Application deadline

Type of course

This course is obligatory for students who belong to the Master in Governance and Entrepreneurship in Northern and Indigenous Areas (GENI).

Other students should have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject (social sciences, law).

Admission requirements

Course content

Negotiations and consultations are a central component for Indigenous peoples and local communities. It is important for managing relations both with governments at different levels (municipal, provincial, and federal/central) and with groups outside the governmental sphere (e.g., businesses, NGOs).

This course has three goals: 1) provide an overview of the state of legal and political environment on consultation, including legal benchmarks arising from court decisions on the duty to consult and accommodate, and from policy documents e.g. white papers; 2) examine seminal and current research on consultation and negotiations among Northern actors; and 3) provide applied learning experience through negotiation and consultation simulation exercises.

In this online class we will work with three types of material/information: 

• Literature on negotiations in general and specifically studies related to Indigenous peoples and local communities.
• Content related to negotiation and consultation (court judgements, policy documents and videos).
• Interviews with a variety of experts from the field to bring in both formal, academic and practice-oriented perspectives.

As the underlying philosophy of the class is to combine a diverse range of knowledge, students will be encouraged to combine theoretical knowledge with practical examples.

Objectives of the course

Students who successfully complete the course should have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge 

The student gains knowledge about:

• the foundation and premises of negotiation and consultation as based in case law and international law;
• how differences in colonial histories and different systems of government influence and define conditions for consultation and negotiation arrangements;
• distinctions between the concepts of negotiation and consultation.

Skills

The student knows how to:

• Describe and apply negotiation and consultation methods and principles.
• Reflect on negotiation and consultation approaches and ethics of practice.
• Compare and outline key features of the current consultation and negotiation environment as it relates to Northern and Aboriginal/Indigenous communities and actors.
• Identify the historical context and current trends in reached agreements among Aboriginal/Indigenous communities, government, and industry.

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

Assessment

Coursework requirements:

By the end of the course the students are expected to participate in one of two workshops - on consultations and on negotiations where they apply their practical skills.

Final exam:

The final examination is a take-home exam, where the students are to submit an individual paper of max. 3500 words (approx. 10-15 pages).

The grading scale of A to F is applied, where F constitutes fail.

Recommended reading/syllabus