MEBn5014 Energy Policies in Asia

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2023
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Hedvika Koďousková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Arina Belova (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Lenka Martínková (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Hedvika Koďousková, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Wed 12:00–13:40 U34
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! MEB414 Energy Policies in Asia && !NOW( MEB414 Energy Policies in Asia ) && ! ESSn5010 Energy Relations in Asia
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 10/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 10 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course aims to deepen and strengthen students' knowledge of "energy and society" by using the Asian example. At the same time, it is easy to understand for students with no previous theoretical or empirical knowledge. The course focuses mainly on case studies from the region that best illustrate current trends. It therefore builds students' substantive knowledge with some help from appropriate theoretical frameworks. The first part looks at energy security as a political concern at the level of the nation state, as a problem of cross-border resource supply, as an important part of domestic and foreign policy, as a strategic issue for governments. It looks back over the past decades, analysing the energy policies of China, Russia and the Central Asian countries, and mapping the construction of large-scale infrastructure networks in the region. In the second part, the course moves on to other lines of argument that go beyond the core concerns of secure and reliable energy supplies. The case study of Indonesia illustrates energy poverty - the lack of access to electricity and modern energy sources that still affects millions of people in Asia. The course also highlights the negative consequences of energy modernisation, the most acute of which is climate change. It examines India's unique position as it faces the daunting task of reconciling economic growth, poverty alleviation and climate protection. It critically examines China, a major global polluter and a leader in the development and deployment of low-carbon energy sources. Finally, the course looks at the many energy controversies and conflicts. Will Asia become a sanctuary for nuclear development despite global stagnation? And how is the Middle East responding to the challenges ahead? These are some of the questions that the course will address. In this round, I particularly recommend Lenka Martínková's unique insight into Iranian energy policy, which she gained during her long-term internship in the country.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to define the main characteristics of energy policies in the region and assess their implications. They will understand the links between different aspects of energy policy, such as the long-standing emphasis by states on the security of fossil fuel supplies over the environmental impact of existing policies, and the need to ensure energy security in synergy with economic growth and the persistence of energy poverty. They will understand the motivations of states to move from traditional to modern energy sources, as well as the reasons for and major obstacles to the transition of existing energy systems. They will become familiar with the most critical energy conflicts and controversies in the region.
Syllabus
  • 1) Triangulating energy system's social demands: Introductory lecture; 2) Energy and Chinese activities in Eurasia: same goals with a new name; 3) The Chinese energy policy towards Russia; 4) Natural gas export from Central Asia: a case study of Turkmenistan; 5) Russian Eastern energy policy (by Arina Belova); 6) Reading week; 7) Energy poverty: the case of Indonesia; 8) Energy transitions: "Worlds of coal" vs. Indian low-carbon future; 9) "Energy Revolution" in China: promises and critiques; 10) Middle-East answers to new challenges (by Lenka Martínková); 10) Energy conflicts: Iran's energy policy under the sanctions regime (by Lenka Martínková); 11) Energy controversies: nuclear power in Asia after Fukushima; 12) Selected issues related to the Asian energy policies and the course wrap-up.
Literature
  • Energy security challenges for the 21st century : a reference handbook. Edited by Gal Luft - Anne Korin. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger Security International, 2009, xv, 372. ISBN 9780275999971. info
  • JIRUŠEK, Martin, Tomáš VLČEK, Hedvika KOĎOUSKOVÁ, Roger W. ROBINSON, Anna LESHCHENKO, Filip ČERNOCH, Lukáš LEHOTSKÝ and Veronika ZAPLETALOVÁ. Energy Security in Central and Eastern Europe and the Operations of Russian State-Owned Energy Enterprises. Online. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2015, 696 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-8048-5. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M210-8048-2015. Čítárna Munispace info
  • Energy poverty : global challenges and local solutions. Edited by Benjamin K. Sovacool - Jon Rozhon - Antoine Halff. First edition. Oxford: Oxford university press, 2014, xv, 459. ISBN 9780199682362. info
  • China's energy security : a multidimensional perspective. Edited by Giulia C. Romano - Jean-François Di Meglio. First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016, x, 259. ISBN 9780815355984. info
  • ANDREWS-SPEED, C. P. The governance of energy in China : transition to a low-carbon economy. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012, xvi, 259. ISBN 9780230221505. info
Teaching methods
Readings are designed to broaden and deepen the range of knowledge students acquire in lectures and seminars; seminars involve preparation and discussion; final examinations test students' understanding of the subject.
Assessment methods
Class preparation papers (5 out of 10 based on personal choice); short final presentation (selected issue); oral exam.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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