https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/R_CorICThis course on corporations, conflict and international crimes deals with the involvement of corporations in international crimes and other gross human rights violations. This includes corporate involvement in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as involvement in terrorism and other elements of conflict. This does not include more general corporate human rights violations that fall outside the scope of conflict and international crimes, such as the use of child labour, privacy violations or land grabbing in otherwise generally peaceful contexts. While using a criminological approach, we also use insights, knowledge and theories from various disciplines, including history, social psychology, organisational sciences, business ethics and political science. Moreover, multiple areas of law are relevant, including public international law, human rights law, international criminal law and national criminal/tort law. Because the participants in the course have various backgrounds (they are lawyers, political scientists, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and, obviously, criminologists) and because the subject is interdisciplinary by nature, students are encouraged to critically assess the existing viewpoints as well as to bridge the gaps between disciplines (most notably law and social sciences). Moreover, the course covers various historical and contemporary cases. In the course, students are encouraged to develop critical and creative ideas regarding the subject, the different approaches, and the available theories. For the final assignment, students study a case they chose and apply an original approach to investigate, clarify and position that case into the broader knowledge and insights they obtained during the course.Topics covered during the course includeCorporate crime White collar crime International crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes) Totalitarian/authoritarian regimes and the role of business International conflict and the role of business Non-international conflict and the role of business Private military/security firms Resource curse and trading conflict commodities Corporate Social Responsibility Business ethicsThe course consists of 6 lectures and 5 interactive seminars. Each week, a particular theme or element in the criminological analysis of corporate involvement in international crimes is addressed. The lecture will provide a general overview of knowledge, research and literature on these particular issues. During the seminars, this general knowledge and related questions are tied to a series of cases of (alleged) corporate involvement in international crimes. The seminars are interactive, and based on the weekly assignments you have to hand in via Canvas, the lectures, and the literature of that week.Obligatory assignments (pass or fail) Paper or podcast or alternative assignmentThe literature consists of a selection of academic articles and other types of reports.Apart from regular students, the course is also available for:Students from other universities/faculties Exchange students (Master) Contract students (students who pay for one course)This course is only available to bachelor exchange students who can show they have completed 3 revelant bachelor courses such as criminology, white-collar/organizational crime, international criminal law, human rights, corporate social responsibility/sustainable development or something similar. Please contact the course coordinator and share your background in elements of the course as described above, and your motivation to follow the course. This is an interdisciplinary course, inviting students from many backgrounds including criminology, (international) law, human rights, psychology, anthropology etc. We especially welcome students of (international) business administration and economics. Students are encouraged to use their existing knowledge but in order to complete the course will also have to be willing to delve into other disciplines.The extracurricular and contract students should send a motivation letter and cv to Annika van Baar (
[email protected]) and get approval for their participation, no later than 6 weeks before the start of the course. At the same time they must register via the applicable procedure (see Target Audience on the left).The course covers both sociological and criminological theory, and legal aspects. In case prospective students lack previous education in both theory and law, it will take substantial work to get along with the weekly assignments and final assignment. With sufficient motivation and time investment, however, this is still possible.Exchange students need to have an understanding of either (international) law or criminology/other social science. Most importantly they have to be willing to study during the course to make up for the knowledge they lack (limited of course to the course subject). In general students from other backgrounds such as social psychology, economics, business, organizational studies, conflict studies, IR etc are welcomed because the add to the interdisciplinary of the course. It is our experience that motivated students from these disciplines can add value to the discussion in class.The canvas page is central to the course: it provides the relevant literature and additional resources that can be used by students for their individual work.