Every year we launch a number of specialized courses.
International Scientific and Technical Cooperation course (winter semester 2022/2023)
International scientific and technical collaboration is essential to achieve inclusive and growth, contribute to the sustainable development worldwide. The discipline aim is to formalize students with main aspects of science internationalization, to understand its purpose and importance. To monitor and evaluate by qualitative and quantitative methods the cooperation activities and objectives (whether ongoing or planned) of the various partners. EU as a starting point and symbol for a new era in ISC. See syllabus.
Political Propaganda and Disinformation course (summer semester 2022/2023)
In the framework of “Political Propaganda and Disinformation”, students will gain general knowledge about propaganda history, evolution, forms, and motives. Special attention will be paid to the term: “hybrid war” which employs cyber warfare, fake news, fabrications, economic diplomacy, and foreign electoral intervention. The major part of the course lectures will be dedicated to Russian propaganda - its aims, tactics, narratives, and actors. Thanks to the case study method, we will analyze the Kremlin propagandistic operations in the countries where Moscow is actively seeking to gain political control. Another important topic covers fact-checking and debunking issues – how to build resilience to disinformation? In addition, the students will have the opportunity to highlight propagandistic fabrications and get information about the main actors that disseminate pro-Russian political narratives on the daily basis. The added value of the course is its interactive format and contemporary field-specific literature. Students will be able to actively participate in the learning process, ask questions and engage in discussions.
Risk and Security Management (summer semester 2022/2023)
Risk- and Security Management – a concept that might seem a little hard to grasp at first. Risk is practically everywhere, in every kind of interaction. The questions therefore raised are: How can risks be mitigated strategically? Where do they present themselves? How can we use risks and threats to our advantage? How do companies, NGO’s and governments deal with the topic of Risk and Security Management respectively? In this course we will look into these questions and more to give a broad insight into what Risk and Security Management is and how it affects us in everyday life.
Imperial Nationalism as the Source of Russia’s War Against Ukraine: The 2014 Crisis and 2022 Invasion (summer semester 2022/2023)
It is important for students to understand the war in Ukraine which is the biggest conflict in Europe since 1945 and is having global ramifications. The course will analyse and explain Russia’s imperial war against Ukraine that took place in 2014, with the annexation of Crimea and invasion of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, and full-scale invasion in 2022. There are a number of incorrect reasons given by scholars as to the sources of the war and invasion, such as blaming NATO and the EU enlargement to Ukraine, which this course will show to be misplaced. Western experts and scholars also wrongly predicted a quick defeat of Ukraine. The course will investigate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s long-term obsession with Ukraine and how he, and Russian elites and public, came to believe Ukraine and Ukrainians do not exist and why they believe Ukraine is Little Russia and Ukrainians and Russians are “one people”.