The Russia-Ukraine War and Global Security
In-Person – Thursday 1:10 pm – 2:50 pm
Sept. 19, 26, Oct. 10, 17, 24, 31 – No Class on Oct. 3
Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has set off the deadliest armed conflict since WWII, sending shockwaves around the world. We explore how and why the war came to be, its immediate and long-term impacts, and potential resolution scenarios. We analyze how different International Relations theories explain the causes, conduct and consequences of the war, as well as the emphasis each theory places on identity, culture, security, international law and power. Throughout the course, we reflect on how the war has changed the world order as we knew it, and the way we think about human rights and security.
- Week 1: Key historical events in the making of Ukraine and Ukrainians
- Week 2: Russia’s and Ukraine’s contested historical narratives
- Week 3: Ukraine’s and Russia’s regime divergence in the post-Soviet experience
- Week 4: Foundations of Putin’s personalized authoritarian regime
- Week 5: Regional and global consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine
- Week 6: Potential scenarios for the war’s resolution
Olena Lennon, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor of National Security at the University of New Haven, where she teaches such courses as the U.S. Foreign and Defense Policy, International Relations and U.S. National Security. An Eastern Ukraine native, she also serves as an election observer with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and has completed several election observation missions in the region. Formerly a Fulbright scholar and most recently a Title VIII Scholar at Woodrow Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute in Washington, DC, Olena has dedicated her research to domestic and international politics of Ukraine, as well as Eurasian geopolitics and security writ large. Dr. Lennon also serves on Freedom House’s team of Ukraine experts that produces a yearly “Freedom in the World” report focused on assessing Ukraine’s domestic political environment. She has also conducted Ukraine country studies training for U.S. advisors to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, under the auspices of the United States European Command (EUCOM) Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC).