Skip to main content

Security Governance: the Euro-Atlantic Space and Beyond

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:1.00
Study Course Accepted:20.02.2024 16:36:35
Study Course Information
Course Code:SZF_052LQF level:Level 7
Credit Points:4.00ECTS:6.00
Branch of Science:Politics; International PoliticsTarget Audience:Political Science
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:Māris Andžāns
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfatrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)10Lecture Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Lectures20
Classes (count)13Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes26
Total Contact Hours46
Part-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)5Lecture Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Lectures10
Classes (count)7Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes14
Total Contact Hours24
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Previous knowledge on international security.
Objective:
The aim of the course is to provide a comprehensive review of security governance in the Euro-Atlantic space and beyond. Most of the attention will be devoted to armament and disarmament issues and (re)emerging warfare domains by which scores of other related micro and macro issues of International Security Studies and International Relations will be captured. As the final semester of the M.A. program is devoted to elaboration and defence of M.A. thesis, this course will begin with a methodical workshop on M.A. thesis. The objective of it is to assist students to further develop their ideas for M.A. research, as well as to introduce to the process of preparation and defence of thesis. From here on, the course will proceed with a general review of war and peace in retrospective and perspective – armed conflicts of the past and the present, status quo of armed forces at global and regional levels. A particular attention will be devoted to Russia’s war in Ukraine in 2022. Then the course will move on to a review of International Security Studies from a theoretical perspective. As a part of this block, the main concepts and theories of International Security Studies in a retrospective framework will be reviewed. The course will enter the next phase with a review of weapons of mass destruction and disarmament & control of such weapons. It will cover biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear weapons, complemented by a review of the often-related control of conventional arms. The lectures’ part of the course will end with a review of security governance in two (re)emerging domains of warfare – the space and the cyber space. From there on, during the workshops students will present their individual projects on more specific issues discussed as a part of the course.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
1Introduction to security governance – war and peace in retrospective and perspective. Russia-Ukraine war.Lectures1.00auditorium
2Concepts and theories of International Security StudiesLectures2.00auditorium
3Biological, chemical and radiological weapons & disarmamentLectures2.00auditorium
4Nuclear weapons and control & disarmamentLectures2.00auditorium
5Evolution of arms control and disarmament processes. Conventional weapons and their controlLectures1.00auditorium
6Re-emergence of space domain and security governance in spaceLectures1.00auditorium
7Cyberspace and security governanceLectures1.00auditorium
8Midterm testClasses0.50E-Studies platform
9Workshops on security governanceClasses10.00auditorium
10Consultations before the examClasses1.00auditorium
11ExamClasses1.50E-Studies platform
Topic Layout (Part-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
1Introduction to security governance – war and peace in retrospective and perspective. Russia-Ukraine war.Lectures0.50auditorium
2Concepts and theories of International Security StudiesLectures1.00auditorium
3Biological, chemical and radiological weapons & disarmamentLectures1.00auditorium
4Nuclear weapons and control & disarmamentLectures1.00auditorium
5Evolution of arms control and disarmament processes. Conventional weapons and their controlLectures0.50auditorium
6Re-emergence of space domain and security governance in spaceLectures0.50auditorium
7Cyberspace and security governanceLectures0.50auditorium
8Midterm testClasses0.50E-Studies platform
9Workshops on security governanceClasses5.00auditorium
10Consultations before the examClasses0.50auditorium
11ExamClasses1.00E-Studies platform
Assessment
Unaided Work:
Two written reports (briefings) and their presentation – each 2-4 pages (Times New Roman or equivalent, single spacing, normal margins). The written reports are expected to have a structured and reasoned overview of the chosen topic, based on a comprehensive range of sources (at least ten). Lai izvērtētu studiju kursa kvalitāti kopumā, studentam jāaizpilda studiju kursa novērtēšanas anketa Studējošo portālā.
Assessment Criteria:
Final grade is combined of all grades. Highest grade – 10. 1. Attendance – 10% 2. Activity during seminars, familiarity with materials provided in the required reading section –15% 3. In course multiple-choice test results –15% 4. Written reports and presentation – 40% 5. Exam – 20%
Final Examination (Full-Time):Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):Exam (Written)
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:Demonstrate a deep understanding of the evolution of the security governance, contemporary structure and operation of Euro-Atlantic and out of Euro-Atlantic security structures, including their legal frameworks, institutions, decision-making processes and practices, interaction between the security governance institutions.
Skills:Ability to understand the basic aspects of the formal and informal operation of security management both within and outside institutions. Ability to professionally explain different security management models to different audiences.
Competencies:Deep understanding of the theoretical and practical operations of safety management at different levels of analysis.
Bibliography
No.Reference
Required Reading
1Visa literatūra ir angļu valodā un piemērota gan latviešu, gan angļu plūsmas studentiem
2Booth, K. ‘Security and Emancipation’, Review of International Studies, vol. 17(4), 1991, pp. 313-326.
3Buzan, B. and L., Hansen. The Evolution of International Security Studies. Cambridge, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2009. (pēdējais iznākušais izdevums)
4Buzan, B., Wæver, O. and J. Wilde de. Security: A New Framework for Analysis. London, Boulder, 1998. (pēdējais iznākušais izdevums)
5Deutsch, K. W. Political Community and the North Atlantic Area: International Organization in the Light of Historical Experience. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2015.
6Galtung, J. ‘Violence, Peace, and Peace Research’. Journal of Peace Research, vol. 6(3) 1969, pp. 167-191.
7Herz, J. H. ‘Idealist Internationalism and the Security Dilemma’. World Politics, vol. 2(2) 1950, pp. 157-180.
8Mearsheimer, J. J. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. New York, London, W. W. Norton & Company, 2014.
9Morgenthau, H. J. Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. New York, A. A. Knopf, 2006.
10Waltz, K. N. Theory of International Politics. Boston, Mass McGraw-Hill, 1979. (pēdējais iznākušais izdevums)
11Wolfers, A. ‘“National Security” as an Ambiguous Symbol’. Political Science Quarterly, vol. 67(4), 1952, pp. 481-502.
12Summary. SIPRI Yearbook 2020. Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Solna: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
13Fei Su and Ian Anthony, eds. Reassessing CBRN Threats in a Changing Global Environment. Solna: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 2019.
14NTI Nuclear Security Index. Losing Focus in a Disordered World, Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2020.
15Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. “Nuclear weapon modernization continues but the outlook for arms control is bleak: New SIPRI Yearbook out now.” Last modified June 15, 2020.
16Erästö, Tytti. “Fifty years of the NPT—cause for celebration or commemoration?” Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Last modified May 23, 2019.
17Kühn, Ulrich (ed.). Trilateral Arms Control? Perspectives from Washington, Moscow, and Beijing. The Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, 2020.
18Weeden, Brian, and Victoria Samson (eds.). Global Counterspace Capabilities: An Open Source Assessment. Secure World Foundation, April 2020.
19Harrison, Todd. International Perspectives on Space Weapons. Center for Strategic and International Studies, May 2020.
20Henriksen, Anders. “The end of the road for the UN GGE process: The future regulation of cyberspace.” Journal of Cybersecurity 5, no. 1 (January 2019): 1-9.
21Farwell, James P., and Rafal Rohozinski. “Stuxnet and the Future of Cyber War.” Survival: Global Politics and Strategy 53, no.1 (January 2001): 23-40.
22Mazanec, Brian M. “Bad News: Cyber Norms Probably Won’t Constrain Cyber Conflict.” Council on Foreign Relations. Last modified September 14, 2015.
23Libicki, Martin C. Cyberdeterrence and cyberwar. RAND, 2009. A Conceptual Framework: 11.-27.
24Davies, Shawn, Pettersson, Therése, and Öberg, Magnus. “Organized violence 1989–2021 and drone warfare.” Journal of Peace Research 59, no. 4 (July 2021): 593-610.
25SIPRI Yearbook 2022. Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Summary. Solna: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Additional Reading
1Uppsala Conflict Data Program. “UCDP Charts, Graphs and Maps.” Uppsala University. Last accessed September 1, 2020.
2Uppsala Conflict Data Program. “Number of Conflicts 1975-2019.” Uppsala University. Last accessed September 1, 2020.
3Organized Violence in 2019. Insights from the UCDP Georeferenced Dataset 20.1. UCDP Bulletin. Uppsala University, 2020.
4Tian, Nan, Alexandra Kuimova, Diego Lopes da Silva, Pieter D. Wezeman and Siemon T. Wezeman. Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2019. SIPRI Fact Sheet. April 2020. Solna: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 2020.
5Starptautiskā drošība. Rakstu krājums, edited by Māris Andžāns, 90-100. Rīga: Latvijas Nacionālā bibliotēka, 2019. (latviešu plūsmai)
6NATO. “NATO and Warsaw Pact: force comparisons.” Last accessed September 1, 2020.
7Hampson, Fen O., and Michael Sulmeyer, editors. Getting beyond Norms. New Approaches to International Cyber Security Challenges. Special Report. Waterloo: Centre for International Governance Innovation, 2017.
8Lewis, James A. “Cyber War and Ukraine”. 2022.