A postgraduate introductory course on Energy and Geopolitics, which IENE organized for the first time this year, was successfully concluded on May 15, 2015. This series of seminars, 3 hours each conducted, on average, twice or three times a week in Athens over a 3-month period, commenced on February 16, 2015, with 14 participants at graduate levelA postgraduate introductory course on Energy and Geopolitics, which IENE organized for the first time this year, was successfully concluded on May 15, 2015. This series of seminars, 3 hours each conducted, on average, twice or three times a week in Athens over a 3-month period, commenced on February 16, 2015, with 14 participants at graduate level. The series of seminars were conducted in co-operation and under the guidance of Professor John Mazis, Head of the Department of Turkish and Modern Asian Studies (National & Kapodistrian University of Athens) and Director of the Laboratory of Geopolitical Analyses of Turkey-Middle East.
Lecturers in the seminars included prominent scientists, academics and analysts, among whom: Professor John Mazis, Dr. Dimitrios Kokkinos (Naval Architect PhD, Chairman Geopolitical Committee of IENE), Mr. Costis Stambolis (Executive Director of IENE), Dr. Dinos Nikolaou (Petroleum Geologist, PhD), Prof. Konstantinos Grivas (Geopolitics Professor at the Hellenic Military Academy), Mathios Rigas (Chairman & CEO of Energean Oil & Gas), Ioannis P. Sotiropoulos (International Politics Scientist and Senior Research Fellow of IENE), Mr. John Hatzivassiliades (Chairman of IENE).
The course’s main aim was to stress the interconnection between energy and geopolitics, which has recently become very topical in SE Europe and neighbouring areas. The subjects covered in this pilot course were the following: Principles of geopolitical analysis, the interests and aspirations of continental and sea powers in the 21stcentury geostrategic chess game, the global energy mix, energy as a key factor influencing relations between countries, national energy balances and optimum energy mix for energy security, indigenous energy production and energy exports, energy dependency. The key role of oil and gas in the world order; the geopolitics of energy in the European- Asian- Middle East system; basic principles of the Islamic movement; geopolitical dynamics and energy routes in the Central Asian subsystem; military power in the broader Middle East- Russia- China block; European relations in the energy sector; geopolitical threats and dangers in the East Mediterranean; the pivotal role of Turkey; cross border energy connections as part of a geopolitical understanding; the SE European energy bridge and European energy security.
As part of the course work the students were invited to prepare and submit a thesis on which they will be examined next September. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be awarded an IENE Diploma on Geopolitics and Energy.
Although the "Introduction to Geopolitics and Energy” series of seminars were conducted in the Greek language, IENE, within its educational remit, intends to organize similar seminars in English to be held in various capitals of SE Europe from the next academic season onwards.
