Humanities and Social Science Program

Strategy, Security, War: Global Issues

Faculty Advisor: PhD researcher, University of Pennsylvania

Research Program Introduction

Is all war senseless, or is it a necessary tool to prevent greater harm or to achieve just ends?

This program studies how regimes and societies make sense of violence and war: who is protected by political violence, who is marked as an outsider or an enemy, and how do we determine when cases of organized force succeeded or failed? More fundamentally, we will also focus on how questions about “war” and “violence” often depend on claims about who “we” are. 

The program moves between classic strategic thought and contemporary debates and explores concrete cases, including Russia-Ukraine war and the question of NATO’s resolve; and how global health crises have enabled 'emergency powers' and challenged the borders of individual freedom and citizenship. We will deploy a historical approach in the first few sessions by starting with a detailed analysis of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), the Wars of German Unification (1864-1871), and the World Wars (1914-1945). 

Throughout, students practice close reading and are invited to explore a case (or cases) of their own choosing, and will be guided in writing a research paper. 

Possible Topics For Final Project:

  • How have cross-border campaigns targeted NATO cohesion during the Russian-Ukraine war and what has worked in response?

  • Clausewitz & Sun Zi: Do their war theories still apply?

  • How has competition over water and pasture in central Sahal led to organized violence?

  • How have cyber warfare campaigns (especially those against electoral and military institutions) led to crises and escalation? 

  • What are the effects of disinformation on empathy, outrage, and restraint among wartime publics?

  • Other professor-approved topics in this subject area that you are interested in

Program Detail

  • Cohort size: 3 to 6 students

  • Duration: 12 weeks

  • Workload: Around 4 to 5 hours per week (including session and homework time)

  • Target students: This program is open to any 9-12th grade student. Students need to be committed to respectful debate when it comes to the discussion and exploration of political topics.