This optional course examines the key geopolitical and geo-economic challenges for the transatlantic partners in a radically changing global order, both from within the still crucial bilateral relationship and from outside. After an introductory session including a brief review of the history of US-European relations during the Cold War, the first part of the course will analyse the structural changes and paradigm shifts in a multipolar global order and how they have affected transatlantic relations. The second part will analyse the driving forces behind the strategic outlook among both sides and how these translate into different/common foreign (security) policies. There has been much soul searching among the allies about finding the right strategic answers to common threats and challenges in the world in recent years. At the same time western dominance is waning and particularly China’s rise and Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine have not only challenged the liberal order but also caused a global power redistribution. In the third part, the course will examine the new transatlantic geo-economics and analyse how much common ground there is to shape and manage the global economy; this section will raise questions about states increasingly practising power politics by economic means, the future of the global trading system and supply chains, and the impact of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine on the transatlantic economy. Finally, other relevant global challenges, such as energy security, will also be dealt with. The fourth part will explore to what extent recent developments in international relations mark the beginning of a post-American era and what that means for future relationships with China and Russia.
Professor: Stefan FRÖHLICH