F1GD 4470 - Emerging Technologies in Global Security: from disruption to governance (New course)

***UPDATED for 2025/26***

This interdisciplinary course explores the strategic, legal, and ethical implications of new technologies in war and peace. It covers different emerging and disruptive technologies, such as cyber, artificial intelligence (AI), human enhancement, and nanotechnologies. The course aims to provide an understanding of how new technologies may transform war and peace, reflect on related ethical issues, and investigate how international law and new regulations can address certain challenges. It provides insights from new research, engages students in current debates, informs on ongoing diplomatic processes, and seeks to stimulate the identification of new solutions. The course concludes with several scenarios and simulations of policymaking and policy advice regarding new technologies in war and peace.

Learning Outcomes

• Know the theoretical foundations and the scholarly literature on the strategic, legal, and ethical implications of new technologies in international peace and security.
• Know the current developments and trends regarding emerging technologies with potential ramifications on international peace and security.
• Master multidisciplinary and critical thinking regarding a complex and evolving global phenomenon of geopolitical, legal, and normative significance.
• Ability to debate and communicate regarding the implications and significance of global developments regarding emerging technologies and international (non-)cooperation.
• Ability to write and present policy advice to the decisionmakers with regard to the development, use, and regulation of new technologies in international peace and security.

Professional Skills

Multidisciplinary academic and policy analysis; effective oral communication; effective debating; effective written communication; effective analysis and communication of information for policymaking and policy advice.

N/a

Instant oral feedback in debate during class; oral feedback after group presentation in class; oral feedback on the individual paper on demand after the end of the semester.

Class participation (10%); group work, including joint presentation in the simulation (40%); individual paper written in class as input for the final exercise (50%).

• In Class Presence: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Online learning activities: 0 hours a week / 0 hours a semester
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester