Modern economies heavily depend on the availability of cheap oil. With the emergence and growth of new large scale economies such as China and India, for instance, the competition for oil and other basic natural resources is
only bound to increase and to further strain international relations. According to many experts the oil industry is approaching so-called peak production further exacerbating this dynamic. Looking at case studies we will try to obtain
a political, economic, historical and scientific understanding of current events in the light of a “war for the world’s resources” and how they relate to or emanate from energy policies of the various players.
Co-organizer:
Mark Levine, Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies,
University of California Irvine.
Expectations from Participants:
Active participation in the analysis of case studies culminating in a final presentation and a plenary discussion.
Languages:
English and German.
Modus:
Small groups.
Material:
Will be provided.
Literature:
1. Michael T. Klare, Blood and Oil:The Dangers and Consequences of America’s Growing Dependency on Imported Petroleum, The American Empire Project.
2. Eliyahu Kanovsky, Middle Eastern oil power: Mirage or reality? in H. Esfandiari and A. Udovitch eds., The Economic Dimensions of Middle Eastern History, pp. 63-91.
Infrastructure:
Is high-speed internet access available? Terminals?
