Indo-Pacific: Security and Development

Indo-Pacific is a dynamic region of great importance by virtue of its population size, economic dynamism, and political and security challenges. The region is characterized by diversity in historical, civilizational, and ethno-cultural backgrounds, political systems, levels of economic development, and foreign relations, as well as global impact, making regional relations very complex and their management very difficult. This course will examine a broad range of foreign policy, trade, and (human) security issues that present both opportunities and challenges to the regional countries and the United States. The United States and China stand at the center of the security and development dynamic in Indo-Pacific. What policy moves they adopt in the region will have a profound regional and global influence. This course aims to help students gain an understanding of the state of security issues and development challenges in Indo-Pacific today. Following a brief discussion of Cold War security structures, history and memory, we will then focus on three current policy areas: security challenges in Indo-Pacific, economic development and regional integration and non-traditional security issues such as energy security, migration and environment. This course will engage a diverse array of approaches including a simulation of South China Sea dispute settlement, encouraging students to explore different levels of analysis and paradigmatic approaches to understanding this critical region in global political economy.