- The student learns the characteristics and specifics of contemporary regional conflicts in the post-Soviet area and the main development trends of contemporary conflict resolution issues
- The student gains in-depth and up to date knowledge of conflicts in the post-Soviet space as a complex system of interactions between various actors
- The student understands the formation of complex conflicts generating world political confrontations and modes of interactions between conflict actors at different levels
- The student is able to explain current security situation in the post-Soviet space and independently assess the efficiencies and deficiencies of the existing political and legal frameworks of mediation and conflict resolution
- The student learns to formulate his/her own proposals for the use of the appropriate measures for the resolution of a specific regional conflict
- The student is able to search literature on regional conflict issues

Lectures look at conflicts in the post-Soviet space, including the sources of conflicts, role of “ethnic factor”, nationalism and religion, development of conflicts, contested problems of foreign interventions (legitimization of peacekeeping operation and use of force), peace negotiations, and actual state of play. The course critically evaluates effectiveness of actions of various state and non-state actors participating in the mitigation, settlement, mediation, negotiation, arbitration, management, and resolution of the conflicts. Apart of the introductory lecture devoted to basic theoretical aspects of regional conflicts and methodology for applied analysis of regional conflicts, each succeeding lecture presents a case study of a specific conflict cluster. The main focus in class discussion is the actual peace processes involving various actors and “windows of opportunity” for conflict resolution which can be opened up in the mutual interplay of the actions and approaches of the conflict parties supported by the appropriate policies of international actors. The main goal of the course is to provide students with the methodological framework for applied empirical analysis of the regional conflicts that could fit various contemporary and historical regional conflicts around the world.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods include lectures, class discussions and students’ presentations in seminars. Students will also be required to write short critically reflective learning diary. The case study lectures are given by the guest teachers from the region in focus.

Teaching

II and III Periods 2017/2018 (31.10.2017-25.01.2018)

Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12.00-14.00 (14 hours)

1. Introduction to the course: basic theoretical aspects of regional conflicts, methodology for applied analysis of regional conflicts; main characteristics of the post-Soviet regional conflicts (Vadim Romashov, TAPRI). Tuesday 31.10.2017

2. Ethnic clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks: National and international perspectives (Asel Myrzabekova, Bonn International Center for Conversation/American University of Central Asia). Tuesday 7.11.2017

3. Regional conflicts and history as conflicting resource: Abkhazia and different interpretations of history (Ketevan Gurchiani, Institute of Philosophy, Ilia State University). Thursday 9.11.2017

4. Politics of history, conflict and war in Ukraine (Artem Kharchenko, Politic History Department of National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”/NGO “Center for Interethnic Relations Research in Eastern Europe”). Tuesday 5.12.2017

5. Regional conflicts, peace processes and mediation in Moldova: Transnistria and Gagauzia (Valentina Teosa, Department of International Relations, Moldova State University). Thursday 7.12.2017

6. North Caucasus: Stable instability (Magomed Gizbulaev, Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography, Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences). Tuesday 16.1.2018.

7. Karabakh conflict and the current regional affairs (Artur Atanesyan, Faculty of Sociology, Yerevan State University). Thursday 18.1.2018

Seminars:

1. Thursday 16.11.2017 (Vadim Romashov and Ketevan Gurchiani)
2. Thursday 14.12.2017 (Vadim Romashov and Valentina Teosa)
3. Thursday 25.1.2018 (Vadim Romashov and Artur Atanesyan)

Reading list will be announced at the beginning of the course.

The course is organized in cooperation with Aleksanteri Institute's Russian and East European Master's School.