New Dimensions of Security in the Risk Age

COVID-19 has starkly reinforced how the world faces global risks, of which COVID is only one out of many. Why does the World Economic Forum publish its annual Global Risks Report and how does it arrive at its findings? And what are so-called “Existential Risks” that supposedly pose a risk to humanity’s very survival? As governments such as the United Kingdom issue National Risk Registers to guide policy makers, this module enables students to examine the security dimensions of living in what sociologists have termed a ‘World Risk Society’. It highlights the new nature of vulnerability in an era of contested and often politicised science, as well as the impact on how we conceptualise and think about security. The module shows how key stakeholders such as industry, media, governments and politicians have to play crucial roles in not only shaping responses to these perceived risks, but also how to appropriately manage them. Students will be introduced to how risks of all types have challenged policy makers in the post-Cold War era from ethnic conflicts in Kosovo, the 9/11 terror attacks, Afghanistan, Iraq and so-called Islamic State. Most recently so-called existential risks such as AI and climate change and systemic risks to critical infrastructure such as the Suez Canal have captured attention. Concepts such as Security Paradigm Shifts, Omission versus Commission; the Risk Calculus, and Precautionary Principle will be discussed. While these issues are not necessarily new in a historical sense, this module shows how they have garnered renewed attention through the prism of risk. Policy responses are finally examined such as capacity for building “futures literacy” and National Risk Assessment Exercises.
The following outcomes are emphasized:
1.An ability to understand and evaluate a range of new security challenges and policy responses interconnected through globalization and technology
2.The linkage between industry, media, politics, and science and its relevance to global security affairs
3.The ability to collate and evaluate arguments from different sources and theoretical perspectives
4.The ability to formulate and articulate views coherently in written and oral forms
5.Critical thinking, analytical and reading skills