Would you like to take a non-degree class this summer? You can see the full list of 2012 summer courses online. There are a few courses still available:
Post-Soviet Democracy Development
The objective of this seminar is to provide students with a broad overview of democratization development as it relates to the former-Soviet region. The course juxtaposes democratization theory with its actual practice in countries of the region, looking for trends and explanations for the trajectory of political development. Students will take a critical look at various democratization theories and implementation strategies employed in the region, as a means of broadening their own perspective, then will learn to apply their ideas to the formulation of strategies for the promotion of democracy.
Impact of Election Assistance
This course will start by exploring various approaches to election assistance, and their underlying rationales: how do different donors interpret the line between promoting democracy and interfering in the domestic affairs of a nation. The second part of the course will add practical application to the various election assistance approaches studied by looking at a series of case studies from the post-soviet states. Finally, the course will consider how election programming relates to other types of programming within the Democracy and Governance sphere, as well and Conflict and Post Conflict activities and explore how to better plan assistance for election based upon conditions in a particular country.
Global Terrorism
Two immediate and unavoidable facts confront us in this course. First, terrorism is a highly complex phenomenon and we have a limited amount of time to analyze it properly. Second, U.S. political and policy debates about terrorism are often not so much about “them” as they are about “us.” The spector of terrorism, in other words, has provided American political leaders, policy elites and citizens with the opportunity to debate how we should define ourselves as a nation and how we should politically engage with the world at large. We must also be aware of how societal preparedness and responses to terrorism can influence the efficacy of terrorism in the US and internationally.
Stabilization & Peace Building
Today’s states face challenges from myriad directions. Globalization, insurgencies, ethnic or sectarian conflict, totalitarianism, transnational crime syndicates, failing governance systems, cultural dissonance, terrorism, and emerging health threats are but just a sample of the dynamics that can bring down a state. Failed or failing states provide space and time in which conditions can form that in turn threaten a region or the international community.
Introduction to Gaming & Simulations
This course will review collaborative analysis techniques that have been developed to game out or simulate issues and situations of significance. The course presents an overview of public and private sector applications of these methods for analysis and training. It will also provide detailed descriptions of various approaches and their conceptual underpinnings.
Writing for Intelligence Professionals
This course will focus on the various types of writing you will likely encounter in the professional world – with an emphasis on the government sector, and in particular the intelligence community. Writing requires practice and this course will involve a series of short written assignments, plus in class practical exercises covering the types of written products routinely encountered in the professional world.
Political Economics of Financing Climate Change
Among the many developmental and environmental challenges humankind faces, climate change is the most complex ever encountered. No country is immune. No country alone can take on the interconnected challenges posed by climate change, including the controversial political decisions. As increasing amounts of money become available for climate change mitigation, this course will examine the financial architecture of climate change mitigation programs to assess performance, identify best practices, and evaluate the efficacy of these programs.
Defense Policy and Program Analysis
The course provides a very practical view of defense analysis: it stresses analysis as it is actually used in the national security community to help shape policy. The course will give students a firm foundation of defense affairs and issues; critical thinking about them; discrimination regarding analyses of them; and the skills to evaluate and sometimes employ the tools of analysis to help resolve them.
War & Conflict in Africa
This course explores patterns of armed conflict in contemporary Africa, its most important causes, and international responses to it. It does so in four parts. Part 1 explores how Africa’s wars relate to global trends in armed conflict. Part 2 analyses the major explanations for armed conflict in contemporary Africa namely neopatrimonialism, ethnicity, state failure, warlord politics, liberation struggles and competition over resources. Part 3 examines some of the main dynamics of Africa’s wars by looking at the roles played by insurgencies, private actors and children. Part 4 explores international responses to Africa’s wars and asks how they might be brought to an end.
Alternative Analysis: Red Team Approach
This course introduces students to the concept and application of alternative analysis. Alternative analysis is used not only in intelligence analysis and military operations, but also in commercial and business analysis. This course is designed for graduate students across many disciplines, who look to gain a better understanding of the intelligence community, learn alternative analysis techniques, and practice critical thinking skills that are applicable to any context.
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