What are the causes and consequences of nuclear weapons and their related technologies? How are nuclear technologies, equipment and materials managed at the international, regional, and national levels? What is the 'global atomic marketplace' and how can it be controlled to contain proliferation threats? What are the tools of nonproliferation and counterproliferation that have been historically adopted by the United States and its allies? What policy lessons can be derived from those past policies? How has radioactive poisoning from nuclear tests, nuclear facilities and accidents affected lives, and how have effective has mitigation been? These are some of the questions that this course will examine. No background in nuclear issues is required for taking this course.

Two-hour meeting (one hour lecture; one hour seminar) once per week for ten weeks

None

None

■ 60%:-policy memo of 2,500 words

■ 40% -policy op-ed of 1,500 words

Students will gain familiarity with historical, sociological, and political aspects of nuclear technologies. They shall understand the full nuclear fuel cycle [mining, energy, weapons, waste] to interpret their significance for global security, economy, and politics. They shall be encouraged to enhance critical skills of historical analysis with an eye on contemporary policies through writing policy memos. Students shall develop skills of written communication and lucidly make evidence-driven arguments through writing policy op-eds, and apply concepts and ideas about nuclear weapons, energy, and mining in wider academic, intellectual, and social realms.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Recognize elements of the nuclear fuel cycle from mining, milling, electricity generation, and weapons development to waste storage and management.

2. Plan, design, and write policy op-eds and policy memos adopting a problem-solving analytical approach;

3. Critically understand historical, sociological, and political significance of nuclear technologies