Programme overview

This module is not a survey of International Security. Instead it will elucidate major ideas and thinkers - showcasing the variety of PAIS provision across international security that awaits you in years two and three. It is an idea-driven and theoretically informed module, but it is not be a theory module.

It focuses on the impact of "big ideas" and "big books" within international security and avoids a survey of theories of international security – which is done elsewhere in the curriculum. Each lecture will be delivered by a single person who will talk about the books and thinkers they are passionate about and so the module will reflect the research interest of particular staff and will have bespoke quality.

By displaying the expertise in the field in PAIS this module aims to offer the first step on a departmental pathway towards other more specialised modules in IR/IS at other levels.

Although this module is badged as International Security we hope it will be of interest to wide range of people.

Programme content

• This will be a fast paced module.
• Each week you hear a member of staff talk about their favourite authors, their favourite ideas and their favourite books.
• You will need to read one of these books and something about these books ready for a related discussion seminar that will happen the next week.
• We hope that by the end of the module you will have encountered some of the big ideas that help us to understand international security in the broadest terms.
• Previously, the ideas looked at included: geopolitics, refugees, food security, cyber security, popular culture, terrorism, and gender. Similar content is planned for this year.