International and internal conflicts are an enduring feature in the global arena, and a frequent subject in policy discourse and action. The aim of the course is to introduce students to the analysis of issues of war, security and peace-making from a variety of perspectives.

Knowledge and understanding: The course provides theoretical tools to analyze conflict situations at both the international and internal level. It will endow students with a wide array of information about the evolution of warfare and conflict, in order to understand the role of actors, technologies and structures in the practice of war and peace-building. A major focus of the course will be on the ways in which different armaments affect the conduct of political violence, with special emphasis on strategic thought in the shadow of nuclear weapons and conflict in cyber-space. Applying knowledge and understanding: The students will be able to apply security studies theories, ranging from mainstream to less traditional approaches, to empirical cases of conflict. They will examine the role of different factors in the conduct of war and understand the dilemmas involved in war-making and conflict-resolution. Making judgements: Students will be asked to continuously interact with the instructors and their peers in order to advance their critical understanding of conflict dynamics. They should be able to discuss crucial trends in security studies in light of theoretical insights. They will be given a chance, both in presentations and through the drafting of an original final paper, to exercise their analytical skills and provide evaluations of the security policies of States, international organizations and private actors. Communications Skills: Students attending the course will exercise their ability to professionally discuss issues relating to conflict, making use of a specialized vocabulary and improving their public-speaking skills. By being engaged in class debates, students will further their ability to communicate in an orderly, logical and convincing way as well as to engage with each other’s ideas. Learning skills: Students attending the course will engage in autonomous research for the purpose of their final paper, learning to set up an independent research project and to make use of the course material and of further resources made available by the university. Under the guidance of the instructors, students will have the space to develop a deeper understanding of a specific theory and case study of their choice.

The course aims to introduce students to the analysis of issues of war, security and peace-making from a variety of perspectives, from debates on war in ancient Greece to the future of cyber-warfare. The course explores the main issues surrounding the theory and practice of conflict with a special emphasis on the issue of armaments, particularly nuclear weapons and cyber tools. The course will give an overview of the main theoretical perspectives on the study of international security and politics, focusing both on mainstream and critical approaches and how these developed over time. The course seeks to blend knowledge of academic literature on the subjects and understanding of empirical realities. Students are expected to actively participate to classes by reading class material in advance and by making group presentations on case studies about relevant topics. Students are also encouraged to use non-academic material, i.e. to watch movies and documentaries and read fiction or essays (some suggestions are listed on the elearning platform), to expand their grasp of the phenomena under scrutiny and be more involved in classes.

The handbook to be used for reference is: Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald (eds), Security Studies: An Introduction (Fourth edition), Abingdon: Routledge, 2023. Further readings are provided on the elearning platform.

The course includes a mix of frontal lectures, group discussions and guest lectures by experts in the field. An active class participation is strongly encouraged. Students should come to class having read the assigned book chapters, which are specified in the syllabus along with further readings.

Track 1: in order to be a Track 1 course-taker you will have to attend at least 75% of classes, attendance will be checked regularly. Class participation: 20% Group presentation: 30% Oral exam: 50% Oral exam can be based on questions regarding the assigned readings or on the discussion of a research paper written by the student (2..000 words, plus bibliography). Indications on topic-selection and requirements will be discussed in class and available on the elearning platform. Track 2: course-takers who do not attend 75% of classes will be assessed differently and will have to study the entire book. Oral exam: 100%

To be discussed.