Information Package / Course Catalogue
| Political Science and International Relations | |||||
| Bachelor | Length of the Programme: 4 | Number of Credits: 240 | TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 | QF-EHEA: First Cycle | EQF: Level 6 |
ECTS Course Information Package
| School/Faculty/Institute | Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences | |||||
| Course Code | POLS 324 | |||||
| Course Title in English | Issues in Nuclear Security Policy | |||||
| Course Title in Turkish | Nükleer Güvenlik Politikasında Konular | |||||
| Language of Instruction | EN | |||||
| Type of Course | Flipped Classroom | |||||
| Level of Course | Intermediate | |||||
| Semester | Spring | |||||
| Contact Hours per Week |
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| Estimated Student Workload | 135 hours per semester | |||||
| Number of Credits | 5 ECTS | |||||
| Grading Mode | Standard Letter Grade | |||||
| Pre-requisites | None | |||||
| Co-requisites | None | |||||
| Expected Prior Knowledge | None | |||||
| Registration Restrictions | Only Undergraduate Students | |||||
| Overall Educational Objective | Raising subject matter experts | |||||
| Course Description | This course is supported by The Stanton Foundation, created by Dr. Frank Stanton, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA with a grant offered to Prof. Kibaroglu as part of its Course Development Program in the fields of International and Nuclear Security. ..The primary objective of this course is to introduce the undergraduate students of the Political Science and International Relations Department to a number of existing and emerging threats to international security and stability in the 21st Century. ..In that context, dangers associated with the proliferation of nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles, such as ballistic missiles; the current status of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and the NPT; the military and political implications of Iran’s nuclear program for the Middle East; India’s and Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities and the arms race in the Sub-Continent; North Korea’s nuclearization and its implications for regional security in the Far East; safety and security problems that arise in connection with the nuclear arsenals in the former Soviet republics; illegal trafficking of nuclear material, know-how and technology used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons; and the possibility of unauthorized seizure of such material by terrorist groups and their possible implications for nuclear security will constitute the main themes of the course. ..Students will undertake Policy Research Projects (PRP), which will have to be orally presented at the end of the semester. Project topics will be chosen by the students among the ones that will be suggested by Prof. Kibaroglu. ..One important distinguishing feature of this course will be the world-renowned scholars from the leading academic institutions who will be invited as guest lecturers to share their impeccable knowledge and experience in the above-mentioned topics with our students |
Course Learning Outcomes and CompetencesUpon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:1) Know the chronology of spread of nuclear weapons in different parts of the world; 2) Understand the fundamental motivations of states that aspire to developing nuclear weapons; 3) Analyze the factors that motivate the states to embark upon a nuclear (weapons) program; 4) Understand the essential differences between peaceful and military applications of nuclear science and technology; 5) Comprehend the measures necessary for the safety and security of nuclear material; 6) understand the dangers associated with the possible use of nuclear weapons either by states or non-state actors. |
| Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Adequate knowledge of political history necessary to comprehend and effectively evaluate contemporary Political Science and International Relations issues. | ||||||
| 2) Understanding of the fundamental concepts that exist in the fields of social and behavioral sciences as well as the correlation between these concepts | ||||||
| 3) Ability to analyze the fundamental theories in the field Political Science and International Relations and to assess their reflections into practice | ||||||
| 4) Ability to critically discuss different aspects of theories and developments in Political Science and International Relations both individually and in the course of group work during classroom discussions. | ||||||
| 5) Ability to conduct research independently, or with a team, about the developments taking place in the international arena, make foreign policy analyses, develop research-based conflict resolution models, and prepare comprehensive reports using computers and relevant software | ||||||
| 6) Ability to take decisions as well as to implement these decisions by using the knowledge about the field and the skills that have been acquired during the undergraduate studies | ||||||
| 7) Ability to recognize the relations between scientific thought and ethical behavior; pay attention to being tolerant and properly defend different ideas, ideologies and belief systems | ||||||
| 8) Ability to work in international institutions and multicultural environments, with the help of the knowledge on different cultures, societies, political systems as well as linguistic skills acquired during the undergraduate studies | ||||||
| 9) Ability to display language skills in English at minimum B2 level enough for debating with colleagues on issues of Political Science and International Relations, and also display language skills in a second foreign language at minimum A2 level enough for communicating in daily life | ||||||
| 10) Ability to pursue lifelong learning as well as perform advanced/graduate studies in the field Political Science and International Relations and other social sciences disciplines in academic institutions at home and abroad |
Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences
| N None | S Supportive | H Highly Related |
| Program Outcomes and Competences | Level | Assessed by | |
| 1) | Adequate knowledge of political history necessary to comprehend and effectively evaluate contemporary Political Science and International Relations issues. | N | |
| 2) | Understanding of the fundamental concepts that exist in the fields of social and behavioral sciences as well as the correlation between these concepts | S | Exam |
| 3) | Ability to analyze the fundamental theories in the field Political Science and International Relations and to assess their reflections into practice | S | Project |
| 4) | Ability to critically discuss different aspects of theories and developments in Political Science and International Relations both individually and in the course of group work during classroom discussions. | H | Exam |
| 5) | Ability to conduct research independently, or with a team, about the developments taking place in the international arena, make foreign policy analyses, develop research-based conflict resolution models, and prepare comprehensive reports using computers and relevant software | S | Project |
| 6) | Ability to take decisions as well as to implement these decisions by using the knowledge about the field and the skills that have been acquired during the undergraduate studies | H | Project |
| 7) | Ability to recognize the relations between scientific thought and ethical behavior; pay attention to being tolerant and properly defend different ideas, ideologies and belief systems | S | Project |
| 8) | Ability to work in international institutions and multicultural environments, with the help of the knowledge on different cultures, societies, political systems as well as linguistic skills acquired during the undergraduate studies | H | Project |
| 9) | Ability to display language skills in English at minimum B2 level enough for debating with colleagues on issues of Political Science and International Relations, and also display language skills in a second foreign language at minimum A2 level enough for communicating in daily life | H | Project |
| 10) | Ability to pursue lifelong learning as well as perform advanced/graduate studies in the field Political Science and International Relations and other social sciences disciplines in academic institutions at home and abroad | H | Project |
| Prepared by and Date | MUSTAFA KİBAROĞLU , January 2024 |
| Course Coordinator | MUSTAFA KİBAROĞLU |
| Semester | Spring |
| Name of Instructor | Prof. Dr. MUSTAFA KİBAROĞLU |
Course Contents
| Week | Subject |
| 1) | General introduction to the course topics and the PRP |
| 2) | Proliferation of NUclear Weapons: Emergence & Evolution |
| 3) | Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: Emergence and Evolution of the Problem |
| 4) | Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: Regions of Concern (Middle East) |
| 5) | Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in South Asia |
| 6) | Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: Prospects for Reversing Proliferation |
| 7) | Safety and Security of WMD Related Material and Technology |
| 8) | Threat of Terrorism with Nuclear Weapons and Countermeasures |
| 9) | NPT Review Conferences: Past, Present & Future |
| 10) | Impact of Populist Politics on the Future of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime |
| 11) | Impact Nuclear Security Policies on the Future of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy |
| 12) | PRP Presentation |
| 13) | Project Presentation |
| 14) | Project Presentation |
| 15) | Final Exams Week |
| 16) | Final Exams Week |
| Required/Recommended Readings | Students will be provided with book chapters and journal articles written by the leading authorities in the field, which will be available in the Black Board system of MEF University, most of them will also be accessible on-line through the websites designated by Prof. Kibaroğlu as well as his personal website (www.mustafakibaroglu.com). Selected chapters from the following authors’ books will constitute the essential readings: ..Albright, David, Frans Berkhout, William Walker, Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium 1996, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, London, 1997 ..Allison, Graham T., Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe, Times Books, New York, 2004 ..Allison, Graham T., Owen R. Cote, Richard A. Falkenrath, and Steven E. Miller, Avoiding Nuclear Anarchy, The MIT Press, Massachusetts, MA., 1996 ..Aytaç, Osman and Mustafa Kibaroğlu (Eds.), Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism, IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2009 ..Blackaby, Frank, Joseph Rotblat, Jack Steinberger, and Bhalchandra Udgaonkar, A Nuclear-Weapon-Free World: Desirable? Feasible? Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado, 1993 ..Fischer, David, Towards 1995: The Prospects for Ending the Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, Dartmouth, 1993 ..Muller, Harald, David Fischer, and Wolfgang Kotter, Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Global Order, Oxford University Press, London, 1994 ..Prawitz, Jan and James F. Leonard (Eds.), A Zone Free of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East, UNIDIR Research Report, No. 96/24, New York & Geneva, 1996 ..Reiss, Mitchell and Robert S. Litwak (Eds.), Nuclear Proliferation After the Cold War, Woodrow Wilson Center, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1994 ..Sagan, Scott D., and Kenneth N. Waltz, The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate, W. W. Northon Company, New York, 1995 ..Shields, John and William C. Potter (Eds.), Dismantling the Cold War, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA., 1997 Recommended Web Portals: ..Arms Control Association www.armscontrol.org ..Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists www.bullatomsci.org ..Carnegie Endowment for International Peace www.ceip.org ..Center for Nonproliferation Studies cns.miis.edu ..Center for Strategic and International Studies www.csis.org ..Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization www.ctbto.org ..Council on Foreign Relations www.cfr.org ..Federation of American Scientists www.fas.org ..Henry L. Stimson Center www.stimson.org ..International Atomic Energy Agency www.iaea.org ..International Institute for Strategic Studies www.iiss.org ..Nuclear Suppliers Group www.nsg-online.org ..Nuclear Threat Initiative www.nti.org ..The Stanton Foundationwww.thestantonfoundation.org ..Stockholm International Peace Research Institute www.sipri.se ..Union of Concerned Scientists www.ucsusa.org | |||||||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | ..Lectures as well as the reading material to be assigned/suggested by Prof. Kibaroğlu will constitute the main source of information for the students, who will also be asked to suggest articles for reading, if they wish to do so, to be discussed and debated in the classroom. ..Each student will undertake a Policy Research Project (PRP), whose topic will be chosen by the students among the ones that will be suggested by Prof. Kibaroğlu. ..Students will prepare short progress reports about their project every three-week in order for Prof. Kibaroğlu to make comments and suggestions, if necessary, as to how to proceed with their assignment. | |||||||||||||||
| Homework and Projects | For completing the PRP successfully, students will be expected to conduct comprehensive research on the current as well as the would-be positions of a number of countries (from North America, Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific, each to be undertaken by different students) with respect to the issues that will be debated in the run up to and during the 202x NPT Review Conference. There will be only one written examination, which will take place toward the end of the semester, so as to leave enough time for students to carry out their research project with a high degree of concentration. | |||||||||||||||
| Laboratory Work | None | |||||||||||||||
| Computer Use | None | |||||||||||||||
| Other Activities | N/A | |||||||||||||||
| Assessment Methods |
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| Course Administration |
mustafa.kibaroglu@mef.edu.tr Rectorate Building There are basically three requirements that must be fulfilled successfully by the students to get a passing or a higher letter grade. ..First requirement is to attend classes and to participate in class discussions, which will count for 10% of students’ overall grade. Students will be expected to read the assigned articles and chapters before coming to class for a fruitful discussion in the classroom; ..Second requirement is to take the Mid-Term Exam in May 2018, which will count for 40% of students’ overall grade; ..Third requirement is to participate in a Policy Research Project (PRP) that will require a good deal of research, which will count for 50% of students’ overall grade. ..Progress reports about the PRP will have to be submitted to the instructor every three-week and an in-class presentation will have to be made at the end of the semester, most possibly during the week of the final exams. |
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ECTS Student Workload Estimation
| Activity | No/Weeks | Hours | Calculation | ||||
| No/Weeks per Semester | Preparing for the Activity | Spent in the Activity Itself | Completing the Activity Requirements | ||||
| Course Hours | 14 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 84 | ||
| Homework Assignments | 11 | 3 | 33 | ||||
| Midterm(s) | 1 | 16 | 2 | 18 | |||
| Total Workload | 135 | ||||||
| Total Workload/25 | 5.4 | ||||||
| ECTS | 5 | ||||||