Past and current courses

This course analyses the emergence of the modern Middle East from the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the present. It examines the Ottoman legacy in the region and the Western imperial impact on the creation of the Arab state system. It discusses the rise and struggle of Arab nationalism, the problems of internal cohesion of the Arab states, issues of religion and state, and the evolution of Islamist politics. It also analyses the Arab-Israeli conflict and its impact on the region. 

This course provides a critical understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict from its roots prior to the First World War and the establishment of the State of Israel through the collapse of the peace process and the outbreak of the Second Intifada. It discusses the conflicting narratives and examines the religious, nationalist, interstate, social, and international dimensions of the conflict. 

This course examines the history of Europe from the end of the First World War to the outbreak of the Second World War. It investigates great-power politics and the international system, with an emphasis on foreign policy-making, ideology, crisis diplomacy, strategy, armaments and the use and abuse of intelligence. 

This course critically investigates the landscape of the new geopolitical structure of the Middle East, the strategic interests and goals of major regional actors, the interactions between these regional actors, including in proxy wars and insurgencies, and the reality and perception of the US withdrawal from the region.

This course explores the background to the dynamics of conflict in the Middle East and consider prospects for the region’s future. It provides an overview of the historical, political, economic, and strategic factors that shape the modern Middle East.

This course provides an understanding of the contemporary issues in the study of terrorism. Unpacking its main ideologies and motivations, it analyses both the theoretical approaches and practical applications of terrorism and counterterrorism in the real world.