Transnational Criminal Networks & International Security

Catalog description

Since the end of the Cold War, threats to national and international security have become more varied and diffused. Some of these threats are subtle and insidious rather than overtly military in character. This course will explore the rise of transnational criminal networks, their motivations and support, and explore the threats they pose to domestic and global governance as well as to international security and stability. We cover the characteristics and methods of transnational organized crime and the governments that house them as we examine illicit, black market networks of smugglers and terrorists involved in nuclear, narcotic, high-technology and human trafficking, including state and UN efforts to trace and interdict these transactions. This class will also dive into the roles cyber space, social media, and cryptocurrency play in facilitating these networks. Class will include visits by guest speakers working in the field.