BCS Written International Affairs study plan
BCS Written International Affairs · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
International Relations: Theories, Concepts and Contemporary Issues
Define and contrast realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical approaches in your own written summaries, noting each theory's core assumptions about state behaviour and cooperation
Map the levels of analysis (individual, state, system) onto at least three contemporary crises and explain how each level changes the explanation
Build a one-page glossary of 30 core concepts such as sovereignty, anarchy, balance of power, interdependence, and securitisation
Draft short argument outlines on two current issues (e.g., great-power competition, multilateralism under strain) linking each to a named theory
Your checkpoint
A 1,200-word theory-and-issues briefing note with a 30-term glossary, self-marked against a checklist of concepts covered
International Relations: Theories, Concepts and Contemporary Issues & Foreign Policy of Bangladesh and Bilateral Relations
Consolidate Domain 1 by writing timed practice answers on two contemporary issue clusters (security competition, global governance stress)
Outline the constitutional and institutional basis of Bangladesh's foreign policy, including the guiding principles and the roles of the ministries and missions
Trace the evolution of Bangladesh's foreign policy from 1971 to the present in a dated timeline of at least 15 turning points
Classify Bangladesh's key bilateral relationships by strategic weight and identify the main bargaining assets and vulnerabilities in each
Your checkpoint
A dated one-page timeline of Bangladesh foreign policy plus a ranked table of 10 bilateral relationships with assets and risks
Foreign Policy of Bangladesh and Bilateral Relations & Regional and Global Affairs: South Asia, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe, Africa, Americas
Analyse Bangladesh's relations with major powers and immediate neighbours, comparing convergence and friction on trade, water, borders, and security
Explain the Rohingya displacement as a foreign-policy and regional-affairs case, identifying the legal, humanitarian, and diplomatic dimensions
Compare the foreign policies of two South Asian states to isolate what is distinctive about Bangladesh's approach
Practise two 25-mark answers on bilateral relations under exam timing
Your checkpoint
A comparative case study of 1,000 words on one bilateral relationship, including options and constraints for Bangladesh
International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (UN, SAARC, OIC, ASEAN, etc.)
Diagram the structure, principal organs, and decision rules of the UN system, including the Security Council veto and General Assembly procedures
Compare the mandates, membership, and decision-making of SAARC, OIC, ASEAN, and at least two other bodies such as the Commonwealth or BIMSTEC
Evaluate the record of multilateral diplomacy in Bangladesh's diplomacy, including candidacies, contributions, and coalition building
Explain the reform debates around the Security Council and the UN's financing and peace operations
Your checkpoint
A comparison matrix of six international organisations scored on mandate, membership, decision rule, and relevance to Bangladesh
International Law, Treaties and Diplomatic Practice & Global Governance, Security and Peacekeeping
Distinguish sources of international law and apply them to a hypothetical dispute involving treaties and customary rules
Explain treaty law essentials: formation, reservations, interpretation, invalidity, and termination
Identify the legal regimes governing diplomatic and consular relations, including privileges, immunities, and the protection of missions
Outline the principles and legal framework of peacekeeping, including consent, impartiality, and minimum use of force, and Bangladesh's contribution record
Analyse one collective-security or peacekeeping case against the legal framework
Your checkpoint
A 1,000-word legal memo on a fictional dispute, applying treaty law and diplomatic-relations rules with citations to the relevant instruments
International Political Economy, Trade and Development
Explain the main theories of international political economy and use them to interpret trade and finance disputes
Map the architecture of global trade and finance, including the WTO, Bretton Woods institutions, and regional trade arrangements
Assess Bangladesh's trade profile, preference dependence, and graduation-related adjustment challenges
Evaluate development-finance debates such as aid effectiveness, debt sustainability, and climate finance
Your checkpoint
A 1,200-word trade and development brief on Bangladesh's post-graduation adjustment options, with a risks-and-opportunities table
Regional and Global Affairs: South Asia, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe, Africa, Americas & Contemporary Global Challenges: Climate Change, Migration, Terrorism, Human Rights
Survey regional dynamics across South Asia, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, noting one defining issue per region
Connect regional developments to great-power rivalry and to Bangladesh's interests
Analyse the four contemporary challenge areas: climate change, migration, terrorism, and human rights, identifying the governing instruments for each
Propose policy responses that link at least two challenge areas to a regional trend
Your checkpoint
A regional scan of 1,500 words covering six regions, each with a defining issue, key actors, and implications for Bangladesh
International Relations: Theories, Concepts and Contemporary Issues & Foreign Policy of Bangladesh and Bilateral Relations & International Organizations and Multilateral Diplomacy (UN, SAARC, OIC, ASEAN, etc.) & International Law, Treaties and Diplomatic Practice & Global Governance, Security and Peacekeeping & International Political Economy, Trade and Development & Regional and Global Affairs: South Asia, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe, Africa, Americas & Contemporary Global Challenges: Climate Change, Migration, Terrorism, Human Rights
Synthesise all domains into integrated answers that combine theory, law, and policy
Complete two full timed mock papers under exam conditions and mark them against the syllabus weighting
Diagnose recurring weaknesses from the mocks and revise only the highest-yield gaps
Compile a final one-page revision sheet of definitions, instruments, and case facts
Your checkpoint
Two completed timed mock papers with a self-marked error log and a one-page final revision sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Can write a 25-mark theory answer and a 25-mark Bangladesh foreign-policy answer within time limits without notes
Week 4: Can reproduce the UN organ structure and the comparison matrix of six organisations from memory
Week 5: Can apply treaty law and diplomatic-relations rules to a new fact pattern and cite the governing instruments
Week 6: Can explain Bangladesh's trade exposure and graduation adjustments with figures and named institutions
Week 8: Scores at or above the self-set pass threshold on both mock papers, with no domain left unrehearsed