Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Learning outcomes

After completion of this course the student is expected to demonstrate:

• the ability to account for key concepts and approaches to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament research
• the ability to analyse escalation and de-escalation dynamics in conflicts involving nuclear armed states
• the ability to critically evaluate the current non-proliferation and disarmament regime, including existing treaties and agreements and detection and monitoring processes
• the ability to independently and critically discuss important cases and contemporary issues in the field, including ethical aspects
• the ability to independently write academic course papers within a given time frame, applying concepts and theories introduced in the course
• the ability to communicate in English, in writing and/or orally

Content

Today we live in a multipolar world order with exponential technological development and growing tensions involving nuclear-armed states. For a global nuclear disarmament, we must ensure broad competence and a strong commitment from tomorrow's scientists, researchers and practitioners. This course aims to inspire students in both the social and natural sciences to take on those challenges by familiarizing them with nuclear technologies and core theories, concepts and practices that form the basis of international efforts to achieve nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

Through an interdisciplinary approach students will engage with key questions such as: What are the basic principles of nuclear physics (e.g. elements, isotopes, radioactive decay) and the nuclear fuel cycle that can help us to understand what nuclear weapons are and how they might be detected? How did the current non-proliferation and disarmament regime, with its existing treaties and agreements, develop historically? What are the dynamics that lead to escalation involving nuclear-armed states? What are the scenarios in which different types of nuclear weapons might come to be used on the battlefield? What are the dynamics that lead to de-escalation? What are the scenarios under which actors agree to limit or abandon their ability to resort to nuclear weapons? How are such agreements constructed and successfully negotiated? What is entailed in the successful monitoring of agreements, and how might such agreements breakdown? How do developments unfolding during these processes interact with our moral reasoning and emotions to generate the decisions we make?

Instruction

In addition to interdisciplinary lectures, the course will be taught through high-level interactive (compulsory) seminars and simulation games. The language of instruction is English.

Assessment

Examination and grading are based on the students' performance in writing seminar assignments and actively participating in seminars and simulations. Should a student fail to hand in a seminar assignment on time and/or be absent from a seminar or simulation, they will need to complete a replacement assignment in addition to the original assignment.

In order to receive the grade Pass (G), the student is required to:

• Participate in all mandatory seminars and simulation games, demonstrating adequate preparedness and knowledge of course literature and concepts.
• Receive a grade of Pass on all seminar assignments. 

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Uppsala University does not accept cheating and plagiarism. Suspected incidents of cheating or plagiarism are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, which may issue a formal warning to the student or suspend the student from studies for a certain period.