INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

* Order and topics of classes might slightly change. Introduction to the course. Presentation of the Instructor(s), review of the program and explanation of assessment modalities. Introduction to the concept of security. During (and in many respects before) the Cold War, security was defined and perceived mainly in military terms. After the fall of the bipolar system, the concept of security did change dramatically. Non-state actors expanded their role in security matters, while economic, energy, environmental, cyber and other non-military domains of security became increasingly important. Furthermore, globalization made it harder to conceive a clear distinction between national and international security. Reading: World Economic Forum, The Global risks report 2025. Free download here: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Risks_Report_2025.pdf The theories of international security The class will discuss the theoretical debate within scholars of International relations and security, with liberal and constructivist theories challenging the "realist paradigm" and its emphasis on international anarchy and military power. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Introduction and chapters 1, 2, 3. Optional readings: - Slaughter A.M., International relations, Principal Theories, in Wolfrum R. (ed.), Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Oxford University Press, 6 pp. (freely available at the following link: https://slaughter.scholar.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf4716/files/slaughter/files/722_intlrelprincipaltheories_slaughter_20110509zg.pdf - Edward D. Mansfield & Jack Snyder, Democratization and war, 1995 (article freely available on: https://canvas.harvard.edu/files/3411125/download?download_frd=1) - W. Andy Knight, Is There a New International Relations Theory?, «Caribbean Journal of International Relations & Diplomacy», Vol. 1, No. 2, June 2013, pp. 27-37 (freely available on https://journals.sta.uwi.edu/ojs/index.php/iir/article/view/368/320 )

Military operations for stabilization and reconstruction in fragile States. Reading: P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: chapters of part 3. Energy and Security The class will discuss the different meanings of energy security, the different perspectives from which it is possible to look at energy’s geopolitical implications and the strategies used by States to face the challenges connected to energy sources. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapters 34 and 36 Optional readings: Free documents/articles from: https://www.iea.org/topics

Organised crime. Students will be given an overview of the activities of some of the main Italian and European organised criminal groups. The class will also discuss some recent initiatives undertaken to combat mafia-style groups at national and EU level. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapter 31 EUROPOL (SOCTA/OCTA, IOCTA) reports: https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/main-reports Economic security The relation between economics and security can be analyzed from two different (but related) perspectives, since “resources” can be viewed not only as a cause of insecurity, but also as an instrument for promoting development and peace. This class considers both the viewpoints and focuses on the contemporary dimension of economic national security (i.e., security of national companies and techno-industrial assets, relation between financial flows and security, instruments of economic security policy such as the Golden Power, etc.). Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapters 17, 30 Optional reading: - S. Pasquazzi, Economic Intelligence, in V. Ilari – G. Della Torre (eds.), Economic Warfare, Italian Society of Military History, Acies, Milano, pp. 499-514. https://www.societaitalianastoriamilitare.org/quaderni/2017%20Quaderno%20Sism%20Economic%20Warfare.pdf

The outer-space and security. With an original and multiperspective approach, the class will focus on the nexus between the outer space and security. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapter 40. - H. Ghassabian, Regulating Access to Outer Space. The First Italian Law on Space Economy, 2024: https://www.squirepattonboggs.com/-/media/files/insights/publications/2024/07/regulating-access-to-outer-space/regulating_access_to_outer_space.pdf?rev=0604069103464ad88692c5db99f943c2 The protection of cultural heritage. Attacks against heritage and cultural diversity have become a recurrent phenomenon in a number of recent armed conflicts (i.e., Syria, Iraq, etc.). Such attacks are often compounded by the looting and illicit trafficking of cultural objects, which contribute to global organized crime, economic insecurity and, in turn, to fueling armed conflict. Given this premise, and also referring to the role played by UNESCO and the UN Blue Helmets for Culture, the class will show how and why protecting cultural heritage (and integrating the cultural dimension in conflict prevention & resolution) constitutes not only a cultural emergency, but also a political, humanitarian and security imperative. Reading: P. Foradori, S. Giusti and A. G. Lamonica, Reshaping Cultural Heritage Protection Policies at a Time of Securitisation: France, Italy, and the United Kingdom: https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/foradori-giusti-lamonica.pdf

Securing the critical infrastructures. More than ever, international security depends upon safe access to the global commons and the protection of several critical infrastructures (in maritime, air, space and cyber-space domains). These infrastructures are essential to international commerce, communication and governance. However, they can be threatened by criminal organizations and terrorist groups: as the class wants to show, that is why it is vital states and the international community find ways to strengthen and maintain critical infrastructures and their responsible use and protection. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapter 39. European Commission, Protection of Critical Infrastructures: https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/scientific-activities-z/critical-infrastructure-protection_en EU cybersecurity: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/cyber-security EU Directive on critical entities resilience: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2557/oj Private corporations and security: general overview and the Luxottica case

EUROPOl and security. The class will deal with counter-crime related issues, focusing in particular on the role of EUROPOL. Readings: EUROPOL (SOCTA/OCTA, IOCTA) reports: https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/main-reports Cyber security - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapters 38 - 39. Cyber security for ports The lesson has the aim to create awareness among students of the need to address the issue of cybersecurity for ports, as well as offer a pragmatic approach to deal with the related cyber threats. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapters 38 - 39.

Transnational crime and UNODOC. Students will be given an overview of why and how in the last decades transnational crime has emerged as a threat to (national and global) security. The class will also discuss some recent initiatives undertaken by UNODOC to combat transnational criminal groups and their activities. Readings: P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th ed., Routledge, 2023: Chapter 31. UNODOC reports: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/world-drug-report-2023.html https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/wildlife.html Religiously inspired terrorism. A threat to global security well before 9/11 and the rise of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, in the next years ‘religious’ terrorism could decrease in terms of groups and activities, but it could not disappear from the security agenda of States. The lesson will include not only a brief review of the main contemporary religious terrorist groups (causes and dynamics), but also a specific part on the strategies to prevent and contrast their activities (at the national and international level as well). Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapters 26-27. L. Corna, Introduction on Money Laundering and Financial Terrorism Risks, Iason: https://www.iasonltd.com/doc/rps/2021/2021_Introduction_on_Money_Laundering_and_Financial_Terrorism_Risks.pdf - FinanceInskeptionen, Terrorism financing - a very brief summary: http://www.fi.se/contentassets/1944bde9037c4fba89d1f48f9bba6dd7/terrorism-financing-summary-160315_eng.pdf

Women and security. When women lead and participate in peace processes, peace lasts longer. Research shows that achieving gender equality helps in preventing conflict, and high rates of violence against women correlates with the outbreaks of conflict. Despite the evidence, actions for women’s inclusion, leadership and protection remain inadequate. In some areas, there has even been a roll back on progress. At the same time, violent extremism is on the rise, so that women are not only targets of systematic sexual violence, since have become targets of recruiters as well — women made up at least 20 to 30 % of foreign terrorist fighters. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: chapter 35 - UN Security Council resolution 1325: freely available on https://peacemaker.un.org/node/105 - Gender perspectives in NATO Armed Forces: https://www.nato.int/cps/su/natohq/topics_101372.htm Cyber threats from hacking to cyber war. Also because of its connection with other dimensions of security, the so-called cyber-threat is progressively becoming one of the most debated security issues of our times, or ‘the new frontier of (in)security’. This class focuses on the different ways to look at the cyber domain (also called by some the ‘5th dimension of warfare’) and some of the instruments States and private companies can use to deal with its challenges. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapters 38 – 39.

Health and security. Security experts have recently acknowledged at least three links between health and security: traditional diseases posing threats to human security (i.e. malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, etc.); newly emerging diseases posing threats to national security (in terms of both deaths and economic disruption: COVID-19, SARS, MERS, avian flu, swine flu, etc.); some diseases connected to biological agents (such as anthrax, smallpox or plague etc.), which can pose threats to bio-security (within the context of international efforts to combating terrorism). The class will compare different ways in which the health-security nexus can be conceptualized and managed in terms of policies. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies: an introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapter 37 - US National Intelligence Council, Economic and National Security Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic through 2026: https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/NIE-Economic_and_National_Securtiy_Implications_of_the_COVID-19_Pandemic_Through_2026.pdf - World Health Organization, Communicating risk in public health emergencies: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK540729/ Optional readings: - World Health Organization (WHO), Terrorist threats to food, Guidance for establishing and strengthening prevention and response systems, http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/42619/1/9241545844.pdf - WHO, Public health response to biological and chemical weapons: WHO guidance, https://www.who.int/csr/delibepidemics/biochemguide/en/ The EU, European Security and NATO. Several crises within and beyond European borders are significantly affecting EU’s security. Serious issues such as the war in Ukraine, mass migration flows, economic insecurity, conflicts and terrorism are challenging Europe as never before. In addition, the EU may still be challenged by possible negative consequences of Covid-19, the action of socio-political movements questioning its purpose and existence and its ambivalent and complex relations with other actors of the international system. Starting from this general framework, the class will critically reflect on the European foreign and security & defence policies. The class wants also to critically reflect on NATO as a multilateral security provider and, more in general, on the relation between the US and its European allies. Readings: - Documents and articles available at the following links: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/strategic-compass-security-and-defence-1_en https://natolibguides.info/nato2030/2022strategicconcept

Regional security: the Mediterranean area and a comparative perspective. Migration and security. This class wants to show how contemporary migrations relate to (inter)national security. The goal is not only to explain different security risks connected to mass population movements, but also to illustrate how States and international organizations try to manage mass migration flows – which however can also represent a great opportunity. Readings: - P. D. Williams – M. McDonald (eds.), Security Studies, 4th edition, Routledge, 2023: Chapter 33.

Team workshops: presentations by students Team workshops: presentations by students

Team workshops: presentations by students Team workshops: presentations by students