Microcredential: Analysing Pacific Security

In 2018, the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum described the security environment in the Pacific region as ‘crowded and complex’. The Pacific is crowded with external players who see a shared interest in the region and are often looking to assert their own agenda. The Pacific is complex because Pacific leaders assert that ‘securing the region’ requires a critical understanding of the interdependence between people, environment, culture and local capability. There is a clear requirement–at the national and regional level–for the political leaders of the Pacific to have access to analysis that can support them as decision-makers amongst the noise and complexity. This capability needs to employed with a clear-eyed view of Pacific national and regional security interests.

What you will study

Objectives

This course provides a baseline of skills and understanding of analytic tradecraft for application in the Pacific. The course will support participants to grapple with the perennial problems of analysis: the complexity of international developments, incomplete and ambiguous information, and cognitive biases. We will explore the growth of analytic practice in the Pacific region–providing a shared language and skill base.

This course will be delivered in an executive masters mode, with practitioners and academics working in partnership to deliver the program. This provides students with the best of both worlds – a robust academic and literature framework for their thinking, along with the best of applied practice.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

→ Demonstrate a baseline understanding of analytic concepts.

→ Demonstrate capacity to conduct strategic analysis, framed by Pacific interests.

→ Lead and contribute to group analytic techniques.

Program Structure

The course will be taught over two full days (in one week). The teaching days and times are 2-3 December, 1000-1530 (AEDT). The unit will include nine contact hours in total across two teaching days. The sessions will provide a mixture of formal and informal lectures, Q&As, analytic exercises and discussion of designated readings. The topics of the teaching sessions are listed under the daily program below.

The course will be delivered virtually due to COVID-19 constraints. As the course covers a number of interactive exercises, students will be required to have a gmail account so access can be provided to relevant Google Docs. Participants will be provided with a Zoom link in advance of the course to access teaching sessions.

Trainers

Participants of the Pacific Security College courses are taught by a number of subject matter experts.

PSC

Program Coordinator apsc@anu.edu.au

Next Steps

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Resources

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As Scheduled

2 Days

English