Admission requirements
Required course(s):
A 200-level course from the "International Law" track of the International Justice Major, or permission from the course instructor.
Description
No single country can tackle today’s complex security problems on its own. Think of all the international and non-international armed conflicts in the world, terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, the devastating consequences of climate change, and the so-called refugee ‘crisis’. All of these have the potential to strongly destabilize our societies and the global order. The objective of this course is to assess the means available to the international community to address these security challenges in a coordinated manner, with a focus on the theory and practice of the collective security system put in place by the United Nations Charter in 1945.
The course will be construed around different thematic security threats and will critically assess the ways in which the international community attempts to address these issues. The role of the United Nations Security Council will of course be crucial in this context, but it is not the sole actor that is of relevance when addressing security related issues.
Course Objectives
After successful completion of this course, students can:
Skills:
Analyse treaties, UN Security Council resolutions, and other official documents.
Formulate a well-construed argument, both orally and in writing.
Discern relevant facts and apply legal principles to those facts.
Advice governmental and/or non-governmental organizations on difficult and technical issues relating to global security.
Knowledge:
Define the concept of collective security and understand the history behind it.
Critically reflect on the main security threats the world is currently facing.
Explain the role of the UN Security Council and other UN organs in the maintenance of international peace and security.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2024-2025 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
The seminars are the essence of this course. Students are required to take an active part in all the seminar discussions, and study the prescribed readings for each class in advance. The policy brief exercise allows students to learn how to advice governmental and/or non-governmental entities on difficult issues relating to global security and how a collective action response could/should be provided to these issues. It encompasses both a written as well as an oral component. The written component consists in the writing of a policy brief and the oral component will take the form of a simulated televised interview.
Assessment Method
Presentation, 10%
Policy Brief, 19%
Simulation of a televised interview, 31%
Final exam, 40%
Reading list
The course relies on primary and secondary sources as well as on official documents the link to which will be provided on Brightspace. Given the variety of issues addressed there is no single textbook for this course.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Otto Spijkers, o.spijkers@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
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