Universität Wien

210067 VO BAK10: SpezialVO International Politics and Development (2019S)

Current Developments in the Near East

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 21 - Politikwissenschaft

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Details

Language: German

Examination dates

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 06.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 13.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 20.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 27.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 03.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 10.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 08.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 15.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 22.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 29.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 05.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 12.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
  • Wednesday 19.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 32 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The civil wars in Iraq and Syria have been extended since 2014 to a regional transnational war in which different regional and transnational conflicts mesh with each other. Several transnational non-state armed actors are active like the so-called "Islamic State" or the Kurdish actors. With the occupation of North-western Syria by Turkey, the military engagement of Russia and Iran alongside of the Syrian government and Israel against the government and Iran, Syria has become one of the main battlefields of various state and non-state or proto-state armed actors. Furthermore, the conflicts in Yemen and Libya are also interwoven with this regional conflict.
The aim of this lecture series is to provide an understanding of the political and economic background as well as the political and military developments in the region. The focus is not only on states, but also on various parastate actors.

Furthermore, the goal of this lecture series is to make students familiar with approaches of political science based conflict studies and international relations. These should be used to analyse the current conflicts in the Middle East. Another focal point is the the issue of refugees and internally displaced IDPs in the region. Each unit will consist of a lecture followed by a discussion with the students.

Assessment and permitted materials

A total of 8 questions will check factual knowledge and a small essay will be required for the exam. For a positive grade, at least 4 of the questions must be answered correctly and the essay must contain a comprehensible argument. For the overall grade, the essay and the knowledge questions are each equally weighted at 50%.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

At the end of the semester, students must understand at least the major developments in the region, the political constellations in the Middle East and the political and military actors in Iraq and Syria, as well as the consequences of military and political developments in the region for refugee migration inside the region and to Europe.

Examination topics

Examination material is the entire content presented during the lecture. The books in the bibliography are in-depth and intended as accompanying reading. However, only content of the lectures will be examined.

Reading list

- Thomas Schmidinger: Rojava. Revolution, War and the Future of Syria´s Kurds. London, 2018
- Ahmad S. Hashim: The Caliphate at War. The Ideological, Organisatorional and Military Innovations of Islamic State. London, 2018
- Susanne Binder / Gerhard Fartacek (Hg.): Facetten von Flucht aus dem Nahen und Mittleren Osten. Wien, 2017

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:38