International Politics: Europe Under Threat? Key Challenges of European Security Today with Dr Jan Ruzicka from Aberystwyth University
June 24 @ 11:10 - 11:55
European security is undergoing fundamental changes. The ‘special relationship’ between the United Kingdom and the United States is clearly strained. Questions surrounding it, however, are only part of the wider crisis in Transatlantic relations. The long-established and seemingly firm bonds between the states forming the NATO alliance have been stretched beyond recognition by the U.S. designs to acquire Greenland, announcement of plans to pull out thousands of American soldiers from Europe, and President Trump’s criticism of European allies for their alleged lack of support during the recent war with Iran. These tensions have appeared amidst the continuous threats, often involving nuclear weapons, emanating from Russia. Further on the horizon but no less important to European security has been the growth of China’s power.
Europe’s economic security remains fragile and there are growing concerns about the lack of domestic cohesion within many European states. All of this has led many observers to wonder whether Europe is under unprecedented threat.
The session will introduce students to some of the key challenges to European security today and how we might think about them. It will also consider various options going forward and give the students a sense of how a strategic analysis of the present situation might be conducted and what policy options might be possible and necessary.
Lecturer Profile: Dr Jan Ruzicka is Lecturer in Security Studies and Director of the David Davies Memorial Institute in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University. Jan will be supported during the session by Dr Charalampos Efstathopoulos who is Senior Lecturer in International Politics at Aberystwyth.
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom, or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides will be shared, where available.
Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying or with an interest in studying Politics, International Relations and related subjects. Teachers and members of school staff, as always, are welcome too and participants can join as individuals from school/college or home, or as a group from school/college.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: We encourage students to consider the topic and think about some of the key elements and questions in advance. Students can also think about questions they have about studying at university level.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: