Geopolitics, in its most fundamental sense, explores the relationship between geography and politics. This course explores how the presence or absence of natural resources can influence both national and international politics. By gaining insight into these dynamics, students will be equipped to incorporate natural resource considerations into their analyses of domestic and global political scenarios.

In the first part of the course, we will examine domestic factors and investigate how natural resources can trigger political instability and violent conflicts. We will analyze how the abundance or scarcity of specific natural resources can contribute to these situations. Then, the focus of the course will shift to the global stage as we will explore the international politics surrounding various vital natural resources, including fossil fuels, water, land, food, and critical raw materials. Each session will delve into the web of global power dynamics associated with these resources. In the tenth session, we will peer into the future and discuss emerging resource frontiers, such as the Arctic, deep sea, and outer space. The final part of the course will combine and synthesize the different elements explored throughout the semester. The penultimate session will analyze the coherence and incoherence of resource politics, with a particular focus on the European Union as a case study. In the concluding session, students will engage in a simulation game where they take on the roles of national and international actors embroiled in a resource conflict.

Assessment

The final grade will be determined by several elements.

Graded Elements:

Class participation: Class attendance is not mandatory. During class, the mandatory literature will only be briefly discussed to allow more time for discussions and other interactive elements (10% of the final grade).

Mid-term exam: After six sessions, there will be a brief take-home exam in multiple-choice format covering the content of the mandatory literature up to that point. This exam will have the same structure as the final exam and will provide students with an idea of what to expect in the final exam (10% of the final grade).

Final exam: At the end of the course, there will be a multiple-choice exam covering the course content. This exam will include questions related to the mandatory literature. To pass the course, a student must obtain a minimum grade of 4.0 in the final exam. If a student falls below this grade, they have the option to take a retake exam. If the student receives a grade equal to or lower than 4.0 in the retake exam, that grade will be recorded as their final course grade in the official grade registry. However, if the student scores higher than 4.0 in the retake exam, the final course grade will also include the grades of the other assessment elements (30% of the final grade).

Term paper: Students will be required to write a paper of 3,000 words (with a leeway of plus or minus 10 percent) on a topic of their choice within the scope of the course. The 3,000 words exclude the bibliography. Students are required to use at least five academic articles (beyond the course literature) for this essay. The exact requirements will be published on the course site on the virtual campus (50% of the final grade).