ASTK18258U Security Challenges from the Baltics to the Eastern Mediterranean

Volume 2019/2020
Education

Bachelor student (2012 programme curriculum): 10 ECTS

Bachelor student (2017 programme curriculum): 7.5 ECTS

Master student: 7.5 ECTS

Content

This course aims to explore the contemporary security challenges in NATO’s eastern and southern flanks, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.

 

The course is structured around three seas that face considerable security challenges; the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean. We will explore those challenges (from military confrontation to cyber and information warfare, from energy geopolitics to terrorism to refugees) and the policies/strategies of the major state and non-state actors involved including NATO, EU, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Syria, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, ISIS, and other relevant actors.

 

The classes include lectures, guest lectures from practitioners, and workshops such as crisis simulations/scenario planning activities that will enable the students to put their newly acquired knowledge and skills to use.

 

 

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

Students will develop an understanding of the most important security issues in the Baltics, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Med. They will understand the policies and strategies of major actors. Students will have knowledge of recent developments in the field and will be able to reflect on the future developments in these regions.

 

Skills:

Describe, understand, and analyze the security challenges in the regions under investigation.  Understand and critically analyze the policies of major actors in the relevant regions. Assess and critically evaluate the political, social, and economic developments in the relevant regions as they pertain to security concerns.

 

Competences:

Critically reflect on the contemporary security issues in the Baltics, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Acquire hands-on, real-time experience in dealing with geopolitical and geoeconomic events in the real world through workshops.

 

 

 

 

Literature

As the focus of the course is on on-going security challenges an updated list of readings (mostly policy articles and briefs, backgrounders, and analytical reports) will be provided in the first week of classes.

 

The following list is illustrative:

Lectures, guest lecturers, and workshops.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Total
  • 28
Oral
Collective
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Free assignment
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

Free written assignment

Criteria for exam assesment
  • Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
  • Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
  • Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner