International security is fundamental to guarantee the stability of the planet, allow the progress of societies, and contribute to the development of humanity. The current situation in Ukraine, the South and East China Seas, the Middle East, or Afghanistan are just some examples of the importance of security in our lives and its growing role in the global geopolitical, economic, and diplomatic landscape. To understand the current security environment and its possible evolution, it is necessary to go back to the beginnings of the Cold War, since many of the major security issues emerged after World War II. Consequently, the course will present the main concepts and theories used in security studies, analyze the evolution of strategic thought, the security environment, and defense policies from the end of World War II to the present, also outlining possible trends. Based on a theoretical foundation, the course will focus on both traditional security and human security, analyzing some of today?s armed conflicts, as well as transnational tensions and threats such as terrorism, climate change, scarcity of natural and energy resources, and nuclear proliferation. The program will allow students to acquire a comprehensive view of international security in its temporal and thematic scope, developing an understanding of the evolution of the principles and practices of security policies and incorporating strategic analysis within the framework of international relations.
Introduction
Topic 1: Introduction to international security studies
Block 1: Historical and theoretical context
Topic 2: The evolution of international security since 1945
Topic 3: Major approaches to security studies
Block 2: Concepts and contemporary agenda
Topic 4: War
Topic 5: Terrorism and counterterrorism policies
Topic 6: Genocide and ethnic conflicts
Topic 7: New security threats
Topic 8: Proliferation and WMDs
Topic 9: Organized crime and illicit trafficking
Block 3: Institutions
Topic 10: The United Nations
Topic 11: Alliances: NATO
Topic 12: Regional security institutions
Topic 13: Intelligence services
Student work will be primarily developed in class through various activities proposed by the professor. Generally, there will be:
A significant part of the professor?s presentation of the main concepts and ideas of the subject.
Guided and written classwork of different types: based on reading news, legal documents, or watching videos. This work (reading and video viewing) may be done at home (flipped classroom) and then discussed in class in a guided way or shared through debate, or documents/videos may be read/viewed in class.
Oral presentations of complementary readings by the students.
To be assessed in the ordinary exam session, all activities subject to evaluation must have been completed. The evaluable activities must be submitted by the deadlines set by the instructor. If, for any duly justified and communicated reason, an activity could not be submitted within the established period, it may be submitted before the date of the subject?s exam so that the instructor can assess it, although in this case the instructor is not obliged to provide feedback to the student on these activities.
On the other hand, students have the right to take the final written exam even if they have not submitted the other evaluable activities, but the final grade for the subject will only be calculated if all activities have been submitted, and according to the evaluation criteria and weightings established in this course guide. If any required activity has not been submitted or completed, it will be recorded as ?Not submitted? for that exam session.
Regarding the grading of attendance and participation, with respect to attendance: students are allowed a maximum of 4 unjustified absences without losing the possibility of obtaining the highest grade in this criterion, which in this case will depend on their attitude and participation in class. Students with 5 unjustified absences may receive a maximum of 5/10 in this evaluation criterion. Students with 6 unjustified absences will receive 0/10 in this criterion. Justification of an absence requires the submission of an official document and approval by the tutor, who will assess the reason for the absence.
EXTRAORDINARY EXAM SESSION
The evaluation criteria are the same as in the ordinary exam session, so all evaluation activities considered during the course must be submitted. Grades for completed activities (including the final written exam) will be retained while pending activities are completed. The same weighting criteria as in the ordinary evaluation will apply. This measure applies only within the current academic year; therefore, if the extraordinary exam session is not passed, re-enrollment will require repeating the entire course.
Class activities: 35%
Oral presentation: 15%
Final exam: 35%
Attendance and participation: 15%
- BAYLIS, John; WIRTZ, James; COHEN, Eliot y GRAY, Colin (eds.) (2007): Strategy in the
Contemporary World. An Introduction to Strategic Studies, Nueva York: Oxford University Press.
- BALDWIN, David A. (1997): The concept of security, Review of International Studies, 2
- BRZEZINSKI, Zbigniew (2012): Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power, Nueva York:
Basic Books. (1998): El gran tablero mundial: la supremacía estadounidense y sus imperativos
geoestratégicos, Barcelona: Paidós.
- BUNKER, Robert J. (ed.) (2002): Non-State Threats and Future Wars, Londres: Frank Cass.
- BUZAN, Barry; WAEVER, Ole y DE WILDE, Jaap (1998): Security: A new Framework for Analysis,
Boulder: Lynne Rienner
- CASANOVAS, Oriol et.al (2021): Compendio de Derecho Internacional Público. Madrid: Tecnos.
- COKER, Christopher (2015): Future War, Cambridge: Polity Press.
- COLLINS, Alan (ed.) (2013): Contemporary Security Studies, Nueva York: Oxford University Press, 3ª
ed.
- COOPER, Joshua (2009): The Age of the Unthinkable. Why the New World Disorder Constantly
Surprises Us and What We Can Do About It, Nueva York: Little, Brown.
- DANNREUTHER, Roland (2013): International Security: The Contemporary Agenda, Cambridge: Polity
Press, 2ª ed.
- ECHEVERRÍA, Carlos (2015): Paz, seguridad y defensa en la sociedad internacional (Relaciones
Internacionales III), Madrid: UNED.
- FREEDMAN, Lawrence (2013): Strategy: A History, Nueva York: Oxford University Press. (2006): The
Transformation of Strategic Affairs, Oxford: Oxford University Press, Adelphi Paper.
- HAMILTON, Daniel, ed. (2004): Transatlantic Transformations: Equipping NATO for the 21st Century,
Washington DC: John Hopkins University Press.
- HOUGH, Peter, MALIK, Shahin, MORAN, Andrew and PILBEAM, Bruce, eds. (2015): International
Security Studies: Theory and Practice, Nueva York: Routledge. 11
- HUNTER, Robert (2002): The European Security and Defense Policy. NATO?s companion of
competitor?, Santa Monica: RAND Corporation.
- JORDAN, Javier (ed.) (2010): Terrorismo sin fronteras. Actores, escenarios y respuestas en un mundo
global, Pamplona: Aranzadi.
- JORDÁN, Javier; POZO, Pilar y BAQUÉS, Josep (eds.) (2011): La seguridad más allá del Estado,
Madrid: Plaza & Valdés.
- KALDOR, Mary (2001): Las Nuevas Guerras: la violencia organizada en la era global, Barcelona:
Tusquets (2007): Human Security, Cambridge: Polity Press
- KISSINGER, Henry (2014): World Order, Nueva York: Penguin Press.
- RID, Thomas y HECKER, Mark (2009): War 2.0 ? Irregular Warfare in the Information Age, Praeger:
Westport.
- SMITH, Michael E. (2010): International Security: Politics, Policy, Prospects, Nueva York: Palgrave
Macmillan.
WILLIAMS, Paul, ed (2013): Security Studies: An Introduction, Nueva York: Routledge, 3ª ed
Due to the dynamic nature of the course content, the readings for each topic will be detailed on the platform later, so that they reflect the actual situation to be addressed as accurately as possible.
The basic bibliography provided contains general works outlining the theories and concepts to be used throughout the course.