Delivered at:: School of International Affairs

Course type:: Compulsory course

When:: 2 year, 1, 2 module

Instructor

Skriba, Andrei

Full Syllabus

Abstract

This course is concerned with current global trends and regional dynamics, explaining the nature of those development through the examination of geographic and historical conditions which impacted state-building process of a particular nation.

Learning Objectives

To engage with the key concepts and ideas in traditional geopolitical thought and be able to make a distinction between the study geopolitics and international relations.
To evaluate the historical background of geopolitical tradition and know the main geopolitical scholars and their contribution to the evolution of geopolitics as a field of science.
To discuss the critical strand in the study of geopolitics and evaluate the relevance of critical geopolitics in explaining the nature of contemporary international relations.
To identify the major geopolitical actors in the global political arena and analyze the distribution of power in the contemporary geopolitical system.
To understand the importance of certain geopolitical characteristics and historical background in determining geopolitical objectives of a particular state and its perception of other actors in the global system.
To analyze the relationship between the traditional geopolitics and newly emerging trends and ideas in the geopolitical discourse of major geopolitical actors.

Expected Learning Outcomes

To be able to evaluate the contemporary patterns of global and regional dynamics by looking at the history of geopolitical thought and employing traditional geopolitical concepts and ideas
To be able to interpret the fundamental developments in the international arena in the post-Cold War era by invoking the main conclusions of geopolitical scholars of the Cold War era
To develop the factual understanding of the Cold War period, its political dynamics and and a profound impact on geopolitics and international relations
To develop the understanding of the stages in the formation of the United Staes as a geopolitical actors and be able to evaluate its current position in the international arena
To draw on the contemporary cases of geopolitical powers and develop the appreciation of the role of geopolitics in the international politics
To engage with the historical transformation of Russia and its unique geographic conditions in order to assess the main priorities and political orientations of Russia as one of the key geopolitical actors
To have profound knowledge about China's current geopolitical developments and the possible implications of the rise of China for the distribution of power in the global arena
To look at the critical tradition in the geopolitical thought and be able to critically analyse the main ideas and propositions of traditional geopolitics
To understand the nature of interstate relations from the perspective of geopolitical analysis and be able to apply in practice acquired factual knowledge about the classical and modern strand in geopolitics

Course Contents

The birth of geopolitics
The beginning of the Cold War geopolitics
World politics after the Cold War ended
Critical geopolitics
The key players in contemporary geopolitics
History and geography of the United States
History and geography of Russia
History and geography of China
Geopolitics and its value

Assessment Elements

Seminar participation
The in-class activities are based on: lectures on online.hse.ru “Introduction to Contemporary geopolitics” course; Articles/Books/Home readings; Home questions; Questions for the discussion. All students are expected to attend every class and participate by contributing to the in-class discussions, participating in group projects and making notes. The statements and answers to the questions must contain well formulated arguments that clearly show your position. To do this, students must demonstrate a quality preparation for the seminar: read all the assigned literature and be ready to perform your critical evaluation of it.
Test
TheTest is composed of 30-40 questions covering all the topics studied throughout the course. The test is designed to check the students' comprehension of the covered material and their ability to engage in critical evaluation of global and regional processes.
Final Exam
The Final Exam will be held in the form of an oral examination. Students will be tested on knowledge and understanding of the material covered during the course. Students are expected to give comprehensive and analytical answers.

Interim Assessment

2023/2024 2nd module
0.4 * Final Exam + 0.4 * Seminar participation + 0.2 * Test

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Aaltola, M., & Käpylä, J. (2016). U.S. and Chinese Silk Road initiatives: towards a geopolitics of flows in Central Asia and beyond. Germany, Europe: B. Budrich. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.849A1B4A
Bandeira, M., & Guimarães, S. P. (2017). The Second Cold War : Geopolitics and the Strategic Dimensions of the USA. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1527484
Black, J. (2016). Geopolitics and the Quest for Dominance. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1092425
Cohen, S. B. (2015). Geopolitics : The Geography of International Relations (Vol. Third edition). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=920009
Dittmer, J., & Sharp, J. (2014). Geopolitics : An Introductory Reader. Hoboken: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=806225
Editorial article. (2016). International Conference “Shifting Geopolitics & Security Among Major Powers: China, Russia & The United States.” Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.EE78FABD
Guiora, A. N. (2014). Modern Geopolitics and Security : Strategies for Unwinnable Conflicts. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=661020
Ikenberry, G. J. (2014). The Illusion of Geopolitics. Foreign Affairs, 93(3), 80. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=f5h&AN=95603432
Jones, B. (2014). Fueling a new order? : The new geopolitical and security consequences of energy / Bruce Jones, David Steven, and Emily O’Brien. Washington/D.C: Brookings. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.413071278
Kappel, R. (DE-588)137762747, (DE-576)161650112. (2015). Global power shifts and challenges for the global order / Robert Kappel. Lisboa: Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.468206930
Kurecic, P. (2015). Geoeconomic and Geopolitical Conflicts: Outcomes of the Geopolitical Economy in a Contemporary World. World Review of Political Economy, 6(4), 522–543. https://doi.org/10.13169/worlrevipoliecon.6.4.0522
Modern Geostrategy ; Geostrategy and Geopolitics. (2017). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.25D67EDD
Wrobel, R. M. (2019). Chinese geopolitics in Southeast Asia : a new pattern of economic power within ASEAN? Asiatische Studien : Zeitschrift Der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft / Études Asiatiques : Revue de La Société Suisse-Asie, (1), 149. https://doi.org/10.5169/seals-823081

Recommended Additional Bibliography

An, N., & Zhu, H. (2018). Conceptual and theoretical debates in modern geopolitics and their implications for Chinese geopolitics. Area Development & Policy, 3(3), 368–382. https://doi.org/10.1080/23792949.2017.1405732
Arctic Geopolitics, Media and Power. (2019). Netherlands, Europe: Taylor & Francis. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.BD2F7482
Baldwin, D. A. (2016). Power and International Relations : A Conceptual Approach. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1090916
Chaziza, M. (2018). The Chinese Maritime Silk Road Initiative: The Role of the Mediterranean. Mediterranean Quarterly, 29(2), 54–69. https://doi.org/10.1215/10474552-6898099
Geography, Power, Strategy and Defence Policy: Essays in Honour of Paul Dibb. (2016). Netherlands, Europe: ANU Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.C0AF7690
Kramer, P. A. (2018). The Geopolitics of Mobility: Immigration Policy and American Global Power in the Long Twentieth Century. American Historical Review, 123(2), 393–438. https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/123.2.393
Mothata, L. (2016). What to make of the new world order. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.FE0C62DC
Muscarà, L. (2017). Geopolitics and the Quest for Dominance. Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 47(4), 537–538. https://doi.org/10.1162/JINH_r_01054
Muzalevsky, R. (2015). China’s rise and reconfiguration of Central Asia’s geopolitics : a case for U.S. “pivot” to Eurasia / Roman Muzalevsky. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsgpr&AN=edsgpr.000967969
P. P. Brazhnikov. (2015). A Case of Struggle between Land and Sea Powers: A Critical Geopolitcs Viewpoint. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.4830EE70
Sloan, G. R. (2017). Geopolitics, Geography and Strategic History. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1470129
Vasif HUSEYNOV. (2016). Soft power geopolitics: how does the diminishing utility of military power affect the Russia – West confrontation over the “Common Neighbourhood.” Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.CF22E9A4

Bachelor’s Programme 'Asian and African Studies'

Contacts

Introduction to Contemporary Geopolitics