Other European Languages and Cultural Studies|Theology and Religion

With an increasing awareness of the role of religion in the recent violent conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and in current global affairs, the module...

Religion in South-Eastern Europe: From the Age of Empires to Post-Communism (SEES0055)

With an increasing awareness of the role of religion in the recent violent conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and in current global affairs, the module introduces theoretical and historical reflections on religion in South-Eastern Europe, mainly Christianity (Eastern, Latin and Protestant Churches) but also Islam and Judaism. The module will draw upon a wide range of disciplinary approaches from the fields of history, sociology, anthropology, and political science. Integrating church history and religious studies into general political and national history narratives, the module opens new perspectives for students interested in both theoretical/methodological issues and the history of the region. Approaches that define religion in terms of “lived religion” and “everyday practice” will be applied to both past and contemporary religious developments. In particular the module aims to address the connections between religion, nationalism and political ideologies in South-Eastern Europe in the period of the dissolution of empires and the formation of modern nation states.

International Relations and Politics|Politics|Public Policy|Security|Technology

Emerging technologies|geopolitics|international security|cyber policy|artificial intelligence

Technological innovation and the fourth industrial revolution are introducing technologies that are rapidly shifting the nature of international interactions...

From Cyberwarfare to Robots: The Future of Global Conflict in the Digital Age (PUBL0087)

Technological innovation and the fourth industrial revolution are introducing technologies that are rapidly shifting the nature of international interactions and global conflict. Each technological leap opens a new world of infinite possibility as well as endless opportunities for misuse and abuse.

This course seeks to address the theoretical and policy implications of uses of technological innovation in international relations, conflict and conflict resolution.  Drawing upon the theoretical security literature and current policy discourse, this module considers the strategic, geopolitical, regulatory, legal and ethical dimensions of the use of new technologies including cyberwarfare, AI and autonomous systems, big data, quantum computing, Web 3.0 blockchain and nanotechnology. 

Highlighting both the potential positive and negative uses of new technologies, the course seeks to address transformative role of emerging and new technologies on conflict and its resolution.  Building on philosophical and strategic theories and conceptions of international relations and security, we seek to examine some of the critical questions posed by the use of these new technologies and their management, including: How do key strategies such as deterrence operate under these conditions? Is cyberspace a fifth dimension for warfare? How do we prevent  geopolitical rivalry fracturing the free, open and interoperable internet? How does international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict operate in these new conditions? Should there be an arms control regime for autonomous weapons systems? Can blockchain and drones reduce global conflict? How can we regulate for security without stifling innovation?

The course may not provide all the answers, but aims to open pathways to a more holistic understanding of key technological innovations, their potential to affect the dynamics of global conflict and the future of the public sphere.