Formation/Cours

This course explores the impact of the current shifts in the geopolitical and strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific on security relations in the region. It also looks closely at the key domestic and ideational variables, such as nationalism and identity politics, in shaping the security policies of the Indo-Pacific countries. The course focuses on the post-Cold War period with an emphasis on the latest developments, while also making references to the historical and cultural characteristics of the region. The course gives a particular attention to major power relations, including between the US, China, Japan and India. Also examined are the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea territorial disputes, as well as the rise of minilateralism, such as the QUAD. Students learn to identify the key sources of strategic mistrust and regional instability, while also developing the analytical skills to assess the various forms of regional cooperation and their role in mitigating security tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

Topics (subject to change): Introduction to the course and conceptualisation of the Indo-Pacific region; US and Chinese strategies in the Indo-Pacific; Nationalism and national identity in Northeast Asia; Japan and Indo-Pacific geopolitics; Regional hotspots: The Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula; Maritime territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific