IRL/POL 308 Geopolitics of the Mediterranean Basin: Security in a Diverse Region

France is both a founding member of the European Union and an historic and active actor in the Mediterranean basin. Aix-en-Provence was founded by a Mediterranean people, the Romans, in support of another Mediterranean people, the Greeks. Living and studying in Aix-en-Provence gives students firs-hand experience of one of the many identities that encompass the Mediterranean coastal region. This culturally diverse region has been connected for millennia by a shared geographic space. It has created some of the greatest monuments to human intelligence and creativity, and has also been plagued by violence and instability for decades. This course will examine the security issues currently emerging in the region, conscious that they are just the most recent act in a long and continuous pageant of human activity stretching back to the dawn of recorded history. Students will read text on the geopolitical issues facing the countries of the Mediterranean basin today and analyze contemporary policies to have a better understanding of the future of this fascinating region.