Admission requirements
Only students of the MSc Crisis and Security Management can take this course
This course only offers a place to a maximum number of 40 students.
Description
Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) is considered one of the high-priority threats for international justice, peace and security. Estimated to generate between 1.6 and 2.2 trillion USD per year, it has inestimable human, social and economic costs. Efforts to eradicate, or even simply curb TOC are hampered by how deeply rooted the phenomenon is in our institutional, social and cultural fabric.
We will start the course by looking at what TOC is, the historical development of competing definitions and the different typologies of TOC. Drawing on a range of different disciplines, including law, criminology, international relations, peace and development studies, the course will cover theoretical and practical approaches to TOC. Students will develop holistic and critical views on the phenomenon and will be encouraged to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to formulate innovative approaches and responses.
These learning objectives will be achieved by looking at specific case studies, in different contexts. Our third class will be dedicated to the trafficking and smuggling of people, unborn children and organs. A comparison of three different contexts, namely South-East Asia, North Africa and Europe will allow us to consider the context-specific characteristics of related criminal activities and responses. In addition, we will consider how these phenomena are culturally situated and, at times, strongly politicized. Next, we will look at the illicit trafficking of drugs and firearms, its interlinks with state and non-state actors’ violence, and its impact on peace, security and justice. Our last case study, in class 5, will focus on environmental crimes. Treating this topic will offer us the opportunity to lay the foundations for a broader discussion on the link between organised crime, peace and sustainability, which will be the topic of class 6. Our last class will differentiate cyber-dependent and cyber-enabled crime and look at the cyber space as one in which crime and justice coexist, develop and interact with one another.
Throughout the course, particular attention will be given to three main root causes and facilitators of TOC, namely insecurity, violence and corruption. As a consequence, we will look at good practices in the responses of policy-makers and security agents, as well as at systemic failures which hinder the formulation of effective responses.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students are able to:
Understand and critically appraise the main definitions and approaches to Transnational Organized Crime
Identify and critically evaluate a range of operational approaches to the phenomenon;
Survey, discuss and propose a range of innovative approaches.
Timetable
On the right side of programme front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Brightspace.
Mode of Instruction
This course consists of seven lectures, workgroups, case study analyses and general debates
Attendance is mandatory. Students are only allowed to miss one session if there are special, demonstrable personal circumstances. The Board of Examiners, in consultation with the study advisors, will decide on such an exceptional exemption of mandatory attendance
Total study load 140 hours:
21 Contact hours
119 Self-study hours: reading, preparing lectures, assignments, etc.
Assessment method
Students are not obliged to hand in an assignment at the first opportunity in order to make use of the re-sit opportunity. The re-sit assignment will test the same course objectives, but will be different in terms of topics, cases or substance.
Research Paper: 30% of final grade
Course can be compensated in case of a fail (grade < 5.50), resit not possible.
Group presentation: 20% of final grade
Course can be compensated in case of a fail (grade < 5.50), resit not possible.
Take home exam with essay questions: 50% of final grade
Grade cannot be compensated, a 5.50 is required to pass the course
The calculated grade of the assignments must be at least 5.50 in order to pass the course.
If a student passed an assignment, it is not possible to participate in a re-sit in order to obtain a higher grade. Students are only permitted to re-sit the 50% assignment if they have a calculated overall course lower than 5.50.
Reading list
A selection of articles, to be announced on Brightspace.
Registration
Register for every course and workgroup via uSis.
Registration in uSis is possible from four weeks before the start of the course. Some courses and workgroups have a limited number of participants, so register on time (before the course starts). In uSis you can access your personal schedule and view your results.
After enrolment for the course in uSis you are also enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
The corresponding Brightspace course will become available one week prior to the first seminar.
Brightspace is the main tool for communicating with you. All information about the organization of the course, the reading materials, announcements, assessment, etc. will be provided through Brightspace. Students have the responsibility to stay informed by visiting Brightspace regularly.
Contact
Clara Cotroneo c.cotroneo@fgga.leidenuniv.nl