Seapower in the Indo-Pacific

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Maritime relations and rivalries have emerged as a major geopolitical feature of the Indo-Pacific. The study of seapower is essential to understanding the origins, the pathways, and the consequences of these maritime interactions. This course will assess the role of seapower in shaping the Indo-Pacific security environment. In this class, students will first learn about the classical and contemporary theories of seapower and seapower’s influence upon Asia’s modern history. The course will study how aspiring maritime powers, such as China and India, have introduced new uncertainties and opportunities to regional and global security. The class will then examine how established seafaring nations, including the United States and Japan, have responded to changing strategic circumstances as rising powers turn to the seas. Students will take away from this course a keen appreciation for seapower’s impact on Indo-Pacific security and seapower’s many policy implications for great powers and regional actors alike.