Short course
Geopolitics and Today’s Crises
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
29/09/2026 - 01/12/202616:30 - 18:30
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
Wars, lasting conflicts, tense cooperation, and profound harmony – the relations of nations have all of these. Geopolitics tries to make sense of them, by studying geography and politics, but also economics, culture, demographics and technology. In this class, lectures will be mixed with lively and respectful debates about how these elements interact in different regions of today's complicated world. History helps shapes the present, so we will try to understand how we got to where we are. About half the sessions will be dedicated to applying geopolitical concepts to specific situations, such as the Middle East and China.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts Tuesday 29 September 2026
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 4.30-6.30pm.
Week 1: Key concepts of geopolitics (foreground): geography, the (Hegelian) state, military concerns, domestic politics, economics, the balance of power
Week 2: Key concepts of geopolitics (background): power vs. peace, competing cultures, interdependence, non-state actors, demographics
Week 3: Forces for war: ambition, ideology, fear, injustice, jealousy
Week 4: Forces for peace: human nature, the balance of terror, multilateral organisations, the global elite
Week 5: History: great powers, nationalism, globalisation, prosperity, ability to destroy, justice, Realpolitik
Week 6: Recent history: NATO, the non-end of history, conflicting narratives, the value of forgetting
Week 7: Case study: Iran, Israel, etc.
Week 8: Case study: Russia-Ukraine
Week 9: Case study: Chinese expansion
Week 10: Case study: the UK: a middle power in the world
Course aims
This course aims to explain and apply the basic concepts of geopolitical analysis.
Course objectives
1) To explore the fundamental factors which shape relations between nations, particularly the causes of and cures for war.
2) To apply the concepts to geopolitics to four specific “hot spots” around the world.
Learning outcomes
1. Students will learn the central concepts of geopolitical analysis.
2. Students will learn how to analyse the relevance of different concepts in specific geopolitical situations.
3. Students will learn about the range of contradictory interpretations of global trends and specific conflicts.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Teaching methods
The class will be a mixture of informal lecture, with questions and comments encouraged, and carefully curated discussion. Students will hopefully bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives, so that they can learn from one another.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Mr Edward Hadas
Edward Hadas is a Research Fellow at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University. He also teaches philosophy, economics, and social theory to visiting American undergraduates. He is the author of Money, Finance, Reality, Morality (2022) and Counsels of Imperfection: Thinking through Catholic Social Teaching (2020).
Academic credit
Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)
Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.
Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.
Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.
Digital certificate of completion
Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Preparatory reading
- World order : reflections on the character of nations and the course of history / Henry Kissinger
- Gweopolitics: An Introductory Reader / Jason Dittmer and Joanne Sharp
- The Clash Of Civilizations: And The Remaking Of World Order / Samuel Huntington
- John Lewis Gaddis / We Now Know
Module code: O26P495SOW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
