General provisions

The course is offered within the Master's Programme in International Humanitarian Action 120 ECTS credits.

Entry requirements

The course on Geopolitics in Humanitarian Action is only available to students admitted to the NOHA programme.

Learning outcomes

The modules aim is to provide a broad understanding of the geopolitical context for humanitarian activities. Special focus is placed on the political impact on humanitarian policies and their implementation in different cases. After completing the module successfully, the students should have the following competences:

• a understanding of central geopolitical perspectives and dimensions in humanitarian disaster situations,
• an ability to use key concepts related to geopolitics for the analysis of social and political of disaster situations,
• an ability to formulate critical questions and problems in the geopolitical analysis of disaster situations.

Content

The course gives an introduction to basic geopolitical concepts and perspectives, and applies them to a concrete case. Finally it introduces some issues of relevance to on-going humanitarian action situations.

Instruction

The course is taught by means of lectures and seminars. For the seminars, students are expected to prepare and make oral presentations in tutorial groups. Language of instruction is English.

Assessment

The course is examined through written tests, as well as by oral presentations and seminar assignments.

Grade: VG, G or U (Pass with Distinction, Pass or Fail) as well as ECTS grades.

Transitional provisions

Members of a course regulated by a former version of this course plan have the possibility to be examined in accordance with that course plan within two years after the closure of the course. If there are particular reasons, such an examination can take place also later on. Normally no instruction in accordance with former versions of the course plan is given.