MEBn4002 Energy Security

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Hedvika Koďousková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Hedvika Koďousková, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. Hedvika Koďousková, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Mon 10:00–11:40 P22
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! MEB429 Energy Security and Geopol. && !NOW( MEB429 Energy Security and Geopol. )
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
Abstract

The aim of the course is to develop students’ ability to think analytically and critically about energy security as a complex political, social, and normative phenomenon. Rather than presenting a single “correct” definition of energy security, the course introduces students to different ways of conceptualizing, studying, and interpreting energy security across diverse political and empirical contexts.

The course systematically engages with four main perspectives on energy security (traditional, securitization-based, critical, and individual-centred approaches) and demonstrates how the choice of an analytical perspective shapes the interpretation of problems, the questions that are asked, and the policy responses proposed in the field of energy security. Emphasis is placed on the ability to identify reference objects of energy security and to understand how their definition influences the ways in which energy issues are framed, interpreted, and politically addressed.

Students learn to critically assess the implications of different security frameworks and to reflect on their political, social, and normative effects. By linking theoretical approaches with empirical case studies, the course encourages students to justify their analytical choices and to evaluate their strengths and limitations in both academic and broader public contexts.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

  • Explain and compare different conceptions of energy security and understand how their interpretations vary depending on the analytical and political context.

  • Distinguish between and apply four main perspectives on energy security (traditional, securitization-based, critical, and individual-centred approaches) in the analysis of concrete empirical cases in the field of energy, including reflection on their respective strengths and limitations.

  • Identify reference objects of energy security and analyse how their definition shapes the framing of energy problems, the questions that are asked, and the policy responses that are proposed.

  • Recognise the role of discourse, power, and norms and critically assess the implications of different security frameworks.

Key topics
1) Course Introduction: How to Think about Energy Security; 2) The Historical Roots of Energy Security; 3) Contemporary Energy Systems as a Source of Energy (In)security; 4) Traditional Conceptions of Energy Security; 5) (Case Study) Supply, Dependence, and Control: Energy Security in China–Turkmenistan Relations; 6) Approaches Based on Securitization Theory; 7) (Case Study) What Is (and What Is Not) a Threat? The Securitization of Energy Supply Chains in China; 8) Reading Week; 9) Energy Security from a Critical Perspective; 10) (Case Study) Energy Security as the Protection of a Way of Life: The Case of Mobility in the United States; 11) Energy Security from an Individual-Centred Perspective; 12) (Case Study) Energy Security, Emancipation, and Democratization: Case Studies from the EU; 13) (Guest Lecture) Energy Security through the Lens of Decarbonization.
Study resources and literature
  • KESTER, Johannes. The politics of energy security : critical security studies, new materialism and governmentality. First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018, vi, 240. ISBN 9780367507664. info
  • DANNREUTHER, Roland. Energy security. First published. Cambridge: Polity, 2017, vii, 220. ISBN 9780745661919. info
  • HÖGSELIUS, Per. Energy and geopolitics. First published. London: Routledge, 2019, ix, 192. ISBN 9781138038394. info
  • YERGIN, Daniel. The prize : the epic quest for oil, money, and power. New York: Free Press, 1992, 877, xxxii. ISBN 0671799320. info
  • KACPER, Szulecki. Energy Security in Europe: Divergent Perceptions and Policy Challenges. Springer, 2017, 351 pp. ISBN 978-3-319-64964-1. info
  • SOVACOOL, Benjamin K.; Benjamin R. JONES and Roman V. SIDORTSOV. Energy security, equality and justice. First published. London: Routledge, 2014, xix, 213. ISBN 9780415815208. info
  • SURWILLO, Izabela. Energy security logics in Europe : threat, risk or emancipation? First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2019, ix nečís. ISBN 9781138387683. info
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
A combination of lectures and seminar-based teaching; engagement with academic literature and analytical frameworks; continuous written preparatory assignments focused on applying theory to empirical cases; case study analysis; guided discussion and collective reflection on analytical perspectives; student presentations of selected topics.
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
Regular attendance; completion of the assigned readings; submission of four written preparatory assignments based on the application of analytical approaches to empirical cases; active participation in class discussions (including presentation of selected assignments); completion of the final written exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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