CZS44 International Security in the Modern World

Pan-university studies
Autumn 2011
Extent and Intensity
0/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Petra Kuchyňková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. JUDr. PhDr. Marek Čejka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Petr Kupka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Martin Glogar
Contact Person: Mgr. Martin Glogar
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The International Security in the Modern World program is designed to give students an understanding of some of the fundamental international security issues and their implications for Europe and the world. The course has three core areas which create three unique modules – the first one being energy security, especially in the context of Euroasia; the second area of interests are the conflicts over religion and nationalism, and given its global impact a special attention will be paid to the Middle East; the third module deals with the organized crime, corruption and state failures which brought into European reality especially the fall of the Iron Curtain.
The participants of this course will:
• Come to understand the implications these threats have for European and other countries
• Critically analyse the international organisations (such as the UN and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) that deal with these issues, and
• Consider how Europe and the world has responded to these issues so far and the international responses that might be required in future for these and future global threats
Syllabus
  • Module 1: Energy security in Europe and the Eurasian area Instructor: Petra Kuchynkova
  • • Energy security – What does it mean at the beginning of the 21st century? Liberal perspective, strategic perspective, environmental dimension.
  • • EU energy policy – Does any “EU energy policy” exist or not? Why? Internal dimension – Legislation (EU internal energy market, climate-energy package; energy efficiency). External dimension – EU dependency on external energy resources (pipelines – oil and gas infrastructure, policy of diversification – EU and its main oil and gas suppliers). Nuclear energy – perspective for the future or an impasse?
  • • Russian energy policy – Main actors of Russian energy policy and special features of the energy business in Russia (with the emphasis on oil and gas sector). The role of energy policy in Russian external policy: Europe as the main customer; China as a future customer? The interests of Russian energy business in the other parts of the world (South-East Asia, Africa, Latin America, Middle East)
  • • Caspian region, Central Asia and the South Caucasus as the main clashing points for the interests of energy resources consumers and producers in the Eurasian area (Russia, China, EU, USA)
  • Module 2: “Middle Eastern Threat” to the European security Instructor: Marek Cejka
  • • Introduction – Middle East , Western World/Europe and radicalism – Basic terms, the Middle Eastern conflicts, Jews-Christians-Muslims in History
  • • European influence, Arab Nationalism and Islamism in the Middle East – Impact of Western Influence and Western ideologies in the Middle East. Varieties of Arab nationalism, typology of Islamism.
  • • Israeli-Palestinian Conflict – European origins of Zionism, origins of conflict, clash between Zionism and Palestinian Arab nationalism and the development since 1948
  • • Contemporary political radicalism and terrorism – Development since WW2. Global terror networks and Western World
  • Module 3: Towards the new forms of organized crime in 21st century Instructor: Petr Kupka
  • • Organized crime – definitions, concepts, theories and types
  • • Organized crime in the Balkans – spill-over effect of regional security threats
  • • Organized Crime in East Central Europe – case study
  • • Closing Lecture by Miroslav Mares - Contemporary Security Threats in East Central Europe
Teaching methods (in Czech)
lectures, seminars, class discussion, site visits, excursions, presentations by professionals in the sectors, reading
Assessment methods (in Czech)
Final Test 45%, Essay (2000 characters) 45%, In-class participation 10%. Late penalty 2% will be deducted per day for late work
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: in blocks.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 48 hodin výuky + 6 exkurzí.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Spring 2015, Autumn 2015, Spring 2016, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2019, spring 2020, Autumn 2020, Spring 2021, Autumn 2021, Spring 2022, Autumn 2022, spring 2023, Autumn 2023, spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2011, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/cus/autumn2011/CZS44