ASTK15362U CANCELLED - COURSE: Asian Security

Volume 2015/2016
Education

Elective in the Specialisation "International Relations, Diplomacy and Conflict Studies"

Bachelor level 10 ECTS

Master level 7.5 ECTS

Content

This is a graduate seminar exploring fundamental security issues in the Asia Pacific after the Cold War. Through integrating major international security theories with security issues in the Asia Pacific, this course will help students deepen their understandings on the future security challenges states will face in the 21st century. This course will cover both traditional and non-traditional security topics in the Asia Pacific, such as military competition and arms races among Asian countries, the nuclear crises in the Korean Peninsula, China-US power dynamics and competition, territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea, transnational crime, terrorism, food security, etc. Students are required to develop a research paper to investigate one of the security challenges in the Asia Pacific.        

Competency Description

This course will form a theoretical and empirical foundation for students to study security and risk management at a professional level. It is very useful for students who aim to work with international relations in any type of organization, such as international organizations, diplomacy, global companies, and mass media. The analytical and critical skills students develop from this course will be of help for their future careers.   

 

Learning Outcome

​Goal Description

The objective of the seminar is to enable the students to:

  • Describe major security issues in the Asia Pacific;
  • Present major theories in International Security;
  • Demonstrate skills in expressing oneself orally and in writing;
  • Critically evaluate and compare key theoretical orientations of academic and policy studies on Asian Security;
  • Apply security theories to analyze Asian security issues;
  • Develop an independent research agenda on a topic on Asian security.

Michael Wills and Robert M. Hathaway, New Security Challenges in Asia (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013).

Ashley J. Tellis, Abraham M. Denmark and Greg Chaffin, eds. Strategic Asia 2014–15: U.S. Alliances and Partnerships at the Center of Global Power (NBR, 2014).

Some basic knowledge of international relations and strong interest in Asia.
This course will consist of a combination of student presentations, class discussions, possible guest lectures, presentation essays, and a final research project. Students are highly expected to actively participate in class presentations, finish the required readings (journal articles or book chapters), and prepare questions for class discussions before each class meeting.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Exam
  • 79
  • Preparation
  • 168
  • Total
  • 275
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Written exam
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

Criteria for achieving the goals:

  • 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