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Course Syllabus

Bachelor 2018/2019

Nuclear Factor in International Relations

Type: Elective course (International Relations)
Area of studies: International Relations
Delivered by: School of International Affairs
Where: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
When: 3 year, 1, 2 module
Mode of studies: offline
Instructors: Ivan Safranchuk
Language: English
ECTS credits: 3
Contact hours: 48

Course Syllabus

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course “Nuclear factor in international affairs” examines the major nuclear issues affecting international relations, their historic background and the current situation. The course is compulsory for Russian students and elective for international. The course aims at providing students with a comprehensive vision of the current nuclear agenda. The course covers the following major fields: nuclear strategy of great powers, bilateral and multilateral arms control, peaceful nuclear energy, global non-proliferation regime, and regional nuclear issues in the Middle East, the East Asia, and the South Asia.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • The main goal of the course is to provide students with basic knowledge on the aforementioned items and also to give them understanding how global and regional powers interact on nuclear issues, including:  to introduce basic definitions and concepts;  to provide students with the overview of the main nuclear issues: nuclear strategy of great powers, bilateral and multilateral arms control, peaceful nuclear energy, global non-proliferation regime, and regional nuclear issues in the Middle East, the East Asia, and the South Asia;  to orient students to understand interests of global and regional powers in the nuclear field, their interconnection and policies;  to provide students with methodology for future study and research of nuclear issues.
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Recognizes period major approaches to the nuclear strategy during the Cold War
  • Assesses major Post-Cold War nuclear strategies, bilateral and multilateral nuclear arms control
  • Distinguishes major movements for prohibition and abolishing of nuclear weapons
  • Discerns major technical trends and political dilemmas in nuclear energy
  • Assesses the challenges to the nonproliferation regime during the Cold War
  • Takes measures of history of conclusion, commitments of nuclear and non-nuclear states
  • Identifies the concept of territories free of nuclear weapons
  • Characterizes major limitations on nuclear tests
  • Assesses the historic cases of WMD considerations and decisions: Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Far East, South Asia, Africa
  • Defines the role of non-state actors in the region with regard to WMD proliferation and terrorism
  • Characterizes Iran’s Nuclear Program and JCPOA
  • Illustrates South Asian nuclear balances and global security
  • Assesses major nuclear issues in the East Asia
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Nuclear Weapons and arms control in the Cold War
    In the Cold War period major approaches to the nuclear strategy shaped: deterrence, MAD, strategic stability. The US and the Soviet Union went through several rounds of nuclear competition. At the same time arms control negotiations started in late 1960s. SALT I, AMB Treaty, SALT II, INF, START I, unilateral commitments on tactical nuclear weapons.
  • Post-Cold War nuclear strategies, bilateral and multilateral nuclear arms control
    After the end of the Cold War nuclear strategies of major nuclear powers evolved. The US and Russia had bilateral treaties on nuclear reductions. START II, Moscow Treaty, New START. Debates on missile defense before and after the US withdrawal from the AMB Treaty. The problem of shifting from bilateral to multilateral arms control negoatiations.
  • International movements for prohibition of nuclear weapons
    During and after the Cold War movements for prohibition and abolishing of nuclear weapons emerged. Sometime they were so strong leaders of nuclear powers had to take them into account.
  • Nuclear energy: technical trends and political dilemmas
  • Nuclear non-proliferation during the Cold War
    Non-proliferation Treaty and regime: history of conclusion, commitments of nuclear and non-nuclear states, the balance between them. Challenges to the nonproliferation regime during the Cold War
  • Nuclear non-proliferation after the Cold War
    Solutions to the non-proliferation risks of the Soviet Union disintegration. Nonproliferation at the end of the Cold War: globalization of the NPT, regional opportunities and challenges to nuclear proliferation. Proliferation vs. non-proliferation calculus and regional conflicts after the Cold War. National and international proposal to strengthen non-proliferation regime.
  • Zones free of Nuclear Weapons.
    Concept of territories free of nuclear weapons. Regional nonproliferation treaties before and after the NPT. Treaty of Tlatelolco (1967), Rarotonga (1985), Bangkok (1995), Pelindaba (1996), Treaty on Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia (2006).
  • Limitations on Nuclear tests
    Historic context for limitations on nuclear tests. US and Soviet/Russian moratoriums on nuclear tests. CTBT. Non-proliferation aspects of CTBT. Arms control aspects of CTBT. Why CTBT does not come into force?
  • Threshold countries and abstainers
    Historic cases of WMD considerations and decisions: Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Far East, South Asia, Africa. Why many countries considered a military nuclear option, but then rejected it. Some did it relatively easy in the 1950s and 1960s. Others sustained military nuclear programs for decades before closing them. Some did it absolutely voluntarily. Others under international press. A number of states remain in the category of threshold states (capable to make a nuclear weapon if a political decision is taken).
  • Nuclear Issues in the Middle East
    History and contemporary review of the nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Israel as the only state in the region with nuclear weapons. Cases of Egypt; Israel; Iraq; Libya; Syria; Turkey. Motivations for regional state actors for development of their WMD programs. Role of non-state actors in the region with regard to WMD proliferation and terrorism.
  • Iran’s Nuclear Program and JCPOA
    The roots of Iranian nuclear program from the Shah to the Iran-Iraq war. Peaceful nuclear developments in Iran. Clandestine nuclear program. Iranian dossier at the IAEA and the UN Security Council. Discussions and negotiations over the Iranian nuclear issue (2012-2015). Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (2015). JCPOA sustainability.
  • Nuclear issues in the South Asia
    Political, security and economic backgrounds for the military nuclear program of India and Pakistan. India’s way off the isolation: U.S.-Indian deal, IAEA agreement, attempts to get in NSG. AQ Khan network: Pakistan’s episode or policy? Pakistan’s attempts to end with the isolation. The current role and future of the nuclear arsenal and doctrine of India and Pakistan. Bilateral nuclear balances between Pakistan and India, India and China. Regional nuclear triangle China-IndiaPakistan. Connections between South Asian nuclear balances and neighboring regions. South Asian nuclear balances and global security.
  • Nuclear issues in the East Asia
    WMD program of the DPRK: disarmament and nonproliferation aspects. Rapid Acceleration of DPRK Nuclear Missile Program, its success and changes in the USA strategic calculus. Threshold powers in the East Asia region (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan). Risks of nuclearization chain reaction in the region.
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Seminar discussions of readings
  • non-blocking Class attendance
  • non-blocking Oral presentation
  • non-blocking Oral exam
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • Interim assessment (2 module)
    Students are required to attend class, be prepared to discuss the readings. Students may also volunteer to give an oral presentation. All this contributes to the final grade. The weight of the interim grade for class attendance in the final grade will be 15%. The weight of the interim grade for seminar discussions in the final grade will be 40%. The weight of the interim grade for presentations in the final grade will be 20%. Thus, a grade for the oral exam in the end of the course will weight 45% for those students who do not make an oral presentation and 25% for those who make it.
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Abolishing nuclear weapons : a debate / George Perkovich ... eds. (2009). Washington/D.C: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.389545724
  • Anton Khlopkov. (2002). NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION IN U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES PIR Library Series. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.7D494103
  • Assessing the United Nations register of conventional arms / United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. (2009). New York/N.Y. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.389431923
  • Certification relating to the joint comprehensive plan of action between the P5+1, the European Union, and Iran : communication from the Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, the Department of State transmitting certification relating to the joint comprehensive plan of action between the P5+1, the European Union, and Iran. (2015). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsgpr&AN=edsgpr.ocn934134883
  • Deterrence instability and nuclear weapons in South Asia [Elektronische Ressource] / ed. by Michael Krepon . (2015). Washington/D.C: Stimson. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.444960392
  • Disarmament forum : The new security debate / United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. (1999). Geneva: UNIDIR. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.385514174
  • Kimball, D. G. (2016). The Debate Over Banning the Bomb. Arms Control Today, 46(8), 1–3. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=poh&AN=119075692
  • The nuclear tipping point : why states reconsider their nuclear choices / Kurt M. Campbell ... editors. (2004). Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.271818506

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Interfax. (2018, June 10). Sco Member Countries for Sustainable Implementation of Jcpoa on Iran, Call on All Signatories to Strictly Meet Their Obligations - Sco Summit Declaration. Russia & FSU General News, p. 1. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=bwh&AN=130040266
  • Nikitin, A., & North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (2009). Lessons to Be Learned From Non-proliferation Failures and Successes : Human and Societal Dynamics. Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=269142