Technology and International Security Cluster

For students interested in Technology and International Studies more generally, please see the Jackson School’s minor (forthcoming).

With significant expertise in all regions of the world, the University of Washington is also an ideal training ground to advance understanding of emerging threats and opportunities at the nexus of technology and international security. Please contact SPDR at spdr@uw.edu for more information about faculty mentors who can guide you on your specific interests at the nexus of technology and international security.

Below is an informal list of policy-relevant courses around the university where technology and international security intersect, such as nuclear, space, cyber, quantum, and AI. Please note that the list is inexhaustive and may change from year to year.

Courses

• JSIS B 355/555: Cybersecurity and International Studies
• JSIS B 356: Cybersecurity & Society
• JSIS B 358: International Cybercrime
• JSIS B 357 : The Geopolitics of Energy
• JSIS B 429/529: Nuclear Nonproliferation and International Safeguards
• JSIS B 444/544-AA490/590-ESS488A/585-LAW544A/544: B Space Law and Policy
• JSIS B 431/531: The International Strategic Crisis Negotiation Exercise (ISCNE)
• JSIS 495: Task Force classes in the Jackson School

Core Themes

• Space security and space diplomacy
• Cybersecurity
• AI, cyber, autonomous systems, and strategic stability
• Nuclear policy, deterrence, and escalation risks
• Great power competition and alliance politics
• International norms, governance, and law in contested domains

What you will gain

• The ability to analyze security challenges across domains (land, sea, air, space, cyber)
• Policy-relevant understanding of how technology alters international power
• Experience connecting academic analysis to government, industry, and diplomatic approaches