This course focuses on transnational threats to Asia-Pacific security. It considers the evolving and typically inter-related nature of these often non-military challenges, while acknowledging their relationships both to international and internal Asia-Pacific security concerns. Among the proposed topics to be covered are: environmental challenges to regional security, including climate change; diseased-based threats; natural disasters; the nexus between transnational organized crime and terrorism; piracy; energy security dilemmas; and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation. The overall objective of this course will be to complement earlier course offerings on international and internal security issues in the Asia-Pacific, therefore encapsulating the more comprehensive notions of security that are a defining feature of security politics in this part of the world.

• To provide course members with an empirical understanding of transnational challenges to Asia-Pacific security, both through the material delivered in lectures, as well as via the reading material assigned.
• To provide course members with a series of analytical frameworks for better understanding the complexities of transnational security challenges in an Asia-Pacific context.
• To assist course members with developing the skills required to clearly and confidently articulate their ideas regarding transnational challenges to Asia-Pacific security through in-class discussions, a variety of written assessments and tutorial based activities.

Tutorial attendance and participation (10 per cent); Essay plan (500 words) (10 per cent);  Research essay (3,000 words) (40 per cent); Take home exam (1,500 words)  (40 per cent).

34 contact hours per semester

A 2-hour lecture session per week for twelve weeks and a 1-hour tutorial per week for ten weeks of the semester.

STST2001 and STST2002, or the permission of the coordinator

Intermediate knowledge of the history and the contemporary dynamics of the Asia-Pacific security environment.

An E-brick will be provided free of charge to course members