World Politics
Master in European and International Governance
2020-2021
,Table of Contents
Class 1: introduction – from wall to wall
• Practicalities
• 2019 Security environment review
o Exiting the golden age
o One of the most globalized, but also vulnerable regions
o Trends
§ Power shift
§ Data explosion
§ Economic and social stress
§ Environmental stress
§ Political fragmenting
§ Growing lethality
o We are not immune
o Connectivity without security means vulnerability
o The EU cannot be taken for granted
o Russia is fragile, but understands its adversaries’ fragilities
o Asia sees a massive military buildup in context of nationalism
o No alliance survives if it stays unbalanced
• Q&A
Class 2: The United States – the retreat of the USA?
• Foreign policy organization
o Tension and energy
o The interagency process
• A short history
o Historical drivers of American foreign and security policy
• Domestic politics
• Economic power
• Hard power
• Multilateralism (international organizations)
• Conclusions
Class 3: China – the rise of China
• Foreign policy organization
• A short history
• Domestic politics
o Domestic issues
• Economic power
• Hard power
• Multilateralism (international organizations)
• Conclusions
2
,Class 4: the Asia Pacific – US-China tensions
• The making of a security dilemma
• China’s pacific pushback
o To the Americans from its vicinity
o China’s military pushback
• America’s response
o Air-sea battle
o Joint concept for entry operations
o Littoral operations in a contested environment
o Third offset
o Mosaic warfare, horizontal escalation, distributed lethality
• Economic power plays
• Lesser powers
Class 5: Asian perceptions on the Sino-American contest – AU and SG
• Talk by Mr. Dutton (Australian Embassy)
• Talk by Mr. Hoo (Singaporean Embassy)
• Q&A
Class 6: the Sahel – panel discussion
• Setting the scene
o Introduction (prof. Holslag)
o Gunther De Kerpel (MOD cabinet)
o Frank Felix (MFA, Sub-Saharan Africa Dept.)
o Q&A
• What role for European countries?
o Theo Francken (MP N-VA)
o Michelle Haas (MP Groen)
o Vicky Reynaert (MP SP.A)
o Tim Vandeput (MP Open VLD)
o Q&A
Class 7: South Asia – India (Global South pt. 1)
• Great expectations
• The idea of the global South (vs. reality)
• General trends
o Very limited manufacturing
o Dutch disease
o Low diversification
o Lack of jobs
o Corruption
3
, • India
Policy organization
o
Foreign policy organization
o
Indian history
o
Domestic politics
o
§ Divisions
§ Domestic insecurities
o Economic power
o Security
• Q&A
Class 8: Africa (Global South pt. 2)
• Great expectations
• Stalled development
• Case: Ethiopia
• Case: Rwanda
• Case: Ghana
• Persistent instability
• Case: DRC
• Case: The Horn
• Return of major power politics
• An era of new marginalization
Class 9: The Middle East – Iran and Saudi Arabia (regional powers)
• General overview
o Vectors of competition
o Theme 1: American primacy
o Theme 2: authoritarianism and sectarianism
o Theme 3: ideology
o Theme 4: wealth and poverty
o Theme 5: water
o Theme 6: geopolitics
• Regional power: Iran
o Short history
o Foreign policy organization
o The nuclear dilemma
o The axis of resistance: indirect
o Case: Iraq and Syria
o The axis of resistance: direct
• Regional power: Saudi Arabia
o Short history
o Foreign policy organization
o A new quest for power
§ The US partnership
§ Religion
4
Master in European and International Governance
2020-2021
,Table of Contents
Class 1: introduction – from wall to wall
• Practicalities
• 2019 Security environment review
o Exiting the golden age
o One of the most globalized, but also vulnerable regions
o Trends
§ Power shift
§ Data explosion
§ Economic and social stress
§ Environmental stress
§ Political fragmenting
§ Growing lethality
o We are not immune
o Connectivity without security means vulnerability
o The EU cannot be taken for granted
o Russia is fragile, but understands its adversaries’ fragilities
o Asia sees a massive military buildup in context of nationalism
o No alliance survives if it stays unbalanced
• Q&A
Class 2: The United States – the retreat of the USA?
• Foreign policy organization
o Tension and energy
o The interagency process
• A short history
o Historical drivers of American foreign and security policy
• Domestic politics
• Economic power
• Hard power
• Multilateralism (international organizations)
• Conclusions
Class 3: China – the rise of China
• Foreign policy organization
• A short history
• Domestic politics
o Domestic issues
• Economic power
• Hard power
• Multilateralism (international organizations)
• Conclusions
2
,Class 4: the Asia Pacific – US-China tensions
• The making of a security dilemma
• China’s pacific pushback
o To the Americans from its vicinity
o China’s military pushback
• America’s response
o Air-sea battle
o Joint concept for entry operations
o Littoral operations in a contested environment
o Third offset
o Mosaic warfare, horizontal escalation, distributed lethality
• Economic power plays
• Lesser powers
Class 5: Asian perceptions on the Sino-American contest – AU and SG
• Talk by Mr. Dutton (Australian Embassy)
• Talk by Mr. Hoo (Singaporean Embassy)
• Q&A
Class 6: the Sahel – panel discussion
• Setting the scene
o Introduction (prof. Holslag)
o Gunther De Kerpel (MOD cabinet)
o Frank Felix (MFA, Sub-Saharan Africa Dept.)
o Q&A
• What role for European countries?
o Theo Francken (MP N-VA)
o Michelle Haas (MP Groen)
o Vicky Reynaert (MP SP.A)
o Tim Vandeput (MP Open VLD)
o Q&A
Class 7: South Asia – India (Global South pt. 1)
• Great expectations
• The idea of the global South (vs. reality)
• General trends
o Very limited manufacturing
o Dutch disease
o Low diversification
o Lack of jobs
o Corruption
3
, • India
Policy organization
o
Foreign policy organization
o
Indian history
o
Domestic politics
o
§ Divisions
§ Domestic insecurities
o Economic power
o Security
• Q&A
Class 8: Africa (Global South pt. 2)
• Great expectations
• Stalled development
• Case: Ethiopia
• Case: Rwanda
• Case: Ghana
• Persistent instability
• Case: DRC
• Case: The Horn
• Return of major power politics
• An era of new marginalization
Class 9: The Middle East – Iran and Saudi Arabia (regional powers)
• General overview
o Vectors of competition
o Theme 1: American primacy
o Theme 2: authoritarianism and sectarianism
o Theme 3: ideology
o Theme 4: wealth and poverty
o Theme 5: water
o Theme 6: geopolitics
• Regional power: Iran
o Short history
o Foreign policy organization
o The nuclear dilemma
o The axis of resistance: indirect
o Case: Iraq and Syria
o The axis of resistance: direct
• Regional power: Saudi Arabia
o Short history
o Foreign policy organization
o A new quest for power
§ The US partnership
§ Religion
4
