We will explore different theories of Empire, asking questions such as What is an empire, what drives their development, how do they evolve, rise and fall, what are their impacts, and what makes them succeed or fail? We will look at various selective examples and discuss current ‘empires’ including the US, China, Russia, and the EU. We will discuss what history and theory suggest about how the world might develop. We use a mixture of lecture and discussion and short video clips. I will likely have to cancel some weeks due to (difficult to predict) personal and work commitments. However, we will have enough weeks over three terms to cover the topics. Sessions will be recorded for participants to review if they miss a session.