Posted April 6, 2020

In the fall 2020, the Sam Nunn School is offering 48 courses, with 39 offered to undergraduate students, and 23 to graduate students in the areas of global development; international security; and international affairs, science and technology. Four of those classes are new to the department. 

The new courses offered are: International Relations & Pop Culture, the Law and Global Innovation, National Security Strategies of Middle East, and States and Space Security. These courses were developed by the faculty who will be teaching these in the fall.

Course Description:

International Relations & Pop Culture (INTA 2803)

The course will explore topics and themes in International Relations through the use of various examples found in pop culture. Through the utilization of movies, television, music, sport, social media and more, we will examine topics such as IR theory, war and diplomacy, as well as authoritarianism vs. democracy. In doing so, we can begin to understand not only how these topics are handled, but also how they begin to shape the consumers’ understanding and expectations for their own societies and policymakers. We will explore what popular culture gets right and wrong, how it has been used as a tool for propaganda and statecraft, and where it has even helped create or curb societal change. In the end, the course asks students to come to some conclusions on what degree popular culture serves as a helpful pedagogical medium for both academics and society as a whole.   

The Law and Global Innovation (INTA 4803/8803) 

This course will focus on the “role" as well as the “rules" of law that impact, encourage, and restrict the creation and uses of innovation globally. Georgia Tech students seeking success in creating and managing global innovations need to understand not only current US laws, but also the historical, political, cultural and economic forces that shape the laws and policies affecting innovation. Drawing on current issues and prior legal cases students will become familiar with the major global legal structures, systems and attitudes governing the protection, uses and limitations on innovation. The course will be taught in a blended class / seminar format by former Nunn School Chair and Professor of the Practice Joseph Bankoff who created and led the Intellectual Property & Technology law practice at the King & Spalding law firm.  

National Security Strategies of Middle East States (INTA 4803/8803)

This new course will survey how Middle East states think about national security. What are their respective threat perceptions and how do they formulate domestic and foreign policy to address these challenges? The course will begin with an overview of what is national security in the Middle East.  The course focuses on the regional players such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, the Palestinians, Turkey, Qatar, Lebanon, and the UAE). It will also address functional issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, terrorism, WMDs, and energy. This course will also include a simulation. 

Space Security (INTA 4803/8803)

In December 2019, the United States created the U.S. Space Force, emphasizing that space is a warfighting domain, and that American space superiority is critical. Space assets have been used for military and intelligence purposes since the beginning of the space age, and space developments have played an important role in great power competition. This lecture will examine the strategic role space places in international security.

Nunn School faculty are always making improvements to their course curriculum to prepare students for careers in the 21st Century. The courses offered in the Nunn School provide the essential skills and technical knowledge to enter the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. 

For more information on other courses offered this fall, please check out the Georgia Tech registrar’s office. Past courses and syllabi can be viewed on the Nunn School website.