Security Studies
Security is key to survival for any living organism: life is full of perils and threats, both physically, environmentally, and societally. Security challenges such as terrorism, natural disasters, and cybercrime rank among the most pressing issues of our time, affecting the security and safety of millions each day. How can we best study these challenges? How can we learn to devise strategic solutions to a complex world? How can we best work together to tackle to security crises we deal with on a daily basis?
Security Challenges in the 21st Century
In the PRE-Class Security Challenges in the 21st Century, students will be introduced to contemporary safety and security issues, ranging from terrorism to cyber threats, and war and peacebuilding. In the backdrop of different disciplines students will be introduced to a variety of current topics and academic skills. This will include introduction to safety and security science and theory, critical thinking, teamwork, and academic writing and debating. In addition, students will get acquainted with different Security Studies tools to study safety and security challenges in the cotemporary world. The sessions will be highly interactive and require students to actively participate in a wide variety of in-class exercises.
Through the ‘Explore – Understand – Do’ method, Security Challenges in the 21st Century also aims to bring about a deeper understanding of the complexity of safety and security related concepts and topics by explaining, discussing, and practicing the content of the mini-lectures also incorporated in this course.
Various (in-class) assignments will be used to monitor and assess the students’ skills development and understanding of the course content. This will also include a serious game and in-class debates and exercises.
The course will conclude with a final assignment in which students will combine all the skills and theories discussed and practiced in this course.
About the lectures
Language
This programme will be provided in English.
Study Load
25 hours
Schedule
The sessions will run on Wednesdays from 15:00 – 17:00. There will be no session in the week of 24 February – 28 February 2025 because of the spring vacation. Instead, this week will be used for the mid-term assignment. The course will wrap up with a final assignment presentation session in the last week.
| Date & Session | Topic, Theme & Skill |
| Session 1 Wednesday 29 January 2025 |
Introduction: Contemporary Safety and Security as Wicked Problems |
| Session 2 Wednesday 5 February 2025 |
Terrorism & Counterterrorism / Case Study: Syria |
| Session 3 Wednesday 12 February 2025 |
The Aftermath of Nuclear Disasters |
| Session 4 Wednesday 19 February 2025 |
Economic Warfare: The Case of Sanctions |
| No Class Wednesday 26 February 2025 |
Mid-term assignment Deadline: Friday 28 February 2025 12:00 |
| Session 5 Wednesday 5 March 2025 |
Cyber Threats |
| Session 6 Wednesday 12 March 2025 |
War & Peacebuilding |
| Session 7 Wednesday 19 March 2025 |
Introduction to Simulations |
| Session 8 Wednesday 26 March 2025 |
Final Assignment Deadline: Friday 21 March 2025 12:00 Presentation / wrap-up |
Registration and admission
For whom?
Students from the 4th, 5th, and 6th year of high school may apply for this programme.
Where?
This PRE-Class will take place in the Hague.
Application
By November 20th 14:00, fill in the registration form: introduce yourself and explain why you are interested in this programme. Please also explain why you think it is important to study Security Studies. For more information, see the application & selection page.
Admission
The maximum number of students selected for this programme is 24. If there are more applicants than there are places, students from the 5th and 6th years of high school (vwo) get preference.
Contact person
For practical questions, please contact Esrih Bakker. For questions regarding the content of the lectures, please contact Valtr Troy Mandemaker.