Tracing 21st Century War: From Remote, Autonomous, to Space Warfare

Course goals

Learning outcomes: after completing the course, you will have:

• Knowledge and understanding of the academic debates and analytical vocabularies related to the changing nature and character of war in the 21^st century.
• The capacity to enhance and demonstrate this understanding through writing a book review,  interviewing key experts and creating a podcast.
• The capacity to transfer key knowledge to a clearly defined larger international audience.

Learning objectives and skills:

• To introduce you to key texts on the ontology and epistemology of war in the 21^st century.
• To acquaint you with new research & debates on different forms of 21^st century warfare, including remote, drone, autonomous, cyber, hybrid and space warfare.
• To improve your ability to identify how these different forms of warfare interconnect in actual contemporary cases of war.
• To improve your ability to think through whether the changing character of warfare is changing the nature of war.
• To learn by doing: by actively experiencing knowledge.
• To strengthen your research skills through learning how to conduct in-depth interviews.
• To strengthen your capacity to creatively transfer academic knowledge to an international, trans & interdisciplinary and non-academic audience.
• To improve your conceptual and analytical capacity to critically question conventional ideas and accepted courses of action, and to define your own position.
• To train you to become better conflict analysts

Content

The recent wars in Ukraine and Gaza highlight the growing importance of emerging technologies in shaping military operations and strategies, while challenging conflict analysts to interpret both conventional ground warfare and large-scale atrocities against civilians. Technologies of war evolve constantly, raising a deeper question about whether the changing character of war - how wars are fought - also transforms the nature of war itself. This course critically examines the limits and possibilities of Conflict Studies in explaining the international dimensions of warfare and the ways in which advanced militaries conduct warfare. We explore competing definitions of war and analyse how emerging forms of 21st century warfare reshape our understanding of its meaning and practice. Through thematic sessions and guest lectures, students strengthen their conflict analysis skills by examining how new modes of warfare intersect with local dynamics and the role of emerging technology therein. Students learn to translate complex insights for broader audiences through two main assignments, an academic paper and a podcast series, gaining the conceptual and analytical tools to understand contemporary wars.

Additional information

• Are enrolled in the Conflict Studies minor 
• Are an exchange student and meet the course’s entry requirements 

This course is part of the Minor Conflict Studies. 

Please note that you need to enrol separately for both the Minor Conflict Studies and the individual courses. 
Enrolling in the Minor does not automatically register you for its courses.

Early Exit option for international exchange students (5 ECTS)
Exchange students who are required to return to their home university before January, are allowed to choose an Early Exit option for this course. The Early Exit option means that students can finish the course before Christmas break, receiving 5 ECTS for the course. Students must make arrangements with the course coordinator at the start of the course.