors and factors that influence the International Relations, international legal system, creation of international regulations, application and sanctions in case of non-compliance, State competences, International Organizations and pacific conflict resolution.
General Objectives: Handle the theoretical-methodological instruments for the analysis, comprehension, design and implementation of foreign policy, understanding it as a public policy focused to the external scope of the countries.
Specific Objectives
Identify and understand the central theoretical debates of the analysis of foreign policiy.
Apply the different views in the study of foreign policy of the Latin American countries.
Gain a first training in the empiric analysis of foreign policy.

14. PROPOSALS Redesign the course Theory and Practice of Foreign Policy:
Conceptual Content
Foreign Policy and Society.
Influence of the Relations between States for the conduction of policy.
Purposes of Foreign Policy.
Foreign Policy objectives included in the UN Charter.
Presidentialism and decision making in foreign policy.
The change in Foreign Policy.
Political Systems of Latin America.
The OAS and its instruments.
Civil Society, public opinion and media.
Interamerican human rights system.
Central American Integration Systems.
Present and future international society scenarios.

15. PROPOSALS What to modify: Number of credits;
Duration of the course (theoretical and practical hours);
Course description;
General and Specific Objectives;
Table of contents (syllabus modification).

16. PROPOSALS
Number of credits: The course is designed with three credits, since I would add extra content and the level of difficulty of the course is going to change, I would make it a 4 credit course.
Duration of the course: It would remain an 11 period course, but it would be taught in 4 days, not in 3 like it is right now. So the change would be 3 days of theory and 1 day of practice.
Description: The course Theory and Practice of Foreign Policy is organized in four parts. The first part introduces the main theoretical elements and concepts of the analysis of foreign policy, which teaches knowledge and explains the options of international insertion that a State pursues, the process in decision making and the actors that are involved. The second part addresses transversal issues of different countries of the United States, Latin American and Caribbean countries, to expose some tools to guide and enrich comparative studies, as well as a selection of study cases of North and Latin America. The third part, the Central American Region, presenting the historic path of their foreign policy and the actual agenda of the countries in the context of their position in the region and in the International System. The fourth part is to understand US and Central American relations and foreign policy.

17. PROPOSALS
General and Specific Objectives: The general objective would stay the same, I would only include a new topic in the specific objectives:
“Understanding foreign policy of developed countries with under developed countries”.
This new objective´s purpose is to understand how the US Foreign Policy may benefit or not Central American Countries.

18. Old Conceptual Content
PROPOSALS
Table of Contents:
Old Conceptual Content
Proposal
Foreign Policy and Society.
Influence of the Relations between States for the conduction of policy.
Purposes of Foreign Policy.
Foreign Policy objectives included in the UN Charter.
Presidentialism and decision making in Foreign Policy.
The change in Foreign Policy.
Political Systems of Latin America.
The OAS and its instruments.
Civil Society, public opinion and media.
Interamerican human rights system.
Central American Integration Systems.
Present and future international society scenarios.
Presidentialism and decision making in foreign policy.
Introduction to the US system (legislative, executive and judicial)
Political System of the United States of America.
Central American and US Foreign Policy.

19. Challenges
Financial: Reforming a study plan represents financial costs.
Human Resources: Cooperation of staff, students and graduates.
External Issues:
By law you can reform a plan every five years once it has been approved.
It has to pass by the several committees and discussion sessions before the DES (Higher Education Board) approves it.
Internal Issues:
Socialization of the plan and students approval and interest in it.
Hiring Professors.
Syllabi homologation with other campuses.

20. PROPOSALS Workshops: Schools of thought:
US History.
Hamiltonian, Wilsonian, Jeffersonian, Jacksonian.
US Foreign Policy in the 21st century.
Engaged reading and discussion: Specific US topics of the six weeks on SUSI.

21. Thank You!