ISIS is losing in Syria, but the civil war looks far from over. Venezuela faces violent riots as its economy continues to implode. An unprecedented arms build-up accelerates in and around the South China Sea….

What do all of these things have in common? They are global threats to security.

The world we live in is filled with a wide range of threats. Some of these are small and insignificant, while others are so severe that even the most powerful governments must acknowledge them. These global threats shape the way countries conduct their foreign policy, and as such, are key to understanding the interconnected world of global politics and international relations.

Next month will see the beginning of a new module of International Relations Online (IRO) at the Center for Global Politics which seeks to teach these connections. Called ‘Changing Patterns of Governance: Coping With Global Risks and Uncertainties’, the module provides students with a background on the development of security and risk, analyzing the often contested terminologies and policies that are used within this area. Furthermore the module also seeks to analyze different security mechanisms and their success or failure in different conflicts worldwide, as well as strategies for discussing the controversial topics related to these conflicts.

The module itself is taught by Stefan Engert, an associate professor at the University of Konstanz.

‘Changing Patterns of Governance: Coping With Global Risks and Uncertainties’ will begin for IRO students on the 25^th of July 2016 and will run to the 16^th of October.