Bachelor
2024/2025
The Problems of Asian Security
Type:
Elective course (International Relations)
Area of studies:
International Relations
Delivered by:
School of International Affairs
When:
3 year, 3, 4 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
4
Contact hours:
40
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The course covers traditional and non-traditional security threats in Asia. The content of the course mostly focuses on the analysis of general trends and security architecture of the Northeast, Southeast and South Asia with a special focus on major actors (China, India, Japan, ASEAN) and problems (Korean peninsula issue, South China Sea territorial dispute, etc). Besides, the students will have a chance to learn more about new security threats (cybersecurity issues, climate change). All the topics would be analyzed though the prism of Russian interests and policy towards security issues in Asia.
Along with theoretical background the course provides the opportunity to develop a range of practical written and oral skills. Seminar activities include open discussions, presentations on Asian countries’ national military strategies based on content-analysis and negotiation imitation game on the Korean issue. Also, the student will be able to discover a new form of analytical work – policy brief.
Learning Objectives
- To characterize the specifics of Asian countries approaches to understand the concept of “security”;
- To outline security threats in Asia
- To distinguish between specific traditional and non-traditional threats to Asian security;
- To cover new security threats (food security, water security, cybersecurity, etc).
- To analyze the key multilateral mechanisms of combating security threats in Asia;
- To advance the students’ knowledge about national strategies of major actors in Asia in the field of security (through means of content-analysis of Asian military strategies);
- To facilitate the students’ understanding of major territorial disputes and conventional conflicts in Asia;
- To study the specifics of Russian position and politics towards the key traditional and non-traditional security treats in Asia.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- To determine the triggers of security threats in Asia
- To compare military strategies and military potential of major actors in Asia;
- To outline multilateral institutions and initiatives that are responsible for security architecture in Asia;
- To name major territorial conflicts in Asia and explain the reasons for their existence, positions of the parties involved, stages of the conflict development, initiatives for its regulation);
- To characterize non-traditional security threats in Asia (natural catastrophes, climate change, etc);
- Be able explain the reason, current state and prospect if major territorial disputes in Asia (Korean Peninsula issue, South China Sea problem, China-India and India-Pakistan territorial disputes);
- To describe the position of Russia on the key security threats in Asia
Course Contents
- Topic 1. Security trends in Asia
- Topic 2. Key security actors in Northeast and South Asia
- Topic 3. Key security actors in Southeast Asia
- Topic 4. Case study: Korean Peninsula issue
- Topic 5. Case study: India vs Pakistan and India vs China (territorial disputes)
- Topic 6. Case study: South China Sea issue
- Topic 7. Terrorism, piracy and international crime: major treats and mechanisms for their regulation in Asia
- Topic 8. Food security and water security in Asia
- Topic 9. Cybersecurity, AI and internet regulation initiatives in Asia
- Topic 10. Climate and natural disasters in Asia
Interim Assessment
- 2024/2025 4th module0.2 * Discussion + 0.3 * Exam + 0.2 * Policy Brief + 0.3 * Seminar activity
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Shivshankar Menon. (2017). Some Thoughts on India, China and Asia-Pacific Regional Security. China Report, (2), 188. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.sae.chnrpt.v53y2017i2p188.213
- Taylor, B., & Tow, W. (2015). Challenges to Building an Effective Asia-Pacific Security Architecture. Australia, Australia/Oceania: Columbia University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.63CF304B
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Evgeny A. Kanaev, & Anastasia S. Pyatachkova. (2015). Russia and Asia-Pacific Security: The Maritime Dimension. HSE Working Papers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.hig.wpaper.17.ir.2015