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War and Diplomacy

08 - 26 July 2024

Explore the role played by individual, state and other actors in war and diplomacy in the specific learning environment provided by Lancaster’s Centre for War & Diplomacy (CWD).

Tab Content: Programme Overview

Week 1

A series of deliberately wide-ranging opening sessions exploring the interwoven themes of war and diplomacy. The focus, as with the remainder of the course, will be on relatively contemporary history examples, but with glances into the deeper past in the context of analysing and understanding the morality of war and the philosophical underpinnings of rights and diplomacy. Consideration of ways of studying war and diplomacy; how does diplomacy fail or wars succeed; Complexity and the narratives and manipulations of war; Identity, religion, resources, and sectarianism.

Week 2

  • War as a subject of history, the emergence (and re-emergence) of the nation state, globalisation, international bodies/supranational diplomacy;
  • Freedom and Terror: the international consensus (or absence thereof) on constraints and action;
  • The morality of war, and what does peace look like?

Week 3

  • The history of diplomacy. Nuclear and environmental diplomacy;
  • Failures of diplomacy – individual, national and supranational, NATO, BRICS, etc.;
  • Conflicts in the contemporary arena and their witnessing and morality;
  • The changing character of war – remoteness/proximity; the “diplomacy” of War Crimes.

There will also be a two-night trip to London to explore the capital.

Intercultural and social experience

Throughout the three weeks, you will be accompanied by Lancaster Student Ambassadors who will help you settle into Lancaster, showing you around campus, and answering your questions. They will also lead evening social activities and weekend trips, giving you plenty of chances to make new international friends.

Tab Content: Credits & Assessment

Students who complete this course are awarded 15 LU / 4 US / 7.5 ECTS credits.

This summer school will be assessed through two methods:

  • 80% Policy brief (2,000 - 2,500 words)
  • 20% Presentation

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Lancaster University Global Summer Schools

Global Experiences, Welcome Centre, Bowland College, Lancaster University LA1 4YT

Email: globalschools@lancaster.ac.uk