Course Syllabus
| Semester & Location: |
Spring 2025 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
Political science, International Relations, Environmental studies |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Faculty Members: |
Alexander Hviid Please use the canvas inbox to contact me |
| Time & Place: |
Mondays & Thursdays: 13.15 - 14.35 Location: V10-A22 |
Course description
The end of the Cold War and global climate change have made a profound impact on the Arctic by opening up new opportunities to Arctic states and societies for cooperation in economic, social and human development areas. At the same time, global warming, i.e. the rapidly melting ice cap, has also posed formidable challenges to both Arctic and global actors. It has not only made untapped Arctic natural resources (i.e. gas, oil and rare minerals, and new trans-Arctic marine routes) more accessible for commercial use, but also raised risks of environmental degradation and political conflicts. The latter could arise from still unresolved territorial claims by the Arctic states, heightened aspirations of indigenous societies for political autonomy, and fledgling regional governance structures. These dynamics have been strongly amplified by current geopolitical tension arising from the war in Ukraine and a potential spill over into the Arctic. This course offers an introduction to a broad array of political, economic, social and military security issues that make the present day Arctic a focus of global interest.
Instructor
Alexander Hviid, M.Sc. (International Security & Law, University of Southern Denmark, 2016) M.A. (Social Science, University of Copenhagen, 2010). Research interests include Arctic security and Danish-Greenlandic relations as well as public international law, specifically international criminal law and international humanitarian law. Work experience with the Institute for Strategy at the Royal Danish Defence College. With DIS since 2016.
Learning objectives of the course
Through this course, students will acquire a thorough, cross-disciplinary understanding of key issues, challenges and developments in Arctic regional security and governance. Upon completion of the course, the students should be able to draw on both historical knowledge, international relations theory and public international law to critically analyze and evaluate current events and future perspectives in the Arctic.
Readings
The readings for the course will be posted on DIS Canvas (i.e. intranet) and comprise book chapters, academic articles, and policy reports. There is no textbook to pick up during the arrivals workshop.
Full list:
BBC: Danes struggle with response to Trump Greenland Threat: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp313e41jy1o
Walt, Stephen M. (1998): International Relations: One world, many theories. Foreign Policy, Spring 1998; 110
Mearsheimer (2014): The Liberal Delusions that Provoked Putin, Foreign Affairs
Simpson (2023): The Rise and Sudden Fall of the Arctic Council. Foreign Policy
Kenneth J. Bird et al. (2008): Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal: Estimates of Undiscovered Oil and Gas North of the Arctic Circle. US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey.
Keil, Kathrin (2015): Economic Potential in Jokela, Juha (2015): “Arctic Security Matters”, European Union Institute for Strategic Studies, report no. 24:
Rowe, Mark (2022): Arctic Nations are Squaring Up to Exploit the Region's Rich Natural Resources.
Keil, Kathrin (2015): Economic Potential in Jokela, Juha (2015): “Arctic Security Matters”, European Union Institute for Strategic Studies, report no. 24: p. 26-31.
Hill, LaNore & Veronneau (2015): Northern Sea Route: an overview of transportation risks, safety and security. Journal of Transport and Security 8: 69-78
High North News (2021): Northern Sea Route Transit Traffic Remains Modest. https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/northern-sea-route-transit-traffic-remains-modest
Sullivan (1979): Soviet Strategy and NATO's Northern Flank. US Naval War College
Kelly, Lidia, and Jamie Freed. “NATO’s Steadfast Defender Exercises Mark Return to Cold War Schemes, Russia Says.” Reuters, January 21, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/natos-steadfast-defender-exercises-mark-return-cold-war-schemes-russia-says-2024-01-21/.
Baudu (2023): Minding the Archipelago: What Svalbard means to NATO. Arctic Review on Law and Politics
English, John (2016): “Emergence of an Arctic Council.” In D.A. Berry et al. (eds.), Governing the North American Arctic – Sovereignty, Security & Institutions. Palgrave Macmillan: Oxford.
The Arctic Institute (2019): Form and Function: the Future of the Arctic Council.
Koivurova, Timo (2022): Is it possible to continue cooperating with Russia in the Arctic Council? https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2022/06/29/is-it-possible-to-continue-cooperating-with-russia-in-the-arctic-council/
Denmark apologizes to children taken from Greenland in a 1950s social experiment: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55238090
https://visitgreenland.com/articles/greenlands-modern-path-to-independence/
Naalakkersuisut/Government of Greenland: Greenland's Foreign, Security and Defense Policy 2024-2033:
'Angry Inouk' (2016) documentary by Canadian Inuit director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril.
Last (2022): The Ukraine War is dividing Europe’s Arctic Indigenous Peoples: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/27/russia-ukraine-war-saami-indigenous-arctic-people-norway-sweden-finland/
Larasati (2023): Russo-Ukrainian War and the Indigenous Arctic Population’s Human Security: https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/06/09/russo-ukrainian-war-and-the-indigenous-arctic-populations-human-security/
Doshi, Dale-Huang & Zhang (2021). Northern Expedition: China's Arctic Activities and Ambitions.
Toemmerbakke, Siri (2019). Strong Chinese reactions to Pompeo's Speech. https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/strong-chinese-reactions-pompeos-speech
Russia-China Joint Statement on International Relations, February 4, 2022
Lanteigne (2024): A China-Russia Arctic Alliance? Not So Fast. A China-Russia Arctic Alliance? Not So Fast. – The Diplomat
Pan (2024): Why China now wants to put some limits on its 'no limits' friendship with Russia. https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/10/why-china-now-wants-to-put-some-limits-on-its-no-limits-friendship-with-russia
History Extra Podcast: Second World War Arctic Convoys.
Futiliy Closet Podcast: The Sledge Patrol: Greenland in 1943
Approach to teaching
Class sessions will include short lectures by the course instructor, academic discussions, group work, guest lectures, field studies, creative assignments and simulation games.
Expectations of the students
It is expected that all students actively participate in class: do the reading for each class; come with notes and questions for the instructor and other students; actively and responsibly participate in their project group.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
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