Course Programme (may be subject to some modification)

1. The evolution of International Security from 1945 to 9/11

What are the major sources of insecurity in the twenty-first century? Evolving understandings of security and insecurity and the concept of ‘human security’. Political and socioeconomic factors that have constrained security from WWII. The notion of ‘International Security’ and the related terminology used in international relations

2. The geopolitics of conflict from 9/11

How did the ‘war on terror’ itself come about? What were the underlying ideas taken ‘into’ the ‘war on terror’? And how did the prosecution of that war draw upon (and reconfigure) traditional geopolitical ideas?

3. Perspectives on Security Studies: sovereignty, globalization and conflict

Can nation-states be truly sovereign in a world of conflict? How does globalization impact sovereignty? Does globalization wither away or thrive in the face of conflict? How is globalisation promoted by war? Sovereign states’ vulnerability to globalisation from the perspective of war.

4. The historical evolution of war

What place does military force have in the making of contemporary international relations? Can theory help in understanding the causes of war, and if so, can we elaborate models with a high predicting potential? When do we know if we are at war or at peace? How, why and to what extent has the use of military force changed?

5. Terrorism and war on terror. The prevalence of asymmetric conflicts

Is transnational terrorism the new weapon of the weak? is it so simple to understand global terrorism in terms of “us” vs “them”? What separates the likes of ISIS from ‘old’ terrorist organisations such as the IRA? What’s behind the perpetuation of conflict in Afghanistan?

6. Ethnic conflicts and genocide

Threats and insecurities that have arisen in the postcolonial territories. Contemporary problems of ethnic and religious conflicts in Asian regions, their origins, specific features and factors influencing their emergence. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The eve of India and Pakistan’s violent partition at independence.

7. New threats to security: nuclear proliferation, transnational threats and the ‘new wars’

Transnational threats such as health pandemics, climate change, scarcity of natural resources or arm trafficking. Which wars are ‘new wars’? How are nationalism and ethnicity implicated in these new wars? The case of Russian intervention in Ukraine.

8. The role of the United Nations and International Organisations

Why are the IMF, WTO and the EU classed as neoliberal institutions? What are the pros and cons of the economic order they have helped to usher in? Are human rights a matter of domestic or international politics? What are the impediments for a better functioning of the UN Security Council and the Peace Operations?

9. Military Treaties: NATO

Security policies of the main military powers and their allies. Historical account of the North-Atlantic Treaty emerging from the earlier animosity between US and USSR. Comparison to the Warsaw Pact. What will happen to international stability as US leadership declines or turns away from these responsibilities.

10. New wars: Intervention vs non-intervention in the Syrian Civil War

A geographical area home to the most intractable agglomeration of conflicts: the Middle East. The origins and dynamics of the Syrian civil war: ‘The Arab Spring’. Main actors and interventions made in Syria: the use of force by the United States and Russia. Arguments in favor and against foreign intervention in Syria?

Dr Pedro Rubio Teres has an academic and professional background in Mathematical Sciences, although he has been engaged with Social Politics and International Relations for the past ten years. This combination has provided him with a deep understanding on the social impact of scientific discovery and the logic challenges of socio-political discourse.

Pedro teaches Political Science and related subjects at Imperial College and other universities in London and has conducted extensive fieldwork in armed conflicts, namely in former Soviet countries and the Middle East. He has participated in several initiatives with the European Parliament and the UNHRC among other inter-governmental institutions and works closely with civil society movements as a passionate political activist.

Rate Categories and Discounts

Standard Rate

• Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.

Internal Rate

• Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
• People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
• Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
• Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
• Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School

Associate Rate

• Austrian Cultural Forum staff
• Co-operative College members
• Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
• Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
• Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
• Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
• Friends of the Royal College of Music
• Harrods staff
• Historic Royal Palaces staff
• Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
• Members of the Friends of Imperial College
• Members of the Kennel Club
• Members of the London Zoological Society
• Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
• Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• National Health Service (NHS) employees
• Natural History Museum staff
• Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
• Royal Geographical Society staff
• Science Museum staff
• Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
• Students (non-Imperial College)
• Teachers and other staff of UK schools
• Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
• Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
• Victoria and Albert Museum staff

Late enrolment

It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.

Friends and Family Scheme

This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.

Web enrolment starts 1 August 2023. Early bird discounts are available from 1 August to 30 September 2023

Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:

• Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
• If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.

When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:

Questions regarding the content and teaching of this course should be sent to the Course Tutor, Dr Pedro Rubio Teres, p.rubio-teres@imperial.ac.uk

If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk