Course Description:
This course offers a broad overview of the challenges faced by the countries of Central Europe and also by NATO and the European Union in the 21st century.
We begin with a brief history of security of Central Europe from 1989 to the present day. The collapse of the Soviet Union saw a number of countries in the region detach themselves from the Russian sphere of influence and join Western institutions including NATO and the EU. Whereas the West saw this as the fulfilment of the right of self-determination the Russians tended to view it as a threatening move, which challenged their own defense and security interests.
This course will examine the complex historical roots of these events with a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe, and will look at various possible future scenarios between Russia, the EU, and NATO. These contemporary conflicts and disputes have increased global awareness of the importance of intelligence gathering in this region and we will explore the links between information and security in a time of hybrid war.
Course Topics:
- From Barbarossa to NATO – The Historical Role of Defense and Security in Central Europe
- Security in Central Europe: Who Calls the Shots?
- The EU and Central Europe: Past, Present and Future
- Regional Security Policies
- Security in Times of Asymmetric Threats
- Modern Terrorism – Strategies and Tools
- Information Conflict in the 21st Century
- War in the 21st Century
- The Issue of Migration
- Economic Security in the Region
Coursework And Assessment:
Assessment for this course is based on class participation, policy brief preparation, and presentation.