Course Information

 

Class day/time                    Spring semester, Tuesday, 8:00 – 9:40, room P24b

                                               Spring semester, Tuesday, 16:00 – 19:40, MS Teams

Fields of study                   Energy Policy Studies (Eng.) (programme FSS, N-MS)

                                               Energy Security Studies (programme FSS, N-EPS)

Number of credits             8

Type of completion           zk (examination)

Readings                             1,070 pages

Class type                           Lectures (2/0/0), closing seminar discussion

Instructors                           doc. PhDr. Tomáš Vlček, Ph.D.

                                               Mgr. Martin Jirušek, Ph.D.

                                               doc. Mgr. Filip Černoch, Ph.D.

Guaranteed by                   doc. PhDr. Tomáš Vlček, Ph.D.

Contact                                tomas.vlcek@mail.muni.cz

Office Hours                       Tuesday 9:00 – 9:45, room 4.48

 

Course Description

The aim of the course is to provide students with comprehensive understanding of the energy sector of the Czech Republic within regional context as it also aims at acquainting students with the situation in the energy sectors of countries in Central and Eastern Europe, with special emphasis on the issues related to natural gas, oil and nuclear energy. The course is based on a structure offering its graduates a comprehensive look on the energy sector of the Czech Republic and other countries in the region, taking into account historic development, foreign policy discourse, economic trends, and geopolitical position. The particular topics include coal, nuclear, oil, gas, RES and other energy sectors, as well as energy policies in their broader sense. Attention is paid both to the historical background and recent issues.

 

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course students will be able to understand the role of energy commodities in the examined region, and to analyze current issues, structure and logic of reasoning in particular energy sectors of the Czech Republic and other countries in the region. They will also be able to critically assess contemporary energy policies of mentioned countries not only in domestic, but as well as in foreign policy. The graduates will also be able to explain the nexus between energy and foreign policy discourse of Russia and examined countries. The graduates will be able to analyze and evaluate energy-specific interests and dilemmas of the Central European countries and thus be able to perform their energy-related work duties within the whole region.

 

Course Requirements

1) Students are expected to read required readings for each lecture. Compulsory readings for the course are to be found in Study Materials folder of Information System.

2) Students are expected to attend each lecture, with exceptions stated by the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations.

3) Students have to pass mid-term test and final oral exam based on required readings and class presentations.

4) Students must prepare and hand in a policy brief in a group work of two students.

5) Presented PowerPoint presentations will be provided in the Study Materials folder of the Information System after each lecture.

6) The teacher has the right to adjust the course requirements during the semester.

 

Grading

The final grade will be calculated as a sum of two parts. The maximum is 50 points; the minimum to complete the course is 30 points. The mid-term test stands for 10 points, the policy brief for 10 points, and the final oral exam for another 30 points. The grade will be calculated as follows:

 

 

Mid-term Test and Final Written Exam

The online mid-term test has a single term and cannot be repeated. It consists of ten test questions; for each test question, there is only one correct answer for a maximum of one point. The mid-term test’s duration is 3 minutes; the highest possible score is 10 points.

            The final exam will be an oral examination. The student will have to prove his/her knowledge by answering two questions (each for 15 points maximum) in a discussion with the instructors. The final exam will be executed online through MS Teams.

 

Policy Brief (Policy Paper)

The policy brief will be a joint work of two students. The students will prepare policy paper of maximum 11,000 characters (+/- 10%) including references and all formalities. The text must be a policy brief; i.e. the material will outline the rationale for choosing a particular policy alternative or course of action in a current policy debate. The goal is to persuade the reader on short space about the rightness of the proposed procedure. See the text “The Policy Brief” in the Information System for further information on the structure of this genre.

            The students can receive up to 10 points for the policy brief (up to 2 points for the formal aspects of policy brief genre; up to 7 points for the quality and logic of argumentation; up to 1 point for the factual accuracy of the text).

            The material must be handed in according to the course schedule; late submissions will not be considered. It is highly advisable to consult the topic of the policy brief beforehand.

 

Cheating and plagiarism

Teaching at FSS MU presupposes students know the study regulations and that they do not commit fraudulent fulfillment of study obligations, especially copying at exams and plagiarism, i.e., publishing other people's own ideas and taking over the ideas of other authors without mentioning authorship. Plagiarism is one of the most serious ethical offenses in the academic environment, it denies the mission of the university and the meaning of study. From a legal point of view, plagiarism is the theft of someone else's intellectual property.

Under no circumstances can fraudulent fulfillment of study obligations be tolerated at FSS. Cases of fraudulent behavior will be punished according to their severity by a range of penalties, from deduction of points, non-recognition of adequate obligations in the course, expulsion from the course to the strictest sanction, namely unconditional expulsion from the study. We encourage students to acquaint themselves with the problem of plagiarism and ways to avoid it.

Required Readings

Balmaceda, M. (2013). The Politics of Energy Dependency: Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania between Domestic Oligarchs and Russian Pressure. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-14-426-4533-2, p. 42-60. (19 pages)

Bryza, M. J. and Tuohy, E. C. (2013). Connecting the Baltic States to Europe's Gas Market. Talinn: International Centre for Defence Studies. ISBN 978-9949-9174-3-3, ISSN 2228-0529. https://icds.ee/wp-content/uploads/2013/Bryza,%20Tuohy%20-%20Connecting%20the%20Baltic%20States%20to%20Europe's%20Gas%20Market.pdf (12 pages)

Center for European Policy Analysis. (2016). Thinking Outside of the Russian Box: A way ahead for Poland’s gas sector. Washington, DC: Center for European Policy Analysis. https://cepa.ecms.pl/files/?id_plik=2432

Cernoch, F., Osicka, J., Ach-Hubner, R. and Dancak, B. (2015). ENERGIEWENDE: Current state, future development and the consequences for the Czech Republic. Brno: Masaryk University, p. 15-70, 103-142. ISBN 978-80-210-8279-3 (96 pages)

Dudzinska, K. (2015). A System of Unconnected Vessels: The Gas Market in the Baltic States. Bulletin of the Polish Institute of International Affairs, no. 56 (788), 2 June 2015. https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/191636/Bulletin%20PISM%20no%2056%20(788)%202%20June%202015.pdf (2 pages)

Getzner, M. (2003). Nuclear Policies in Central Europe. Environmental Policy and Enlargement of the European Union: Austria`s Policies towards Nuclear Reactors in Neighboring Countries. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang GmbH, p. 11-86 (76 pages)

Henderson, J. and Pirani, S. (2014). The Russian Gas Matrix: How markets are driving change. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 6–38. ISBN 978-0-198-70645-8 (33 pages)

Högselius, P. (2013). Red Gas: Russia and the origins of European energy dependence. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 1-8, 217-235. ISBN 978-1-137-28615-4 (27 pages)

ILF Consulting Engineers, and Purvin & Gertz. (2010). Study on the Technical Aspects of Variable Use of Oil Pipelines - Coming into the EU from Third Countries. Overall Report, p. 1-42 (42 pages). http://ec.europa.eu/energy/oil/studies/doc/2010_reporting_technical_aspects.pdf

Jirusek, M. (2017). Politicization in the natural gas sector in South-Eastern Europe: thing of the past or vivid present? Brno: Masaryk University, p. 48-53, 56-64, 86-100, 150-159, 168-176, 204-214. ISBN 978-80-210-8881-8 (62 pages)

Jirusek, M., Vlcek, T., Kodouskova, H., Robinson, R., Leshchenko, A., Lehotsky, L. and Zapletalova, V. (2015). Energy Security in Central and Eastern Europe and the Operations of Russian State-Owned Energy Enterprises. Brno: Masaryk University, p. 52-56, 106-130, 141-162, 206-224, 243-261, 338-362, 455-505, 506-533, 548-561, 578-606. ISBN 978-80-210-8048-5. https://munispace.muni.cz/library/catalog/book/790 (238 pages)

Kovacevic, A. (2009). The Impact of the Russia–Ukraine Gas Crisis in  South Eastern Europe. Oxford: Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. ISBN 978-1-901795-86-8, p. 1-19. https://www.oxfordenergy.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/NG29-TheImpactoftheRussiaUkrainianCrisisinSouthEasternEurope-AleksandarKovacevic-2009.pdf (19 pages)

Kundera, M. (1984). The Tragedy of Central Europe. The Ney Work Review of Books, April 26, 1984, p. 33-38. http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/materiellekultur/ag/migrationgender/download/zu_Annex_3_1_Kundera.pdf (5 pages)

Luft, G. and Korin, A. (2009). Realism and Idealism in the Energy Security Debate. In Luft, G. and Korin, A. (eds.). Energy Security Challenges for the 21st Century: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara: Praeger Security International, p. 335-348. (14 pages)

Magda, R., Bozsik, N., and Meyer, N. (2019). An Evaluation of Gross Inland Energy Consumption of Six Central European Countries. Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research. Vol. 6, no. 2, p. 270-281. DOI: 10.15549/jeecar.v6i2.291. https://www.ieeca.org/journal/index.php/JEECAR/article/view/291 (12 pages)

Maruszewska, E. W., Vanek, M., and Vilamova, S. (2014). Economic situation of hard coal mining industry in Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Acta Montanistica Slovaca. Vol. 19, no. 2, p. 70-78. https://actamont.tuke.sk/pdf/2014/n2/3maruszewska.pdf (9 pages)

Oxenstierna, S. (2014). Nuclear power in Russian Energy Policy. In. Oxenstierna, S. and Tynkkynen, V. (eds.). Russian Energy Security up to 2030, Abigdon & New York: Routledge, p. 150-168. ISBN 978-0-415-63964-6. (19 pages)

Reckova, D., Recka, L. and Scasny M. (2017). Coal Transition in the Czech Republic. Paris: Climate Strategies and The Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), p. 2-22. (21 pages)

Schepers, N. (2019). Russia's Nuclear Energy Exports: Status, Prospects and Implications. Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Papers No. 61, February 2019. EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium. https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2019-02/eunpdc_no_61_final.pdf (16 pages)

Sivek, M., Kavina, P., Jirásek, J. and Malečková, V. (2012). Factors Influencing the Selection of the Past and Future Strategies for Electricity Generation in the Czech Republic. Energy Policy, vol. 48, p. 650-656. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.05.073 (7 pages)

Smith Stegen, K. (2011). Deconstructing the “energy weapon”: Russia's threat to Europe as case study. Energy Policy, vol. 39, no. 10, p. 6505–6513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2011.07.051 (9 pages)

Stern, J. (2014). Russian Responses to Commercial Change in European Gas Markets. In: Henderson, J. and Pirani, S. (eds.). The Russian Gas Matrix: How markets are driving change. Oxford: The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. ISBN 978-01-987-0645-8, p. 50-81. (32 pages)

Szpor, Aleksander and Ziolkowska, Konstancja. (2018). The Transformation of the Polish Coal Sector. GSI Report. Winnipeg: International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/sites/default/files/publications/transformation-polish-coal-sector.pdf (21 pages)

The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats. (2019). Nuclear energy and the current security environment in the era of hybrid threats. Hybrid CoE Research Report. October 2019, p. 8-38. ISBN 978-952-7282-24-3. https://www.hybridcoe.fi/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Nuclear-Research-Report-2019_web.pdf (31 pages)

Thomas, S. (2018). Russia´s Nuclear Export Programme. Energy policy, vol. 121, p. 236–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.06.036 (12 pages)

Tvrdon, M. (2010). Consequences of the global economic crisis on the Czech economy. Scientific papers of the University of Pardubice. Series D, Faculty of Economics and Administration. ISSN 1211–555X. No. 17/2010, p. 339-351. https://dk.upce.cz//handle/10195/38507 (13 pages)

Vanek, M., Bora, P., Maruszewska, E. W., and Kasparkova, A. (2017). Benchmarking of mining companies extracting hard coal in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Resources Policy, vol. 53, p. 378–383. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2017.07.010 (6 pages)

Vlcek, T. (2015). Alternative Oil Supply Infrastructures for the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. 1th edition. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, p.113-173. ISBN 978-80-210-8035-5 (61 pages)

Vlcek, T. (2016). Critical assessment of diversification of nuclear fuel for the operating VVER reactors in the EU. Energy Strategy Reviews, vol. 2016, no. 13-14, p. 77-85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2016.08.006 (9 pages)

Vlcek, T. and Brhlikova, P. (2019). Chapter 8: The Electric Power Industry. In: Vlcek, T. (ed.). The Energy Sector and Energy Policy of the Czech Republic. 2nd revised edition. Brno: Masaryk University Press, p. 147-165. ISBN 978–80–210–9352–2. https://doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M210-9352-2019 (19 pages)

Vlcek, T. and Trmalova, E. (2019). Chapter 7: Renewables. In: Vlcek, T. (ed.). The Energy Sector and Energy Policy of the Czech Republic. 2nd revised edition. Brno: Masaryk University Press, p. 129-146 ISBN 978–80–210–9352–2. https://doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M210-9352-2019 (18 pages)

Vlcek, T., and Cervinkova, J. (2019). Chapter 5: The Natural Gas Sector. In: Vlcek, T. (ed.). The Energy Sector and Energy Policy of the Czech Republic. 2nd revised edition. Brno: Masaryk University Press, p. 83-103. ISBN 978–80–210–9352–2. https://doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M210-9352-2019 (21 pages)

Vlcek, T., and Jirusek, M. (2015). What are the Key Factors the Czech Republic Coal Industry is driven by? Coal International, vol. 263, no. 3, p. 28-36. (9 pages)

Vlcek, T., and Stasakova, T. (2019). Chapter 6: The Nuclear Sector. In: Vlcek, T. (ed.). The Energy Sector and Energy Policy of the Czech Republic. 2nd revised edition. Brno: Masaryk University Press, p. 104-128. ISBN 978–80–210–9352–2. https://doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M210-9352-2019 (25 pages)

Vlcek, T., Bodisova, L, and Cervinkova, J. (2019). Chapter 4: The Oil Sector. In: Vlcek, T. (ed.). The Energy Sector and Energy Policy of the Czech Republic. 2nd revised edition. Brno: Masaryk University Press, p. 66-82. ISBN 978–80–210–9352–2. https://doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M210-9352-2019 (17 pages)

Vlcek, T., Prokopova, G., Zapletalova, V., and Bendlova, P. (2019). Chapter 3: The Coal Sector. In: Vlcek, T. (ed.). The Energy Sector and Energy Policy of the Czech Republic. 2nd revised edition. Brno: Masaryk University Press, p. 44-65. ISBN 978–80–210–9352–2. https://doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M210-9352-2019 (22 pages)