Department of Political Science Faculty of Social Studies Masaryk University Joštova 10, Brno Czech Republic Eurasian Security – syllabus Josef Kraus, PhD. Tomáš Šmíd, Ph.D. Overview of the course: The goal of the course is to introduce students to key problems of security in Eurasia. At the end of the course the students shall be capable to evaluate most important issues of Eurasian Security as geopolitical situation, major armed conflict, energy and resource politics, religious radicalism and extremism, international organized crime networks and transnationalized non- state armed actors . Organization of the course The course consists of lectures and seminar sessions. The seminary will be adapted according to the number of students in the course. The course is valued with 7 credits. Grading 1) Presentation and leading further discussion (maximum 10 points) 2) Paper (maximum 20 points) 3) Pass the test (maximum 30 points) Evaluation: A. 60-56 points B. 55-51 points C. 50-46 points D. 45-41 points E. 40-36 points F. > 35 points Presentation: Student (or two students together according to the presence) chooses one topic related to topic of lectures and approved by the lecturer, presents it and is obliged to answer all questions following the presentation. Time for one presentation is 10 - 15 minutes. The content, presentation skills, sources, and ability to accelerate discussion are under assessment consideration. Paper: Student elaborates a more detailed paper about chosen topic of the presentation. Length 18 000 – 21 600 characters with spaces Methods of citation according to Czech Journal of Political Science (http://www.politologickycasopis.cz/en/about-us/methods-of-citation/). Test: Questions focused and based on the problems presented in the assigned readings and/or discussed in the lectures and seminars. Course structure: 1. Lesson Topic: Introduction Basic information about course organization, syllabus consultation, paper and presentation topics introduction. 2. Lesson Topic: Specification and Demarcation of Eurasia – basic geographical a historical facts Lecturer: Tom Šmíd Literature: Mackinder, H. (1904): The geographical pivot of history. The Geopraphical Journal. 4/1904. Vol. 23. pp. 298 – 321 (24 pp.). 3. Lesson Topic: Global Geopolitics of Eurasia Lecturer: Tom Šmíd Literature: Crygiel, J. (2006): Great Powers and Geopolitical Change. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 21 – 39 (18 pp.) 4. Lesson Topic: Reconnection of Eurasia – New Silk Road, TRACECA, Sea transport (String of Pearls. Piracy) Lecturer: Tom Šmíd Literature: Kuchins, A. – Mankoff, K. (2015): Central Asia in a Reconnecting Eurasia, Washington, DC: CSIS. 12 pp. 5. Lesson Topic: Eastern Europe as a Conflict Zone (Russia versus Ukraine etc.) Lecturer: Tom Šmíd Literature: Triantaphyllou, Dimitrios. 2010. The ‘security paradoxes’ of the Black Sea region. In: Triantaphyllou, Dimitrios (ed. 2010): The Security Context in the Black Sea Region. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 3 – 20 (17 pp.). 6. Lesson Topic: Resource and Energy Games in Eurasia I. – Persian Gulf and Caspian Basin Lecturer: Josef Kraus Literature: Klare, M. (2001): Resource wars: the new landscape of global conflict, Metropolitan Books, New York. pp. 51 - 108 Additional reading: FAHLANDER, Patric. 2011. Regional Security in the Persian Gulf: Indications of change in a Regional Security Complex, available at: http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=2063618&fileOId=2152588 7. Lesson Topic: Organized Crime in Eurasia – Russian mafia, Chinese triads, Yakuza Lecturer: Tom Šmíd Literature: Kupatadze, A. (2012): Organized Crime, Political Transitions and State Formation in Post-Soviet Eurasia. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 46 – 89 (43 pp.) 8. Lesson Topic: Resource and Energy Games in Eurasia II. – South China Sea Lecturer: Josef Kraus Literature: RASMEEFUENG, Natas. 2013. Southeast Asian Security Complex: The Case of The Spratly Islands Conflict, available at: http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=4004388&fileOId=4004389 JONES, Catherine. Great powers, ASEAN, and security: reason for optimism?, in The Pacific Review, Volume 28, 2015 - Issue 2, available from MU computers at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09512748.2014.995125 9. Lesson Topic: Warlordism and Militias in Eurasia – Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Caucasus Lecturer: Tom Šmíd Literature: Marten, K. (2012) Warlords. Strong Arms Brokers in Weak States. London and Ithaca: Cornell University Press. pp. 3 – 47 (44 pp.) 10. Lesson Topic: Proliferation of WMD – Iranian case, Pakistani – Indian conflict, Syria Lecturer: Josef Kraus Literature: Cirincione, J. – Wolfsthal, J. Rajkumar, M. (2005): Deadly Arsenals. Washington: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, pp. 1 – 82. 11. Lesson Topic: Middle East as a Zone of Religious Violence Lecturer: Josef Kraus Literature: Wehrey, F. et all, (2009): Saudi-Iranian Relations Since the Fall of Saddam Rivalry, Cooperation, and Implications for U.S. Policy, Rand Corporation, available online at: https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG840.pdf pp. 1 - 44 12. Lesson Topic: Terrorist Networks across Eurasia Lecturer: Josef Kraus Literature: U. S. Department of State (2016): Country Reports on Terrorism – Chapter 2. Country Reports: East Asia and Pacific and Country Reports: Middle East and North Africa, available online at: https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2016/ 13. Lesson Topic: Migration and Eurasia – main routes Lecturer: Josef Kraus Literature: Kelly M. Greenhill (2010): Weapons of mass migration: forced displacement, coercion, and foreign policy, Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. Pp. 12 - 74