AIR703 - The Middle East in a Multipolar World
Unit details
| Year | 2026 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Shahram Akbarzadeh |
| Cohort rule: | Nil |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus (Burwood) lecture per week + 1 x 1-hour on-campus (Burwood) seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-line lecture per week + 1 x 1-hour on-line seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the trimester undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
This unit examines how regional players in the Middle East pursue hedging strategies in their foreign policy and diplomacy against the backdrop of great power competition. The Middle East presents significant opportunities and challenges for great powers, but also complex diplomatic challenges. It serves as a significant source of hydrocarbon to fuel the global economy yet suffers from major political ruptures that reverberate far and wide. As a result, the Middle East has occupied some of the great minds in foreign policy thinking and global affairs. The unit investigates key transnational issues that shape the region. It explores how religion, ethnicity and ideologies interplay with the Westphalian model of nation-states, at one level challenging the Westphalian model and at another level serving as instruments of foreign policy by regional powers. This examination will cover sectarianism, regional rivalries, proxy wars, and their impact on regional security. It also examines how the desire for political representation, exemplified by the Arab Spring, sparked a wave of political change and conflict across the region, heightening regional insecurity. While seeking to explore the roots of these insecurities, the unit also considers the emergence of new, innovative diplomatic initiatives, such as the efforts by countries such as Qatar and China to broker solutions to seemingly intractable conflicts like those between Israel and the Palestinian Authority/Hamas, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the Taliban and the United States in Afghanistan.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Apply concepts, methods, and theories of international relations to understand and analyse issues and developments in the Middle East. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO3: Digital Literacy GLO4: Critical Thinking |
| ULO2 | Identify the key regional dynamics of the Middle East and critically assess the impact of transnational issues emerging from the region on global affairs. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO3: Digital Literacy GLO4: Critical Thinking |
| ULO3 | Collaboratively identify and discuss key geopolitical, social and cultural complexities of the Middle East. | GLO4: Critical Thinking GLO6: Self- Management GLO7: Team Work |
| ULO4 | Identify regional and global security dilemmas, and formulate and advocate real-world solutions using foreign policy tools. | GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical Thinking GLO5: Problem Solving GLO7: Team Work |
| ULO5 | Engage in constructive debates on key challenges facing the region, presenting clear ideas and persuasive arguments. | GLO2: Communication GLO5: Problem Solving GLO8: Global Citizenship |
| ULO6 | Undertake research and critically apply relevant literature and sources to construct well supported arguments for practical tasks. | GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital Literacy GLO4: Critical Thinking GLO6: Self-Management |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student Output | Grading and Weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative Due Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Essay | 1000 words or equivalent | 20% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 2: Essay | 3000 words or equivalent | 60% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 3: Class Presentation | 1000 words or equivalent | 20% | Information not yet available |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.