Fall 2024 Political Science GU4845 section 001

NAT SECURITY STRAT OF MID EAST

NAT SECURITY STRAT OF MID

Call Number 17463
Day & Time
Location
T 12:10pm-2:00pm
201 80 Claremont Ave
Points 4
Grading Mode Standard
Approvals Required None
Instructor Charles D Freilich
Type SEMINAR
Method of Instruction In-Person
Course Description At the crossroads of three continents, the Middle East is home to many diverse peoples, with ancient and proud cultures, in varying stages of political and socio-economic development, often in conflict. Following the Arab Spring and subsequent upheaval in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and more, the region is in a state of historic flux. The Sunni-Shia rivalry, especially between Saudi Arabia and Iran, growing Iranian-Israeli conflict, population explosion, poverty and authoritarian control, Russian ascendance and US retrenchment, are the primary regional drivers today. Together, these factors have transformed the Middle Eastern landscape, with great consequence for the national security of the countries of the region and their foreign relations. The primary source of the worlds energy resources, the Middle East remains the locus of the terror-WMD-fundamentalist nexus, which continues to pose a significant threat to both regional and international security. The course surveys the national security challenges facing the regions primary players (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinians and Turkey,) and how the convolutions of recent years have affected them. Unlike many Middle East courses, which focus on US policy in the region, the course concentrates on the regional players perceptions of the threats and opportunities they face and the strategies they have adopted to deal with them. It thus provides an essential vantage point for those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of a region, which stands at the center of many of the foreign policy issues of our era. The course is designed for those with a general interest in the Middle East, especially those interested in national security issues, students of comparative politics and future practitioners, with an interest in real world international relations and national security.
Web Site Vergil
Department Political Science
Enrollment 17 students (20 max) as of 9:05AM Thursday, January 2, 2025
Subject Political Science
Number GU4845
Section 001
Division Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Note No direct registration; students should join waitlist.
Section key 20243POLS4845G001