Geopolitics and Geostrategy

Major: International Relations
Code of subject: 6.291.01.E.086
Credits: 3.00
Department: Political Science and International Relations
Lecturer: Oleh Tsebenko, PhD in political science, associate professor
Semester: 8 семестр
Mode of study: денна
Learning outcomes: - ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of basic concepts and categories of geopolitics, geopolitical research principles and methodology; - ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of history of formation and development of geopolitical ideas in the world and european social and political thought; - ability to distinguish main points of classical geopolitical theories, leading schools, concepts and doctrines of modern geopolitics on the basis of comparative analysis; - ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the pecularities of formation of Ukrainian geopolitical thought, Ukrainian issues in European geopolitical concepts; - ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of geopolitical position of main actors of international relations and specifics of their geostrategy; - skills at determination of factors that influence the formation of geopolitics and analyzing factors determining geostrategic priorities of major geopolitical actors; - ability to identify trends of development of geopolitical situation in the world and separate regions; - ability to analyze and evaluate specifics of political, geographical and geopolitical position of Ukraine and problems of formation of Ukraine’s geostrategy in the global and European geopolitical space.
Required prior and related subjects: • Pre-requisites: Theory of International Relations, Political Science, Diplomacy of Ukraine, Country Studies. • Co-requisites: Globalization and Global Challenges.
Summary of the subject: Geopolitics as a field of scientific knowledge. Geographical factors in international relations and geopolitics: main categories and approaches of geopolitical analysis. Classical geopolitical concepts. Pre-theoretical stage of development of geopolitical thought. Appearance of the classical geopolitical science (F. Ratzel, R. Kjellen). American school of geopolitics (A.T.Mahan, N. Spykmen). The British school of geopolitics. H. Mackinder’s geopolitical concept. The German geopolitical school (K.Haushofer, C.Schmitt). Establishment and development of geopolitics in Russia. Origin and development of Russian geopolitical school. Geopolitical ideas of Eurasianism. P.Savitsky’s geopolitics. Neo-Eurasianism and modern Russian geopolitical doctrines. Geopolitical doctrines and concepts of XX - beginning of XXI century. The main geopolitical doctrine since the World War II. Modern Anglo-Saxon geopolitics (Atlanticism, mondialism, neo-mondialism). Geopolitical idea of European continentalism. Modern directions of geopolitical science. Geo-economics. Geopolitical doctrines of Ukrainian scientists and politicians. Determinants and background of formation of Ukrainian geopolitical orientations. The main geopolitical concepts in social and political thought of Ukraine. The world geopolitical structure and geostrategy of world powers. Geostrategy: essence and types. The main structural elements of state geostrategy. Main geostrategic objectives and priorities of leading international actors (the US, Russia, the EU, the Asia-Pacific and the South Asian region). Geopolitical goals and geostrategy of Ukraine. The formation of Ukraine as an actor of international relations. Ukraine’s national interests and the choice of its geostrategic priorities.
Assessment methods and criteria: • Current control (40% - oral examination, reports, discussions, writing essays, case-study research, preparation of presentations on a given topic). • Final control (60% - examination - three-level testing).
Recommended books: • Andrushchenko S. V. Ukraina v suchasnomu heopolitychnomu seredovyshchi: Monohr. / Andrushchenko S. V. – K.: Lohos, 2005. – 286 s. • Hadzhyev K. S. Vvedenye v heopolytyku: Ucheb. dlia vuzov; Yzd. 2-e, dop. y pererab. / Hadzhyev K. S. – M.: Lohos, 2001. – 432 s. • Heopolityka Ukrainy (Viiskovyi aspekt): Navch. posibn. / [Shlemkevych L. P., Tkachuk P. P., Hetmanchuk M. P. ta in.]. – Lviv: Viiskovyi instytut, 2004. – 835 s. • Dnistrianskyi M. S. Heopolitychni doktryny i pidkhody: krytychnyi analiz metodolohii: Monohr. / Dnistrianskyi M. S. – Lviv: Vyd. tsentr LNU im. I. Franka. 2003. – 114 s. • Kandyba Iu. I. Politychna heohrafiia z osnovamy heopolityky: Navch.-metod. kompleks / Kandyba Iu. I., Kucher I. I. – Kharkiv, 2010. – 100 s. • Malskyi M. Z. Teoriia mizhnarodnykh vidnosyn: Pidruchn. / Malskyi M. Z., Matsiakh M. M. - 2-he vyd, dop. ta vypr. – K.: Kobza, 2003. – 528 s. • Ukraina v suchasnomu heopolitychnomu prostori: teoretychnyi i prykladnyi aspekty / [Za red. F. M. Rudycha]. – K., 2002. • Shepeliev M. A. Teoriia mizhnarodnykh vidnosyn: Pidruchn. / Shepeliev M. A. – K.: Vyshcha shkola, 2004. – 622 s.