The changing international security environment has created pressures on regional organisations to respond to increasingly global security threats and risks. In this context, both NATO and the European Union (EU) have aimed at strengthening their profile as global security actors whose reach includes the Asia-Pacific region. NATO after 2001 has embarked on a series of military operations around the globe such as in Afghanistan. It has also established partnerships with countries ‘across the globe’, including Australia. Finally, the Atlantic alliance is in the process of developing stronger ties with major Asia-Pacific powers such as China, India and Indonesia. The EU recently formulated a global ambition for its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). While it has conducted military operations in Africa and Southern Europe, CSDP’s most significant capabilities arguably lie in non-military areas of security such as anti-terrorism, as well as fighting organized crime and corruption. In these areas CSDP has already played a cooperative role in Southeast Asian security. From an Asia-Pacific security perspective this raises the question about the future scope of NATO and the EU as global security actors. This courses analyses the foundations, ambitions and capabilities of NATO and the EU to becoming global security actors, with a particular emphasis on the implications for Asia-Pacific strategic affairs and prospects for practical security cooperation between Asia-Pacific powers, including Australia, and the two organizations.

• To provide course members with an in-depth empirical understanding of both NATO and the EU, and their role as global security actors, both through the material delivered in lectures, as well as via the reading material assigned.
• To provide course members with an analytical framework for better understanding the role external security actors such as NATO and the EU can play in an increasingly complex Asia-Pacific security environment.
• To assist course members with developing the skills to clearly and confidently articulate their ideas regarding the emerging global role of NATO and the EU and the impact on Asia-Pacific region through in-class discussions and a variety of written assessments.

Assignments 60%, Examination 40%

Students undertaking this course could expect a workload of 10 hours a week. This is inclusive of actual contact hours for lectures and also out of class preparation time.

Permission of course coordinator

Knowledge of the features of the contemporary international and regional (Asia-Pacific) security environment.

Core reading materials will be available as an e-brick.