FIF 621 - The Great Melt: Geopolitics of the Changing Arctic

Course Description

The arctic faces transformation of epic proportions. It is a forbidding and formidable region that remains a location of beauty, wonder and mystery. Its extreme climates and geographical expanse have made it off limits to all except its northern indigenous population for much of its history. Did you know that some believe that the arctic may contain up to 13 per cent of the worlds undiscovered oil and 30 per cent of its undiscovered natural gas? Learn about at least four major transformational processes that are recasting the entire world. These include climate change, resource development, new technologies, and new geopolitical forces. Any one of these forces by itself would alter the arctic, but all four taken together mean that the arctic is now becoming very different from what it was. You will examine each of the four individually and then consider how they interact to produce the overall transformation that is now occurring.

Course Details

Course Learning Outcomes:

By completion of this course, successful students will be able to:

• Describe how and why the Circumpolar North is transforming.
• Identify who are the main actors in the newly evolving Circumpolar security region.
• Define the core geopolitical processes that are now unleashed in the region.