Admission requirements
MSc International Relations and Diplomacy students.
Description
This course is tailored to engage students in contemporary security issues affecting global security through an approach that integrates practice with theory. While international security has traditionally focused on geopolitics and conventional military threats facing the state, in the last few decades new schools of thought have emerged challenging the traditional framework. As such, threats against human well-being and security have come to the forefront of contemporary debate. This course will discuss several contemporary issues to give students a better understanding on how to apply theories in a more policy-oriented, or practical, context. Students can expect to engage in topics such as state failure, organized crime, terrorism and insurgency, human security, resource scarcity, WMD proliferation, cyber-security, among others.
Course objectives
The course aims to primarily provide students with tools and skills which can help them understand the changing problem of security. While this course will help students refamiliarize themselves with geopolitics and key traditional security issues, students are expected to relate these traditional issues to the human security framework by discussing, writing, presenting and simulating issues in a more practical framework. By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Critically compare the traditional approach to security with more critical approaches such as human security.
2. Develop new perspectives on the evolution of security issues and their interlinkages.
3. Share own knowledge and experience with other participants.
4. Understand the complexity of policy decision-making in a dynamic environment.
5. Further enhance analytical, research, debating and presentation skills.
Timetable
Mondays
February 26, 2018: 09:00 – 17:00
March 5, 2018: 09:00 – 17:00
Mode of instruction
This short course will consist of lectures, seminars, presentations, class discussions and a simulation. Class attendance is mandatory for both sessions. Students are required to come prepared to class by having completed the assigned readings and having prepared for presentations/discussion.
Course Load
1 EC
Assessment method
The final grade will be an integration of the following elements:
*Active class participation: 30% (attendance and discussion: 15+15)
*Mock conference: 30% (policy brief + presentation/discussion: 15+15)
*Simulation: 40% (policy responses + session performance: 15 + 15)
Blackboard
Important information relevant to the course will be available on Blackboard, including the syllabus and assigned roles for the mock conference for the first session.
Reading list
Academic articles, book excerpts and other reading material will be announced on the Blackboard. Students are expected to read approximately 60-70 pages for each session. Additional readings will also be provided for those who wish to follow-up on certain topics. Given the contemporary nature of content for this course, students are encouraged to follow recent events via recent studies, newspaper articles and opinion pieces.
Registration
Use both uSis and Blackboard to register for every course.
Register for every course and workgroup via uSis. In uSis you can access your personal schedule and view your results. Registration in uSis is possible from four weeks before the start of the course. Also register for every coruse in Blackboard. Important information about the course is posted here.
uSis
Catalogue number: 8824COSCH
Class number: 20067
Contact
Remarks
This is an elective, extra-curricular course at the 500 level, designed for second year MIRD students that are interested in international security issues.