Master
2023/2024
Politics and conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa region
Type:
Elective course (Socioeconomic and Political Development of Modern Asia)
Area of studies:
Asian and African Studies
Delivered by:
School of International Regional Studies
When:
1 year, 4 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Master’s programme:
Socioeconomic and Political Development of Modern Asia
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
32
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The course combines competencies in international relations and regional studies. The aim of the course is to provide the students with a thorough understanding of the nature, causes, history of the conflict and crisis situations in the Near and Middle East and North Africa (MENA region), the current state of affairs, the most probable modalities of the future developments and the impact of these situations on the overall international climate.
Learning Objectives
- To give insights into the nature of the states of the region, the characteristic features of the formation and implementation of the course in international and regional affairs, the influence of the personal factor on the developments of interstate relations, the conduct of the leaders in case of exacerbation of the conflict and crisis situations.
- To present in a concise form the key issues of the Arab-Israeli confrontation, the achievements of the Madrid peace process, as well as the reasons for the stagnation of the talks on the Israeli-Palestinian track.
- To provide the students with balanced and " tied " to the realities of the region information about the conflicts in Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, to show the dynamics and interaction of factors of regional and international scale, their impact on the conflicts in the particular countries of the region.
- To explain to the students the causes of the rise of activity of radical, terrorist elements in the region. The real history of the emergence and elimination of ISIL will be described, as well as personal considerations on possible options of the anti-terrorist struggle in period to come will also be presented.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Actively master the methods of imitation games, situational analysis to understand the dynamics of events in conflict situations in the Middle East and North Africa
- The competence to understand complex conflict situations in the Middle East, to assess the impact of this factor on the possibility of expanding Moscow relations with the countries of the region located in the close territorial proximity to the RF
- The ability to analyze independently the development of events in the MENA region, including the cases of deterioration of the of conflict and crisis situations
- Ориентируются в военном и военно-промышленном потенциале региональных акторов
- Знает и понимает основных игроков оружейного регионального рынка
- Знает и понимает предпосылки и основные вехи арабо-израильского конфликта
- Может проанализировать основные подходы к урегулированию арабо-израильских противоречий
- Может дать оценку и проанализировать предпосылки и ход основных современных конфликтов с участием Ирака
- Может назвать основные предпосылки "арабской весны" и проанализировать ее влияние на региональную систему международных отношений
- Может перечислить основные предпосылки конфликта. Понимает роли основных участников.
- Может дать развернутый анализ влияния иранской ядерной программы на региональную архитектуру МО
- Знает и понимает основные положения Совместного всеобъемлющего плана действий
- Понимает различия и противоречия основных конфессий и внутриконфессиональных течений региона
Course Contents
- Конфликтный потенциал региона БВСА
- Армии и региональный рынок оружия
- Арабо-израильский конфликт: истоки и современность
- Ирак: от регионального лидера к failed state
- "Арабская весна" и ее региональные последствия
- Сирийский конфликт
- Ядерная программа Ирана: заявка на региональную систему сдерживания
- Этно-конфессиональный фактор в региональных конфликтах.
