FSS:ESS403 Exploring Energy Security - Course Information

ESS403 Exploring Energy Security: An Introduction

Extent and Intensity

1/1/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

Mgr. Hedvika Koďousková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Jan Osička, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Filip Černoch, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

doc. Mgr. Filip Černoch, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.

Timetable

Tue 15:15–16:45 U44

Prerequisites

Ability to read, discuss, and write in academic English. Willingness to work independently during the course.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• Energy Security Studies (Eng.) (programme FSS, N-MS)

Course objectives

The concept of energy security is widely used with no broad consensus on it precise interpretation. The aim of the course is to introduce students the nature of energy security and make them familiar with its various definitions and dimensions. While covering different actors, levels of analysis and dimensions, some particular energy security issues will be investigated as well. Based on previous distinction, basic methods/indexes for measuring energy security will be introduced during the course, so students will gain a workable framework for their future analyses.

Syllabus

• The course will cover following topics in 13 classes:
• Energy security – what does it really mean?
• Energy geography.
• Energy institutions.
• Energy geopolitics (position paper 1).
• Energy markets (position paper 2).
• The environmental dimension of energy security (position paper 3).
• The societal dimension of energy security: energy poverty (position paper 4).
• Measuring energy security: methods and indexes.
• Presentation of final projects.

Literature

• The Routledge handbook of energy security. Edited by Benjamin K. Sovacool. New York: Routledge. xviii, 436. ISBN 9780203834602. 2011. info
• Kruyt, B., & van Vuuren, D. P., & de Vries, H. J. M., & Groenenberg, H. (2009). Indicators for energy security. Energy Policy, 37, pp. 2166-2181.
• PASCAL, Carlos and Jonathan ELKIND. Energy Security: Economics, Politics, Strategie and Implications. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. 279 pp. 2009. info
• Sovacool, B. K., & Mukherjee, I. (2011). Conceptualizing and measuring energy security: A synthesized approach. Energy, 36, pp. 5343-5355.

Teaching methods

Students will be required to prepare and submit 4 position papers in which they contemplate primarily, but not exclusively, on assigned obligatory or recommended literature. Readings serve to broaden and deepen the spectrum of knowledge students acquire during lectures; position papers improve the ability of students to summarize given issue and to evaluate it critically; lectures involve class discussions and require active participation. Students are further required to prepare and submit seminar paper/final project on particular issue and present their results in class at the end of the course. Oral presentations serve to improve students´ presentation skills and their abilities to emphasize important information and omit the less significant in a given time. Final exam helps students to summarize acquired knowledge.

Assessment methods

4 position papers; seminar paper; final exam.

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

The course is taught annually.

Listed among pre-requisites of other courses

• ESSn4003 Energy and Society: An Introduction
  !ESS403 && !NOW(ESS403) && !MEBn5010 && !NOW(MEBn5010)  
• MEBn5010 Energy and Society: An Introduction
  !ESS403 && !NOW(ESS403) && !ESSn4003 && !NOW(ESSn4003)  

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2015, recent)
  
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