Teaching Political Science in Times of Conflict

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Session Description

"Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has raised the prospect of a new Cold War or overt military conflict between nuclear powers. Three days after the invasion, Germany reversed its post-1945 foreign policy by commitment to a €100 billion fund to upgrade its armed forces and that the country will adhere to a NATO spending goal of 2% of GDP. By the middle of March 2022, the war had already created the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since WWII. Western leaders, fearful of the prospect of escalation of nuclear conflict, have largely sought to provide support to Ukraine through defensive military weapons. The war has led to unprecedented economic sanctions imposed on Russia and is arguably the most significant military conflict since Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939.
For students of political science, the war brings to the fore the complexity of teaching a subject where alliances and ideologies that link and divide countries highlight the interconnected nature of the global economy.
This roundtable will explore the impact of the war in Ukraine for the teaching of political science. It will cover a range of topics, from the ethical and moral dilemmas relating to the West’s unwillingness to directly intervene, to why the Ukraine conflict is different from other conflicts in the post-Cold War era.

Sub Unit

• Panels

Chairs

• Charity Butcher Kennesaw State University

• Alasdair Blair De Montfort University

Presenters

• Oxana Shevel Tufts University

• Olga Onuch University of Manchester

• Yoshiko M. Herrera University of Wisconsin, Madison

• Jonathan Weiler

• Daniel Stockemer University of Ottawa