Geopolitical Rivalries and Global Security: Arctic Field Studies

About this course

With the resurgence of geopolitics and the effects of climate change, the Arctic region is undergoing rapid transformation. The region is highly dynamic and unpredictable carrying significant implications, not only for the indigenous population and states, but also for the global community.

As the climate changes, the Arctic becomes more accessible, presenting both new opportunities and challenges. The region is rich in valuable mineral and energy resources, and the emergence of new sea routes holds the promise of shorter travel distances between Europe and Asia. These changes significantly impact food supply routes and military operations.

Geopolitically, the Arctic has not figured high on the great powers’ national security agenda nor been a military priority. This is changing, however, and the U.S., Russia, and China are showing a growing interest in the Arctic in general and Greenland in particular. This shift – combined with the deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Europe on one side and China and Russia on the other – is leading to growing mistrust and security tension as well as military build-up, which complicates, if not outright undermines, the efforts of smaller Arctic states to guard Arctic cooperation. It is also within this context that countries like Greenland explores its possibilities for full independence.

This course explores Arctic geopolitics following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, focusing on how the growing security tension and military conflict between the great powers manifest in the region. Most of the course will be taught in Greenland and we’ll visit with Greenlandic politicians, activists, scholars and entrepreneurs to explore the complexities of how global geopolitics play out in this specific Arctic setting.

Pre-requisites

One course in political science or international relations at university level.

Faculty

Alexander Hviid

Faculty

M.Sc. (International Security & Law, University of Southern Denmark, 2016). M.A. (Social Science, University of Copenhagen, 2010). Research interests include Arctic security and Danish-Greenlandic relations, as well as public international law, specifically international criminal law and international humanitarian law. Work experience with the Institute for Strategy at the Royal Danish Defense College. With DIS since 2016.