Emerging Technologies and International Security
Course 0000002291 in SS 2020
General Data
| Course Type | seminar |
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| Semester Weekly Hours | 3 SWS |
| Organisational Unit | Chair of International Relations (Prof. Büthe) |
| Lecturers |
Responsible/Coordination: Tim Büthe Assistants: Hedwig Schmid |
| Dates |
Further Information
Courses are together with exams the building blocks for modules. Please keep in mind that information on the contents, learning outcomes and, especially examination conditions are given on the module level only – see section "Assignment to Modules" above.
| additional remarks | The so-called emerging technologies and disruptive innovations are currently transforming the international peace and security landscape. They are changing the nature of warfare, playing both soothing and destructive roles in various areas such as politics or national security, and they are also affecting, challenging, and even changing human perceptions of (in)security. nanotechnology, smart dust technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT systems, quantum computing, distributed ledger technologies, Augmented and Virtual Realities (AR and VR), biotechnology, additive manufacturing, and more are currently disrupting peace and conflict processes. While many recognize the positive transformation they bring to various sectors, there are mounting concerns regarding the threats these technologies pose to international security. Practitioners and scholars are talking more and more about a fourth industrial revolution requiring new policy models and normative solutions as they can be sources of important security threats. Governance occurs at multiple levels and, whilst in some areas there is no attempt at all to regulate, there is obviously a need for new/ innovative solutions which could be normative, technical, or legal. This is a research and reading-intensive course which has been designed to introduce as well as give a comprehensive overview of the underlying theories and concepts that are relevant to the understanding of the nexus between (in)security and emerging technologies. The sessions will also involve activities aiming at bridging theory and practice. Indeed, various issues such as power, balancing, coercion and deterrence, bargaining, signalling and perception, offence-defence balance and more are highly relevant to the understanding of the (in)security/ emerging technologies nexus and their policy implications. Hence, the seminars will mix theory, technology, actor, and problem-centric approaches where the participants will: - learn theories and concepts in international security drawing from International Relations in general as well as International Conflict Analysis - explore the nature and the trajectories of these technologies and their implications in the field of international security - try to understand the roles groups of actors or individuals play and - identify the problems or risks related to their impacts at the local, regional, and global levels. |
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| Links |
E-Learning course (e. g. Moodle) TUMonline entry |