Creative Pedagogy in IR Examination. When Fiction Unleashes the Learning Process

Abstract Although the esthetic turn in International Relations (IR) has recently expanded to teaching, with professors promoting the mobilization of artistic material in the classroom, its use in students’ productions and examinations has received scarce attention. Drawing on a course at Sciences Po Paris dedicated to IR normative theory and given for five years at the graduate level, this research argues the added value of creative fictional writing by students in assimilating philosophical concepts. Using both quantitative and qualitative analysis on five cohorts, both surveyed and interviewed in groups, it builds on in-depth feedback from a large sample of students. It appears that beyond long-term familiarization of students with authors and practical skills improvement, such exercise enhances their creativity and self-esteem by releasing their imaginations, and inspiring hope in democracy in the younger generation.