Events

PEACE & SECURITY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

Ilia State University and American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS

SUMMER 2019

The Summer School comprises two courses:

GEOPOLITICS, CONFLICT AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

Classroom Location: Ilia State University, Building A, Room 203 (32, Ilia Chavchavadze Ave)

50 academic hours 

Course Description

The Caucasus have taken on unprecedented strategic and political importance for major actors such as the European Union, NATO, Russia and the U.S. in recent years. While rich in natural resources, scenic beauty, and vibrant cultures, the region continues to be hampered by endemic conflicts and political instability. The Geopolitics, Conflict, and Development in the South Caucasus course will offer closer investigation into the myriad factors that gave rise and, at times, help to preserve such issues. In addition, this course will explore diplomatic and economic strategies as they are negotiated in contemporary global frameworks and within the Post-Soviet context.

Course Objectives

• To explore the history of Russian imperialism and Soviet influence in the Caucasus in order to discern legacy and legitimacy in the present.

• To understand the complex dynamics surrounding border regions and autonomies as they pertain to ethnic, religious, and national securities.

• To investigate democratization processes in the South Caucasus, their effect on EU and NATO membership, and the ongoing struggles of political corruption.

• To examine the critical role of energy in geopolitics, regional policy, and economic development in the South Caucasus.

Faculty: Prof. Timothy Blauvelt, Prof. Ghia Nodia, Prof. David Darchiashvili, Prof. Dimitri Japaridze.