150142 VU Regional Security Organizations in East Asia, 1895-2022 (2024S)

This Course will offer students a possibility to examine the question of the paucity of Regional Security Organizations (RSOs) in East Asia (EA). Cooperation through International Organizations (IOs) has been described as a hallmark of the post-Cold War international system, with international institutions having extended their influence into areas that formally have been the sole prerogative of the state, including in the security realm. The region of EA - defined as the People’s Republic of China (PRC); Japan; the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK); the Republic of Korea (RoK); the Russian Federation, Vietnam, the "Republic of China" ("RoC"), Mongolia and the United States - seems to form an interesting exception, especially regarding the establishment of RSOs, despite its increasing economic and geostrategic importance. Hence, this course will attempt to offer a historical approach to the question of the paucity of regional security organizations in East Asia

To provide a possible approach to answering this enigma, this course will examine the phenomenon of RSOs in EA through the application of stable peace, systemic and ‘critical juncture’ theory, as well as constructivist concepts of international relations particular to EA.

The course will be divided into two parts: (I) exploring the theoretical approach to RSO formation in a systemic and historical perspective as well as the consideration of non-Westphalian approaches to international order; and (II) application of theory to selected historical case studies between 1895-2022.

The learning objectives are defined as follows, reflecting both the theoretic and historical approaches taken to examine the question of RSOs in East Asia:

(i.) Students will gain an insight into the theoretical approaches that constitute the basis of RSO formation;
(ii.) Students will acquire knowledge on the pre-modern conceptions of international order that prevailed in East Asia before the 19th Century;
(iii.) Students will gain knowledge of the main systemic events in East Asian history between 1895 and 2022 and how they subsequently effected the ability of RSOs to emerge in the region.

By the end of the course, students will have developed an understanding of the traditional and modern concepts of international relations, and possible RSO formation, as it applies to the East Asian context and the role of ‘critical junctures’ and systemic change to account for their formation.