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Economist Education
International Relations: China, Russia, the US and the Future of Geopolitics
Acquire exclusive global perspectives with specialists at The Economist.
Start date
30 July 2025
Course duration
6 weeks
Excluding orientation
Language
English
Access resources from start date
Effort
6–8 hours per week
Self-paced learning online
Course overview
Donald Trump’s promised 60% tariffs on China could shrink that country’s exports by 6.5% in 2025, which would have a devastating effect.
CF40 Research (December 2024)
More than 40% of Americans now label China an enemy. Only 6% consider the country a partner.
Pew Research Center (May 2024)
Duration: 6 weeks (excluding orientation)
International politics is shifting. President Trump is resetting America’s strategic priorities and seeking to counter the rise of China, while Russia throws the geopolitical order into disarray and the Middle East is caught in a cycle of conflict. These risks, alongside climate change, migration levels and ageing populations are of critical concern to world leaders and business professionals alike.
International Relations: China, Russia, the US and the Future of Geopolitics is an online course from Economist Education. It is designed to equip you with a conceptual and practical understanding of global politics and its impact. This six-week course takes you through the main players in power, their political strategies, economic goals and relationships, the role of technology and the sweep of global trends. You’ll learn how your organisation may be affected by recent events and how you should respond to emerging shifts.
With this executive-education course, you can enjoy free digital access to The Economist online and via the app for three months. Read articles on Economist.com, listen to the weekly edition, watch videos, browse newsletters, immerse yourself in our podcasts and app, or join us at exclusive events.
Is this course for you?
This course is for senior professionals across industries, as well as in public policy and government, who are responsible for leading strategy or interested in professional development. It will equip executives and officials with the tools to plan effectively for change and confidently discuss these themes with stakeholders inside and outside their organisations.
This course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The course has an estimated 50 hours of learning.
Note: should students wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is upon them. Economist Education and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.
Course overview
Course overview
Duration: 6 weeks (excluding orientation)
International politics is shifting. President Trump is resetting America’s strategic priorities and seeking to counter the rise of China, while Russia throws the geopolitical order into disarray and the Middle East is caught in a cycle of conflict. These risks, alongside climate change, migration levels and ageing populations are of critical concern to world leaders and business professionals alike.
International Relations: China, Russia, the US and the Future of Geopolitics is an online course from Economist Education. It is designed to equip you with a conceptual and practical understanding of global politics and its impact. This six-week course takes you through the main players in power, their political strategies, economic goals and relationships, the role of technology and the sweep of global trends. You’ll learn how your organisation may be affected by recent events and how you should respond to emerging shifts.
With this executive-education course, you can enjoy free digital access to The Economist online and via the app for three months. Read articles on Economist.com, listen to the weekly edition, watch videos, browse newsletters, immerse yourself in our podcasts and app, or join us at exclusive events.
Is this course for you?
This course is for senior professionals across industries, as well as in public policy and government, who are responsible for leading strategy or interested in professional development. It will equip executives and officials with the tools to plan effectively for change and confidently discuss these themes with stakeholders inside and outside their organisations.
This course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The course has an estimated 50 hours of learning.
Note: should students wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is upon them. Economist Education and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.
Get this course for your team
Leading organisations recognise the value of this course and invest in it to enhance their employees' skills and expertise.
What will set you apart
An understanding of current China-US relations and how to steer your business through future disruptions.
Insight into Russia’s expansionism and other geopolitical challenges, as well as how these will affect your business strategy.
The latest analysis of globalisation and its future—to prepare for yours.
Access to the official Economist Education alumni group on LinkedIn and edX’s Career Engagement Network, offering you exclusive resources and events to support your professional journey and drive your career forward.Course curriculum
Orientation module
Welcome to your Online Campus
Module 1
From cold war to US-China rivalry
Module 2
The decline of US dominance
Module 3
The Chinese century
Module 4
The role of technology
Module 5
Disruptors, inbetweeners and game-changers
Module 6
Goodbye globalisation?
What past students
think
Dr Gordon Perchthold
Associate Professor of Strategic Management (Practice), Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University
This course intelligently gathers the disparate threads of social, political, economic, and technological influences littered across the global landscape over the past 50 years, and weaves them into an analytical discourse that emphasises key tactical and strategic considerations for business executives trying to make sense of the new global order. The flow and pace was quite manageable over the six weeks. The textual storylines were interspersed with podcasts and videos by experts from The Economist and externally, as well as discussion forums on the topic among the couple hundred participants. The diversity of perspectives and constructive commentary from executives from different countries and cultures around the world was enlightening in itself. Each module ended with a reflection on the content presented, and its impact on your organisation and role.
Course founder
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John Parker (1954-2025)
Editor-at-large, The Economist
About the certificate
Evaluate the significance of changing global power dynamics on your personal and business context, and earn an official certificate of completion from Economist Education.
Assessment is continuous and based on a series of practical assignments completed online. In order to be issued with your digital certificate, you’ll need to meet the requirements outlined in the course handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the course.
Get more information
Want to know more?
Why choose GetSmarter?
GetSmarter operates as edX's partner for premium online short course products from the world's leading universities and institutions. With edX, we leverage our people, technology, and resources to power your education and your potential.
We deliver market-led courses that equip working professionals with the expertise required to upskill, reskill or kickstart a completely new career. Through a data-driven approach, we analyze future skills requirements and ensure all courses address this need. We ensure that leading universities and institutions are your expert guides and our people, technology, and resources are your engine – together we power more than just education, we power your potential.
Read more about GetSmarter here and edX here.
Find out more about GetSmarter’s approach to digital learning, course design, and online delivery here.
Payment options
You can pay your course fees before the course starts, or you may opt for a split payment plan on courses that are nine weeks and shorter. For courses 10 weeks and longer, there is a three-part payment plan available. To find out more about payment options please visit our Payment and Financing page, or contact an Enrollment Adviser, to find out which option you qualify for.
Manage your time
GetSmarter's learning model is designed to help you, as a working professional, improve your skills without compromising on work and family responsibilities. The course work is broken up into weekly, manageable bite-sized modules, with incremental deadlines, designed to help you pace yourself over the duration of the course and allow you the legroom to work when it suits you best.
At the beginning of each module you'll be presented with the course content and assignments necessary for completion. You also have access to your Success Adviser who will help you manage your time, and support you with any administrative or technical queries you might have.
How to change your start date
As part of our commitment to your professional development, GetSmarter offers you a two-week period to change your course start date or request your money back if you’re not fully satisfied.
To qualify for a deferral of your course start date, or to cancel your enrollment and receive a refund of your course fee, your request would need to reach our Success Advisers before the release of Module 2. For more information, please read our Terms and Conditions.
Discover the Online Campus
The Online Campus will be your virtual classroom for the duration of your course. Through its easy-to-use interface you'll have access to a diverse variety of course content formats including: interactive videos, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and additional web resources.
On the Online Campus, you'll also be able to ask questions and interact with your fellow students and teaching team through the discussion forums. If you are looking for your Online Campus login, please visit your Account page here.
Seek employer assistance
By improving your skills and industry knowledge, you'll have an influence on the success of your organization. Why wouldn't you ask your boss to help you fund your studies if it's going to have an impact on the way you do business?
Of our past students, 37 percent have received financial assistance from their employers. You can ask for help, too. Here is a guide to show you how to request financial assistance from your employer.
If you are a Learning & Development (L&D) manager, or involved in training and upskilling for an organization, you can request information regarding our corporate offering on our GetSmarter for business page.
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